How To Care For Your Hands Naturally
January 15, 2012 by Alex Greenwood · Comments Off
You can tell a lot about a person by the look and feel of their hands. Your hands are always out there for everyone to see and if not taken care of properly they can make you look older. They say something about your lifestyle too, so don’t forget about your hands when you take care of the rest of your skin.
The backs of our hands have very little fat, collagen or elastin and the skin is much thinner than our facial skin. Combined with the thin skin, the exposure to sun and the beatings our hand often take, it’s no wonder that wrinkles appear faster here than anywhere else on our body.
You should spend a few minutes on your hands every so often with a quick manicure and protect them from the elements. Here’s a few must-dos on how to care for your hands:
1) Always wear gloves to wash dishes, clean or garden.
2) Always use a low ph hand soap and follow up with a hand lotion immediately after.
3) Use a sunscreen on your hands when out in the sun.
4) Be sure to dry your hands properly by patting them dry, not rubbing. Cold, damp hands can lead to fungal infections.
5) Watch out for repetitive actions, like typing and mouse clicking as these can cause carpal tunnel syndrome.
6) Be sure to get enough calcium and vitamin B in your diet. A lack of these can cause ridged nail beds and dry brittle nails that chip easily.
Whether you go out for manicures and pedicures, or you stay home and do them yourself, always ensure that the equipment and clean and sterile. Below are a few all-natural skincare recipes your can make from home to use in your next mani-pedi. They work great and they have no chemicals or additives found in the commercial products.
Lemon/Rosewater Hand Massage – Combine 1tsp of glycerin, a few drops lemon juice and 5 drops of rose water in a small bottle. Massage this into your hands and cuticles for 20 to 30 minutes.
Lemon Nail Soak – Add the juice of a lemon, 10 drops of lemon essential oil, 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel, to a cup of distilled water. Soak your fingers in this for about 10 minutes on each hand.
Easy Nourishing Hand Moisturizer – You hands will get an extra fresh and healthy look if you mix together some cucumber juice and glycerin and put it on your hands before bed and leave on overnight.
Dry Hand Softener – Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice with a teaspoon of sugar and a little water. Rub this mixture on your hands and let sit for 5 minutes then wash off with warm water and dry thoroughly.
Hand Mask – You can tighten the skin on the back of your hands, and prevent the formation of wrinkles when you mix up some egg whites, like a meringue, and spread it on your hands. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, then rinse and dry thoroughly.
Make Age Spots Disappear – Rub a blob of natural, plain Greek yogurt on the back of your hands and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water, dry thoroughly and repeat every 3 days.
All of these tips and recipes mentioned above will ensure that your hands remain looking soft, supple and young no matter what your age or lifestyle. If you want to have beautiful hands you must give them dedicated care and maintenance, but it need not cost a lot of money or time!
Alex is a freelance graphic artist with a love of writing. She understands the value of looking and feeling great when meeting new people and believes in basic, natural skincare is the key for younger looking skin. If you enjoyed this article, check out a few of her others; How To Combat Dry Skin Naturally or How To Highlight Your Hair Naturally.
