Hand Care in Winter: Softer Hands Tips

With winter well and truly here it’s so important to nurture ourselves inside and out during these cooler months. As the winter season approaches we all find the hands begins to dry up and appear scaly. The skin of our hands is thin, delicate, and often dry, this is why it is the first to suffer from cold winds, frost, and dry heated air inside our apartments. A simple skin care routine made in the house can help work wonders in keeping the hands comfortable.

Take care of your hands this winter with these hand care tips:

Wear Gloves

The skin of our hands is thin, delicate, and often dry, this is why it is the first to suffer from cold winds, frost, and dry heated air inside our apartments. The most important hand protection from winter elements is as simple as just to wear gloves!

Make it a good habit to wear warm gloves or mittens every time you go outside, even if it is just to check the mail or get into a car. This measure is especially important if your hand skin is dry and irritated.

Humidify In The Air

Moisten the air inside your house by placing a plate of water near heaters. I usually use rose water that also fills the air with a delicate scent and works as aromatherapy. This simple measure will prevent your skin, including the skin of your hands, from over – drying.

A Moisturize Your Hands

Several times a day, use a natural hand cream or, better yet, coconut oil, or shea butter, to nourish and moisturize the skin of your hands. To make a rich hand cream at home, mix some unsalted butter with a bit of honey and several beneficial herbs, such as colts foot or nettle. This rich, nourishing cream is the most effective for a winter time. Avoid using store-bought moisturizers if you are going to expose your hands to a cold weather. Never use any commercial hand creams that contain petroleum.

Apply Homemade Hand Masks

A few drops of lemon juice applied to your hands after washing is a good way to add moisture and vital vitamins to the skin and restore its pH balance. As an emergency hand mask, use a mixture of 1 tbsp glycerine, 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, freshly-squeezed juice of 1 lemon, 1 egg yolk, and several ounces of rose water. Another miraculous hand mask can be made by mixing together humble boiled potatoes and milk.

Pamper Your Hands

Once a week, pamper your hands with a herbal bath or a herbal oil massage. For a bath, use nettle, sage, calendula, or chamomile steamed in water. Soak your hands in the cooled brew for 10-15 minutes, dry thoroughly, and apply a rich cream. For a massage, use almond oil with several drops of essential oil of rosemary.

Tips To Make Your Hands Soft in Winter

   1. Take 2 tbls. sugar, baby oil and liquid soap. Pour sugar and baby oil, enough to cover hands in the palm of your hand. Rub hands together, as you would rub when you apply a lotion. Do this for a few minutes, then pour on a little liquid soap and wash clean. Your hands will feel very smooth.
   2. Rub one spoon of sugar, lemon juice and fresh cream into your hands till the sugar completely dissolves. This will surely be of some help.
   3. Mix 1/2 cup of warm milk, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp plain yogurt and a few drops of lavender essential oil. Soak your hands in this mix for about 5 minutes. Scrub your hands gently and do a massage.
   4. Solution made of salt and lemon also slough off dead skin cells. Brush the solution with an old toothbrush. Do this twice a week. This method will not only give you soft hands but also remove discoloration.
   5. The easiest method would be to apply a rich hand cream or petroleum jelly (Vaseline or generic) at night and wear gloves over them while you sleep. This locks the moisture in. Waken with softer hands.
   6. If your hands become rough after a hard day gardening, pour a small amount of salt in the palm of one hand, then apply olive oil and rub hands together. Rinse off under warm water. Next, cover your hands with cotton gloves. This will work well for feet too.
   7. For chapped winter hands: Grind 1 cup of uncooked rolled oats in a mixer until you have very fine powder. Place it in a large bowl, and then rub your hands in the powder gently. This will remove dry skin. Rinse with cold water and apply any hand cream. This treatment is cheaper then the expensive hand cream and yes, it does work better.
   8. Hands become rough while you wash your dishes. Do not worry for there is a remedy even for this. Add a little almond oil to dishwater. The water will soften rough skin while the oil seals the moisture. Spraying your hands with a mist of vinegar after the wash will also be of some help.
   9. To remove cooking smell from your hands. First rinse them with vinegar and then wash thoroughly with soap and water.
  10. A quick massage of 10 minutes with olive oil or dove lotion will also work wonders.

Our hands take a beating on a daily basis, and we slipshod them with respect to other parts of the body. Give your worn out hands a gentle touch with these top tips and feel the difference within few days.

Advice

    * Avoid the dryness in your hands.