Your Hardworking Hands Will Thank You For Your Care
Most of us are fortunate indeed to have two strong hardworking hands that are kept busy throughout the day and yet, do we give their welfare a second thought?
Whether we are doing the household chores, working in the garage or the garden or subjecting our hands to lots of water, we do need to give them some TLC (tender loving care) – and regularly.
How to care for your hands if you are a gardener
1. Invest in good gloves as these will protect your hands from thorns, nettles and soil, making sure that they are good quality, durable and comfortable.
2. Handle splinters with care and the best way to remove one is to dab some baby oil onto your skin before gently sliding it out. Next, apply antiseptic cream or surgical spirit to avoid infection.
3. Working in the garden gives you the ideal opportunity to maximize your vitamin D levels but once you have had sufficient sunlight exposure to your hands, pop on those gloves or use a natural sun cream to protect them.
4. Treat any bites or stings by keeping something natural and effective in your first aid kit to provide symptomatic relief for skin irritation resulting from insect stings or bites as well as nettle stings.
5. Once you have completed your tasks, give your hands a good clean and then treat them to a soothing and healing “hand oil” session. Use by applying to clean hands morning and night for perfect skin hydration - and at other times when needed. Apply a few drops on the back of one hand and rub the back of your other hand against it to massage in the oil. You can add more to the knuckles and massage in gently using the knuckles of the other hand. This way you end up delivering the bulk of the product to the parts of your hands that need it most.
How to care for your hands during household chores
1. Wear rubber gloves that are lined with cotton when your hands are in contact with harsh soaps, detergents or chemicals even when washing dishes. This is because dish washing liquid is alkaline, which is hard on the skin while regular cleaning agents can be extremely harsh on both nails and hands. When nails are exposed to water, they swell before shrinking back as they dry - this can lead to brittle nails.
2. Always use a mild natural soap when washing your hands.
3. Use a natural solution of sea salt mixed with lemon juice to exfoliate the skin on the backs of the hands twice a week for glowing skin. Brush it onto the backs of your hands with an old toothbrush to help remove any dead skin cells.
4. After washing your hands, always pat dry and, while slightly moist, use a natural moisturizer. Coconut oil is a good choice.
5. Cuticles on your nails act as a barrier to bacteria and nail fungus, but they can often overgrow. Use a wooden cuticle pusher after your shower to keep them in line and NEVER cut your cuticles. Those tiny hangnails as well as bitten edges can catch on almost anything, turning into deep tears and possibly leading to infection. Keep them covered by applying a "liquid bandage product" as soon as damage appears or you can use any regular bandage until healing takes place.
How to give your hands a regular treat
For a real treat for your hands, our Simply Hand Oil Formula (which is completely natural with all simply pure oils that your skin will love and that will love your skin back).
Give your hands this luxurious hand treatment to instantly improve the skin's natural moisture cushion while restoring comfort and glow to one of the body's most exposed areas.
It deeply hydrates, softens and enhances the look of the skin providing nourishment and promoting healthy and radiant looking hands.
There is absolutely no need for expensive lotions and creams when you choose pure unadulterated plant extracts without parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, PEGs and SLSs.
SOURCES:
What can make my hands look younger? (aad.org)
Microdermabrasion: Overview. (n.d.).
https://www.aad.org/public/cosmetic/age-spots-marks/microdermabrasion-overview. (Accessed Jun 2, 2021).
Ngan, V. (2006). Sun protective clothing.
https://dermnetnz.org/topics/sun-protective-clothing/. (Accessed Jun 2, 2021).
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.