Getting Softer Hands With A Few Home Remedies
The dry skin of winter plagues most of us and we continue the battle with lotions and creams throughout the entire season. Unfortunately, if you pick up any of these magic elixirs, you will find they contain all kinds of chemicals and additives that are really not the best for your skin. Why would a manufacturer put alcohol in a lotion to soften skin? Alcohol dries the skin. I often wonder if these companies are creating products that make us use the product more? Kind of like putting salty snacks at a bar area to make people want to drink more fluids. There are a few simply home remedies that you can easily access to help that cracked and dry skin. There are a number of different types of dry skin and each type will require a different remedy.
For flaky and scaly hands: A good sea-salt oatmeal scrub is the answer. Use a very fine sifter to sift one cup of instant oatmeal, removing any of the harder hulls. Take one tablespoon of ground sea salt and mix in well. Add a couple of tablespoons of whole milk and mix until it turns into a paste-like consistency. Gently massage the sticky paste over your hands using massage motions for about 3-4 minutes. The mixture is an exfoliant and will remove all of the dead skin. Rinse your hands well. Use an organic hand lotion that doesn’t contain any preservatives or chemicals.
For dehydrated and dry skin: A good old fashioned milk bath is what you need. Use a microwave to heat around two cups of milk to a comfortable temperature (not too hot). Soak your hands for about ten minutes. There are fats in the milk that act as a softener and the vitamins E and A will act as nourishment for the skin and nail cells.
For itchy and/or irritated skin: This is a kind of nourishment to use at night. Mix 2 drops of calendula extract, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 drops of chamomile extract. Rub this mixture into your hands in a massage method for about 2-3 minutes. Now put on some cotton gloves and wear them overnight on your hands. When you get up in the morning, take the gloves off and wash with a very mild organic soap. The combination of this mixture includes the natural moisturizer of the olive oil and the chamomile and calendula properties of healing.
For combination problems: Nature’s Honey Treatment Answer. In a medium bowl add 1 egg yolk, 1/4 cup of lard, one half tablespoon of almonds (ground), ½ tablespoon of honey and just a couple of drops of rosewater (to scent it nicely). Take the mixture and massage into your hands, leaving it on until the mixture actually hardens (15-30 min). Washing the mixture off with warm water and a very gentle soap. You may have to apply this treatment a few times to get the full benefit, but this is a nourishing, moisturizing, healing and exfoliating process that offers that touch of extra for the combination dry skin.
The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.
 Skin Types 2 Aug 2012 |
