This week we celebrated National Clean your Hands Awareness Day- didn’t you? And in recognition to the day, we’ve put together three little tips for keeping your hands healthy and beautiful. Enjoy!
Why take care of your hands?
Your hands go through a lot. They are right there on the front line of your busy day, and they show it all too. Often health issues can be seen in our hands, and they can be one of the first things that people look at when you meet them. From hand shakes to hand holding, friendly waves to nervous fingers through the hair- your hands are at the forefront of your body language no matter what the social situation. And if your hands are dry, with cracked nails and rough skin, what does that say about you, your lifestyle and the state of your health? Protect your hands, keep them safe and make them beautiful. Here’s how:
Moisturise
As with the rest of your body, the skin on your hands needs lots of love and care and it’s so important to restore lost moisture. Your usual moisturiser won’t be absorbed by the skin on the palms of your hands, so you need something a little different instead. Try this natural lotion made from coconut oil and beeswax:
You need:
- Half a cup sweet almond oil
- Quarter of a cup coconut oil
- Quarter of a cup beeswax
- 1 tablespoon shea butter
- 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil to help preserve the lotion
- 20 drops essential oil- we love lavender
To make the lotion, simply Place all the ingredients (bar the essential oil) into a heavy glass jar and pop that jar into a pan of water, up to just past the top of the ingredients. Make sure the lid is on, but screwed on loosely. Heat the water gently so that the ingredients melt, then allow to cool for a few moments before adding the essential oil and stirring gently.
This can be stored in an airtight container for up to six months, and can be used as often as you like. Slather lots on before you go to bed and wake up to deliciously soft and supple hands.
Skip the manicure
Believe it or not, that weekly trip to get your nails done could actually be the worse thing you do for your hands. Manicures can be very abrasive and can leave your nails weak and prone to infections. The reason why is simple- all that buffing painting can stain the keratin of the nail and destroy the protective top layer of the nail. The best thing to do is to limit your manicures to no more than two per month, or skip them altogether.
Keep your nails short and well trimmed
Longer nails collect dirt and grime that can breed bacteria. Yuk! If your nails are short you are less likely to carry germs around with you. Clip them rather than file them, and stay away from acrylic nails and gel 
manicures too. And when you wash, make sure you use a good anti-bacterial hand soap to really get them clean and free from germs. Try our gardeners soap for a really good clean, and watch out for our liquid organic soap with lemon and lemon tea tree too!
Alongside these three little tips, it won’t hurt to have a good hand care routine for life too. We recommend:
- Always wash your hands with a gentle, natural cleanser- no nasty chemicals or additives!
- Always dry your hands well, in between each finger.
- Follow up with a good moisturiser specifically for hands.
- Use an intensive hand lotion at least once a week, over night if you can.
- Never file your nails- always clip them as it’s much more gentle.
- Use sunblock to protect your hands from sun damage.
- Use olive oil to moisturise your nails and the skin around them. This will help to prevent hangnails and strengthen your nails.
