|
 |
Tips
for Youthful Hands
By Melanie Jensen
When we hear about wrinkles and skin aging,
most of us think or our faces and necks. However,
the earliest signs of aging are revealed in
our hands.
Often neglected, hands need to regular care.
Frequent contact with water and chemicals, sun,
cold weather, and gardening all add stress and
age to the skin of your hands. While hands do
not have many oil glands, they nonetheless reveal
your age earlier than your pampered face.
What can you do to keep your hands youthful
and beautiful?
-
Moisturize! Several times a day. Dry skin
is easily injured and looks wrinkled.
-
Protect your hands - wear gloves when gardening,
washing dishes, or dealing with chemicals.
-
-
Keep your hands dry. Any water left on
your hands will evaporate and dry out the
skin.
-
Every so often give your hands a special
treatment, such as an herbal or oil bath.
Following are suggestions for your next hand
spa:
Herbal Hand Bath Recipe
Bring 1 qt of water to boil and pour over 1
tbsp of herbs (you can use all of these or just
one: chamomile, nettle, sage, coltsfoot, calendula).
Let the infusion cool to 100 -110 degrees F
and soak your hands in it for about 15-20 minutes.
Dry your hands thoroughly and apply a rich moisturizer.
Nourishing Hand Cream Recipe
Thoroughly mix 1 teaspoon of honey and 3 tbsp
of unsalted butter. Add 1 tbsp of strong herbal
infusion. This will make a very rich cream.
It will take a while to absorb, but be patient
- it will leave your hands silky and smooth.
Dry Skin Treatment
For dry skin use the following hand treatment
once or twice a week:
-
-
1 egg yolk
-
2 tbsp vegetable oil (olive, almond, or
another oil of your hoice)
-
Lemon juice of 1 lemon
-
3 1/2 - 4 oz of an herbal infusion (for
example: chamomile, calendula, elderflower)
or rose water.
Other Hand Care Tips:
-
Mashed potatoes (with milk) make a great
hand mask.
-
When cooking with eggs, don't throw the
eggshells away. Scrape out the remaining egg
white and spread it over your hands.
-
Rubbing your skin with a piece of lemon
will give the skin a more even tone.
-
After washing dishes or dealing with other
alkali detergents, rinse your hands with sour
milk or with vinegar-in-water solution (1
tbsp. vinegar per 2qt of water). This will
help to restore pH balance of the skin.
-
Keep your hands warm. Not only for the sake
of better skin, but for your overall health.
Flu and colds often start with cold hands.
|
|
|
|
