From cool winds to warm heaters, winter can be the harshest time for our skin and none more so than for our hands, which are often quickly exposed to different environments.
However, the long grey winter months don’t have to equal dry and flaky hands. Instead, use the chilly nights as a perfect excuse to stay in and give your pointers some extra TLC.
Beauty blogger, Rebecca Bailey, from No More Dirty Looks says, “You’ve got to take care of your hands. Most of us focus on our faces in terms of anti-ageing. May as well take care of our necks and upper chest while we’re there. But don’t forget the hands! If you are looking at your hands right now and thinking, ‘they look fine to me,’ trust me, it sneaks up on you. Wrinkles… discolouration.”
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So with that in mind, here are five easy steps to having the softest hands that any beau will want to hold all day long!
Soak
If you’ve set aside some beauty time then the first step you have to take for supple hands is a lovely soak, this will allow your skin to soften, clean and prepare you for some upcoming exfoliation.
Try a decadent hand soak by making up a bowl of two parts water to one part milk, a tablespoon of olive or coconut oil and a dash of lavender. The milk and oils are particularly nourishing for hands.
With your favourite TV show or music on, sit back with your hands in the milk bath for 20 minutes and then rinse off.
Exfoliate
This is obviously an important step in getting rid of dry skin or rough patches. However, after a good soak you might also like to nip away any loose, dry cuticles. Just take care with your cuticle clippers, making sure you don’t cut yourself.
Destri at DIY blog, The Mother Huddle, explains that exfoliation is important for hands. “Scrubbing off the top layer of dry skin is the quickest way to soften them and take off years.”
She also shares a cheat’s way to scrubbing hands on the spot. However, if you want to languish in your beauty routine you can also trying making up a batch of hand scrub using salt or sugar mixed with olive oil or honey. A dash of cinnamon offers a great aromatic experience.
Mask
Just like your face comes up sparkling from a mask, your hands can do with a great mask for 10 minutes or so.
There are many products readily available on the market, however, there is another homemade option that is just as appealing — oatmeal mixed with milk and honey.
However, if using just one ingredient is more your thing you can also slather your hands in either coconut oil or mashed avocado. Both have high moisturing properties.
The real trick though is to cover you hands in the mask and then pop them into some rubber gloves to create an extra moisturising environment.
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Hydrate
Now that you’ve exfoliated, slathered and rinsed your hands, it’s time for the loveliest part — moisturising! It’s up to you which cream you pick as the products vary and can be designed to deliver moisture or maintain moisture. Some great ingredients to look for include shea or cocoa butters.
See if you can find someone willing to rub in the lotion and massage your hands!
Maintain
Now that you’ve done all the hard work, make sure you maintain your hands. That means moisturising them frequently and protecting them from harsh environments (yes, that’s right, wear gloves while doing the dishes!).
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