A woman’s hands are her salvation. We use them to love, to express, to say hello, to say goodbye. We use them to build, to create, to play, to work. We stare at them, admire them, and fidget with them when we’re uncomfortable. No matter what you do with your hands, it’s important to take good care of them – you need them to last a long time!

Dry Skin

We all deal with dry hands from time to time and apply lotion as needed, but developing a hand care routine will keep your hands feeling happy all the time! Hands that spend a lot of time in water tend to dry out pretty frequently. Washing dishes, working in a restaurant, swimming, bartending (this is my dry hand cause – ouch!), or anything that requires constant hand washing can add to the dryness. One thing you can do to avoid this is wearing gloves as much as possible when your hands are in water. Of course this won’t help much for those of us who need to wash our hands often or for those who have chronic dry hands regardless of water, so in that case we recommend keeping a hand lotion in your purse, at work, and somewhere around the house. Easily accessible products will make it more convenient to moisturize your hard working fingers! Our Rough Skin Cream is the perfect remedy for dryness, and it smells nice too! In addition to applying moisturizer throughout the day, massaging some lotion into your hands right before bed will give your skin a chance to soak it all up.

Five Rules for Healthy Hands

1. Wash

Use a liquid moisturizing soap to gently clean hands while not stripping them of moisture – especially important for those who need to wash hands often. Avoid bar soap or soap with fragrance oils (go for products that use essential oils instead!) as these can both be drying. We recommend Dr. Bronners products, as well as natural, organic options that can be found at your local health food stores.

2. Exfoliate

Just like with the rest of your body, exfoliating your hands will help moisture penetrate the skin and keep it feeling smooth and soft. Use a washcloth or body scrub in the shower to massage the backs of your hands, removing dead skin. Our Exotic Coffee Bean Scrub is a lovely hand exfoliator!

3. Moisturize

As we discussed earlier, apply moisturizer to your hands after each washing (leave hands slightly damp before applying to help seal in the moisture!) and also before bed. For an extra treat, try our Moisturizing Hand Soak which helps soften cuticles, whiten nails, moisturize hands, and aids in circulation for those with cold fingers!

4. Manicure

Even if you are not one for polish, it is important to maintain your finger nails. Keep them evenly trimmed and filed, and regularly push back cuticles to avoid hang nails. Of course adding a splash of color with some nail polish (don’t forget your base coat!) is always fun too.

5. Sunscreen

It’s easy to remember to apply sunscreen to our bodies and faces, but do you ever think to apply it to your hands? They are just as much in the sun as the rest of your body, so it’s important to protect them from sun damage too. Choose a combination moisturizer/sunscreen and apply every few hours to keep them protected!

Take some time out each day for self-care and you’ll be appreciating your beautiful, hard-working hands even more than you already do!