Hand cream and simple home remedies for dry hands

Hot and cold air and frequent washing can become an attack on the skin of the hands. Many people with sensitive skin or who work outdoors suffer from chapped skin and dry hands not only in winter.

Conventional creams are not the best idea to solve the problem because they are loaded with petroleum products. For intensive care and good hydration, it is better to use natural home remedies. With just a few ingredients, you can easily make a hand cream and give your skin that special care.

Causes of dry hands

Especially in the cold season, the hands quickly become chapped and dry. Temperature fluctuations between indoors and outdoors, freezing cold and wind irritate the skin. But dry air from air conditioning or heating also dries out your hands.

Frequent washing damages the protective layer of the skin. Soap attacks the acid mantle and contributes to dry hands. Germs, bacteria, and viruses can enter through open wounds, greatly increasing the risk of infection.

When buying a cream

Many people use conventional hand creams to treat dry, cracked hands. However, the ingredients only help to a limited extent against rough skin and even can irritate hands due to added fragrances and chemical ingredients.

Many conventional creams contain mineral oils that are supposed to counteract dry skin. However, these products usually prevent the foot from regenerating naturally. After washing, hands are often even drier.

Therefore, when buying, choose certified natural cosmetics with ingredients more suitable for your skin such as vegetable oils and fats. Substances such as paraffins, mineral oils or parabens should not be on the list of ingredients.

Natural ingredients for dry hands

It is important that home remedies add grease to dry hands. In this way they help to rebuild the natural protective layer of the skin. The following are suitable for intensive care of delicate skin:

Coconut oil: The oil has an anti-inflammatory effect and heals dry patches and chapped hands. It is rich in fatty acids that rebuild the acid mantle of the skin. The solid oil melts in warm hands and can be applied directly, without mixing, several times a day.Shea butter: The fat from the shea tree is a special treat for dry hands. It is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and beta-carotene, which protect dry hands from free radicals such as viruses and bacteria. Like coconut oil, the fat melts into the skin and can be applied to chapped hands multiple times a day.Olive oil: Rich in antioxidants, this vegetable oil protects dry hands from further damage. Helps with cell damage and stimulates regeneration. To take an oil bath, fill a bowl with warm water and add about four tablespoons of oil. Leave your hands in the water for several minutes, and then dry them well. The pores open up in the warm water and the olive oil is very well absorbed.Aloe vera: Aloe vera gel not only cares for the skin after sunbathing. It provides valuable moisture and is more easily absorbed by dry hands than vegetable oils. Use the fresh gel directly from the plant or look for a 100% natural commercial product.Moisturizing care from within: You can also moisturize dry hands from the inside out. In general, it is important to drink enough, take broths and fresh plant foods. Depending on your height and weight, the amount will be two to three liters per day. Your skin also benefits from sufficient hydration.

Make your own hand cream

With the natural hand cream, you can have hydrated hands again after just a few uses. Instead of buying ready-made cream at the drugstore, make your own nourishing hand cream and avoid unwanted additives. We give you a recipe for beeswax hand cream and another vegan hand cream.

For preparation you will need to :

1 small pot 1 larger pot for a double boiler 1 container (small jar or jar with a screw lid) for the finished cream. It must first be sterilized (boiled).

Hand cream with beeswax

Ingredients:

50 grams of shea butter 30 grams of cocoa butter 24 grams of beeswax 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (for example, olive oil, jojoba oil or almond oil) 5 drops of essential oil (lavender, thyme, ylang-ylang) optional

Elaboration:

Melt the cocoa butter with the beeswax in a water bath. Stir the vegetable oil and shea butter into the melted cocoa butter, while it is still hot, and remove the saucepan from the water bath. Add the essential oil when it is hot. mixture has cooled slightly.Before the cream is completely cool, pour it into an empty jar or a small screw-top jar.Tip: homemade cream can be stored for at least three months and should not be stored in the fridge. It has the best consistency at room temperature.

vegan hand cream

Ingredients:

30 grams of cocoa butter 30 grams of shea butter 25 grams of coconut oil 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (for example, olive oil, jojoba oil or almond oil) 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (optional) 5 drops of essential oil (lavender) , pink, ylang-ylang, orange) optional

Elaboration:

Melt the coconut oil in a double boiler. Reduce the heat and add the cocoa butter, shea butter, and cornstarch. Then remove the pot from the double boiler and stir in the vegetable oil. Add the essential oil when the cream has cooled .Pour the cream into a small screw-top jar or metal jar.

Cornstarch is used to give it firmness. If you want a solid hand cream, you can add another tablespoon of starch and form the cooled dough into balls.

How to protect your hands from drying out

Wear gloves in cold temperatures. In this way you do not let cold air enter your hands and protect them from free radicals. If hand disinfection is necessary, use moisturizing disinfectants.Especially fragile skins need intensive care. Apply olive oil, shea butter, or coconut oil before bed and wear cotton gloves overnight. This allows fat to be easily absorbed and the skin becomes soft and supple.Wash your hands well with warm water and use a soap labeled “pH neutral” or “pH 5.5.” Use natural hand cream after washing your hands.After washing your hands, hands must dry well. The wetter they are after washing, the faster the skin dries out.Wear rubber gloves when cleaning. Natural cleaning agents like vinegar, soda, and baking soda also attack sensitive skin and promote chapped hands.