I'm a firm believer in skin care. Creamy skin was one of the things I inherited from my mother, and I treat my skin pretty well.
Except for my hands.
While I take good care of the skin on my face and décolletage, I tend to ignore my hands. So while my face and décolletage don't necessarily reveal my age, my hands scream "She's 50 years old!"
I'm resolving to take better care of my hands, starting with getting the skin soft again. Honestly, though, I don't want to spend a lot of money on my hands, so I've been looking for cost-effective ways to relieve the dry skin on my hands. I've tried several different products, with mixed results. But now I think I've hit the jackpot:
Coconut oil. Have you tried this stuff? It's amazingly emollient and smells beautiful. And it's not expensive, not even this certified organic version.
My hands are rough enough that they need to be exfoliated as well as moisturized, so I've come up with a simple scrub for softening my hands. Here's how to make it.
- Gently heat 1/2 cup of coconut oil. (It's semi-solid at room temperature, so heat it just a little so that it will be easy to stir.)
- Add a couple of tablespoons of a gentle gritty substance, such as sugar or salt. (I used plain old table salt.)
- Stir well so that grit is incorporated throughout the coconut oil. Store in a tightly sealed container. (Hint: If you use salt, make sure your container is impervious to salt. If you use sugar, make sure your container has a very tight seal so that the mixture won't attract ants.)
To use the scrub, simply dip out a bit and rub hands together for about a minute. Don't be too rough--let the gritty substance do the exfoliating work. Then wash hands with a gentle soap and dry thoroughly. You'll be amazed at how soft your hands feel!
Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us;
Establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands (Psalm 90:17).
This post is the eleventh entry in a 31-day series: Caring for Myself Body and Soul.
Click here for a list of all the posts in this series.
What a great idea! I have coconut oil in my pantry right now. I have dry skin all over, especially in cooler weather. I have heard about all the uses for coconut oil...it's great for so many things. I may just have to make me a batch of this! Thanks for the great idea :)
ReplyDeleteThan you for sharing this great idea.
ReplyDeleteI will have to try this. My hands take a brutal beating. I have terribly brittle nails. Any upcoming tips for those? www.fifisfilosophies.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteWear a little bag balm ( really called that, it's for cows but I buy mine at target). Anyway, rub a little into your hands, don some cotton gloves, and go to bed. It is fabulous for cracked heels too!
ReplyDeleteGreat tip! I suffer from horrid(!) dry hands in the winter. :( I need to make some of your scrub to prevent it this year. What a blessing it is for you to inherit creamy skin!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Leslie
I have some thick sugar (cannot think of the real name!) waiting to get used up in my pantry, and I have a feeling this is going to be a fantastic use for it! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI just looked at my hands the other day and thought...I have old lady hands. Waaahhh! :)
ReplyDeleteMy hands definitely show my age. Great idea for the scrub. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteoh I love this!! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete