As I am writing this post, not only have I endured some cold winter days in Colorado but, most of us have been washing our hands non-stop as preventive measures due to the coronavirus. For this gal who has always lived in warm weather, my hands are taking a hit.
With official advice being to wash our hands as often as possible and to use hand sanitizer with an alcohol content of at least 60% to help delay the spread of COVID-19, we're inevitably all going to get dehydrated skin. While it's not exactly anyone's main concern at the moment, dryness can result in painful cracks in the skin if left untreated.
Have I got some relief for your dry, chapped hands?
First of all, I love to make all types of organic scrubs, oils, and masks from this skincare recipe book that I stumbled upon about four years ago. Knowing what is in my skincare products and making these products have always been a very therapeutic process for me. If your grandchildren are a little older, I'm sure they would love to help make these or the teenage granddaughters might like to give them as gifts to their friends.
Hand Scrub (Use 2-3 times per week)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil or almond oil
1.5 cups of white sugar or brown sugar
2 teaspoons lavender essential oil
10 drops lemon essential oil
1 or 2 teaspoons dried lavender
Combine the sugar and almond oil in a mixing boil. Add the lavender and lemon essential oils and place ingredients into a mason jar. I like to put a wooden spoon with this scrub and both the jar and the spoon can be used again once your scrub is all used up.
Sugar Scrub versus Salt Scrub
The main difference between the two are the size of the exfoliating granule. Sugar scrubs are best suited for sensitive skins (face or hands) and salt scrubs are generally more abrasive and therefore do a better job at smoothing out the rough skin patches on the body (elbow, legs). My go to is always a sugar scrub but substitute the exfoliating granule that is best suited for your skin type. Caution: if you use a salt scrub and you are using it on your legs, be sure to exfoliate with it before you shave your legs!!
Cuticle Oil (use nightly) (100 Organic Skin Care Recipes - page 107
Ingredients
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp jojoba oil
1 tsp unscented grapeseed oil
16 drops tea tree essential oil
12 drops lemon essential oil
12 drops lavender essential oil
1 vitamin E capsule
Place the funnel over your bottle and add the oils. Pierce the vitamin E capsule and squeeze it out into the bottle, discarding the gel cap. Add the essential oils and shake to blend. I. put this cuticle oil into a eye dropper bottle and apply to my cuticles morning and evening.
Hand Mask (2-3 times per week)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup body lotion
1/2 cup coconut oil,
peppermint essential oil
vitamin E
Place the ingredients in a jar with a lid. Apply to your hands and feet for 15 minutes with gloves or socks.
If you don't have the essential oils listed above, feel free to use what you have. This is just a starting point for any of these recipes.
When all the restrictions are lifted from the coronavirus and we have house guests again, I always make sure to make either a scrub or an oil to leave in the guest bedroom. Visitors can use it and then take it home with them as a great remembrance of your time together and also it's a guaranteed way to have more friends visit - ha ha!
I would love to know if you have a favorite scrub or hand mask recipe you'd like to share! Also, if you missed it, head over to the Glam section and check out Mimi Jackie's 5 ingredient avocado facial mask.
Remember, it is so important for us grandmas to practice self-care! We are the glue that binds our families together and the hands that hold our grandchildren.
"A Grandmother Holds Her Grandchildren's Hands for a While, their Hearts Forever"
Xoxoxo
Gigi Susie