Hands are one of the most important parts of the body, and definitely one of the most active. They are exposed to all kinds of things like sunlight, water, heat, cold, different textures, chemicals and more. It is natural that the effects will start showing some time or another. In fact, after you turn 30, your hands start losing their natural plumpness because of the slow rate of cell production and reparation.
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Sometimes, your hands may make you look older than you actually are, and that is anyone’s worst nightmare. You might not think that hands could possibly determine how old we look, but this train of thought leads to us not taking care of our hands, making them look old and sad. Depending on the kind of work that you engage in regularly, or even hereditary factors, you may develop wrinkles, lines, spots, calluses, and old-looking hands in general. It is important to adopt anti-aging tactics for the whole body, not just your face, and for that, and hand care should become an essential part of your routine. Here is everything that you can possibly do to, to ensure that you have soft, supple, younger looking hands.
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6 DIY homemade hand treatment scrubs and masks
When it comes to making do-it-yourself masks, people seem to concentrate all their efforts on their hair and faces. However, hands need their share of care and attention too to prevent premature aging. Here are 6 DIY hand care tips that are going to give you a happy pair of hands.
1. Carrot mask
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Carrots are not only great for your eyes and your hair because of their carotene levels, they are also good for the hands. When you make a mask out of them, they help keep your skin young, nourished, and healthy. You need:
-1 ground carrot
-1 tablespoon sour cream
-1 teaspoon olive oil
The sour cream helps your skin look brighter and fuller, while the olive oil hydrates and moisturizes.
2. Potato hand mask
Here is another reason you can be thankful for the existence of potatoes. This mask is perfect for red, irritated skin, due to harmful effects from using chemical products, detergents, and soaps. For this, you will need:
-2 or 3 boiled potatoes
-milk or extra virgin olive oil
You just have to mash the potatoes together and make a paste by adding milk or extra virgin olive oil or even sweet almond oil – whatever you have handy. Let your hand soak in the mixture for about 15 minutes, wash it off, and then be sure to moisturize.
3. Overnight hand treatment
When you use store-bought, chemical hand lotions for your overnight treatment, the purpose is slightly defeated, because you need to make sure that your hands get the best treatment naturally. For this overnight, natural, and DIY treatment, you need:
-1 or 2 teaspoons of any of the following oils: sweet almond oil, castor oil, tea tree oil, avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil
-a pair of gloves or cotton socks
You just have to massage the oil into your hands, and wear your gloves or socks to bed. You can even add a few drops of essential oil on your hands so that your hands are soft, nourished, and aromatic in the morning.
4. Avocado hand mask
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Whether you like eating avocados or not, there are various uses of the fruit for your hands due to the high amount of nutrients present in it. For the mask, you need:
-1 avocado
-2 tablespoons of honey
-2 teaspoons of plain yogurt
-10 drops of essential oils (of your choice)
-olive oil
You need to chuck all the ingredients into a mixer and apply the resulting paste on your hands. Leave it on for 15 minutes covered in plastic, and then wash it off and moisturize.
5. Lemon hand mask
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We often find ourselves with stinky hands, and that needs to be dealt with effectively. A lemon hand mask will not only lead to beautiful-smelling hands, but will also remove any age spots and discoloration that might appear on them. For the scrub, you need the following ingredients:
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-lemon zest (optional)
-1 tablespoon baking soda
-2 tablespoons of honey
Massage this mixture into your hands for some time and leave it on for 15 minutes, then you can wash it off.
6. Almond oil
Almond oil is one of the most versatile and effective ingredients for nourishing the skin of different parts of your body, not just your hands. It is a great remedy for hands that have been exposed to extreme temperatures, frostbite, wrinkles, and more. You only need one ingredient for this-
-almond oil
You just have to massage it all over your hands, so that they soak up all the vitamins and nutrients that almond oil has to offer.
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Over-the-counter products for healthy hands!
If you don’t have enough time to make your own hand mask, then there are also some over-the-counter products that you can check out. Although there are thousands of moisturizers and hand creams, you have to look for specific ingredients and elements to treat specific conditions. Here are some examples:
1. For moisturizing
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Moisture retention is one of the most important things to keep in mind if you are planning an effective hand care program. However, you cannot just pick up any old moisturizer from the shelves and use it for your hands. There are some special ingredients that make the moisturizer non-greasy and helps your hands absorb it extra fast, while giving it the maximum amount of nourishment. When choosing your hand moisturizer, look for creams with:
-sunflower or soybean oil
-hyaluronic acid
-retinol
-glycerine
-petroleum
-shea butter
These ingredients will not only help your hands retain the level of moisture, but it will also ensure that you have plumper, healthier-looking hands.
2. For anti-aging
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As described multiple times before, hands can be a dead giveaway for aging and you should do everything in your power to keep your hands looking and feeling healthy and young. There are several anti-aging moisturizers and creams available in the market, and you should particularly look for the following ingredients.
-alpha-beta hydroxyl
-retinol
-vitamin C
-peptides
-hydraquinone
-kojic acid
These ingredients will ensure that you do not develop wrinkles, aging spots, discolorations, sun damage signs, and other manifestations of premature damage to your hands. They will also leave your hands smooth, soft, and nourished.
10 daily hand care routine
Apart from the various things that you can do once or twice a week, or whenever you have time, there are some rules that you have to turn into a permanent part of your daily skin care routine. It may seem like a lot to keep track of, but these steps are super easy and super effective. Here are 10 hand care tips you must practice every day.
1. Never underestimate the power of washing your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after doing something extra engaging with your hands like eating, playing, typing, cooking and the like.
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2. Use warm water to wash your hands. This way, all the grease and the dirt on your hands will become loose and be easier to get rid of, while letting the natural oils remain on your skin, keeping it naturally moisturized.
3. It is essential that you avoid the use of harsh soaps when you are washing your hands, otherwise it may leave your hands cracked, dry, and irritated.
4. After you finish washing your hands, you have to ensure that you pat dry your hands instead of rubbing the life out of them with a towel. If you rub your hands dry, then they get stripped of all the good bacteria and natural essential oils.
5. In order to protect your hands from the sun and from long-term damage such as wrinkles, spots, and age lines, you have to use hand creams containing sunscreen with SPF and other protective formulas for your hands. You can apply it several times a day, since they are non-greasy.
6. Moisturizing your hands should become a quintessential part of your daily hand care routine. Before going to bed and after waking up, you should take time out to moisturize your hands to ensure that they are protected and retain moisture.
7. To remind yourself to moisturize your hands, make sure that you have small bottles of moisturizer in places that you access the most such as your bathroom, your bedside table, and your utility bags.
8. If you are out of store-bought moisturizer, you can use natural products such as linoleum oil, coconut oil, or extra virgin olive oil before you go to bed.
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9. Exfoliation is another important step that you should introduce into your daily hand care routine, at least every two or three days. Natural products such as salt and sugar with milk or honey or olive oil work just fine.
10. The final step is a preventive measure to ensure that your hands are protected from harsh conditions, temperatures, and chemicals. To do this, you need to keep them covered, either with the help of things like mittens or with gloves, giving you better mobility.
Hands are one of the most vital parts of the body, and when you don’t take care of them, they start becoming wrinkly, irritated, spotted, lined, and sensitive. The things you can do to take care of them are actually pretty simple when you come to think of it. The trick lies in ensuring that you spend some time of your day, without fail, taking care of them with these simple preventive measures and remedies so that they cease to be a dead giveaway for aging.
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