New to the world of homemade beauty products? The homemade hand cream in this article is the perfect entry point, especially if soaps and body butters seem out of reach at the moment. If you make soap or lotion, you may already have the ingredients in the hand cream, which is quite thick and balm-like. It effortlessly melts on the skin, which absorbs the nourishing elements within a few minutes. 

The skin on your hands and your face is constantly exposed to the elements, yet you neglect your hands more than your face. You don’t apply sunscreen to your hands or palms, and you probably don’t cover them in makeup either. The skin on your hands is quite different from the skin on other areas of the body. The middle layer of skin (the dermis) connects to the outer layer (epidermis) through many papillae, which are connective tissue. Rows of papillae form ridges that make up your finger and handprints, but they also help protect the skin on your hands from tearing. 

The skin on the back of your hands is much thinner, with hardly any fatty tissue. Because of that, sebum production is very low, making it harder for your hands to hold moisture. This is why it is very common for your hands to dry out quickly. For this reason, you are responsible for moisturizing them, especially if you don’t want them to appear wrinkly and dry. 

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is rich in medium-chain fatty acids, specifically lauric acid, which exhibit antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. This is just one reason to incorporate coconut oil into your skin care routine. Coconut oil also exhibits emollient properties, which work to repair the skin barrier’s function, helping your body defend against environmental threats. Forming a protective layer that sits on top of the skin, coconut oil helps lock moisture into the skin, while also preventing transepidermal water loss. 

Mango Butter

Mango butter is the substance that results from cold-pressing the fats from mango pits. The creamy butter is a great ingredient to use on the skin and hair. Mango butter has a semi-solid consistency, but quickly melts into the skin without making you feel greasy. Similar to coconut oil, mango butter provides a protective layer on the skin, preventing bacteria and environmental chemicals from entering your pores. Mango butter also contains nutrients that may promote skin repair. According to one study, a foot cream made with mango butter was able to completely repair cracked skin in human volunteers. 

Olive Oil

In addition to being a great addition to your diet, olive oil is a wonderful ingredient to add to your skin care routine. If you suffer from dry skin, you can rub a small amount of olive oil into the dry area, cover it with plastic wrap for a couple hours, and then notice smoother skin. Olive oil also exhibits antibacterial properties that may help to accelerate the healing of cuts and burns. Mix it with essential oils, healing herbs, coconut oil, or beeswax to enhance its healing properties. 

Beeswax

Different civilizations have used beeswax for centuries, specifically for the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Beeswax is a great moisturizer suitable for people with all skin types, including the most sensitive skin. Additionally, beeswax is a humectant, meaning it attar’s water molecules from the air. That helps to keep your skin hydrated over time. Just like coconut oil and mango butter, beeswax forms a protective barrier on the skin, preventing it from environmental assaults, moisturizing the skin in the process. 

Nourishing Hand Cream

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces coconut oil
• 1.75 ounces mango butter
• 1 ounce olive oil
• 0.125 ounces beeswax pellets

Instructions:

• Add an inch or so of water to the bottom of a double boiler and place over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and place the top on. 
• Melt the coconut oil, mango butter, and beeswax in the top of the double boiler. Once the ingredients are melted, stir in the olive oil and then remove from heat. 
• Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature until solidified (about four hours or overnight). You can also transfer the mixture into a bigger bowl and allow it to solidify in there, as you will need to whip the final product with a hand mixer.
• Using an electric hand mixer, whip the solidified mixture until fluffy. This may take about 10 minutes. 
• Store in a clean container at room temperature. If temperatures exceed 80º F where you store it, it will most likely melt.

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The post Homemade Nourishing Hand Cream For Winter appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

It’s safe to say that people wash their hands more than ever before. When the weather is dryer and colder during the winter, you’re more likely to experience dry hands. Add the dryness you experience from frequent hand washing or sanitizing, and your hands may look scaly. Nobody wants that! 

Fortunately, you can survive the winter with a simple DIY hand cream made from natural ingredients. Not only is it inexpensive, but it’s extremely effective. In fact, it’s probably more effective than any hand cream you can purchase in stores! The secret is to use simple ingredients. Without the addition of additives and preservatives, your skin can easily absorb the moisturizing properties of the essential ingredients. We describe some of the essential ingredients below. 

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is a type of vegetable fat that comes from cocoa beans. It’s a common additive to lotions, creams, and lip balms because it is a powerful moisturizer with anti-inflammatory properties. Cocoa butter contains several polyphenols, which may help protect the skin from drying out. Similar to other moisturizers like coconut oil, cocoa butter has a high fatty acid content. These beneficial fats form a protective layer on the skin, which helps lock in moisture and keep the skin from drying. It’s quite common for people with eczema to use cocoa butter to relieve dryness and itchiness. 

Beeswax

Beeswax is one of nature’s wonderful ingredients that various cultures have used for centuries. It exhibits both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, and works to moisturize the skin. Many studies found that it’s effective for even the most sensitive skin types. Beeswax is an emollient, meaning that it helps your skin breathe while simultaneously locking in moisture. The skin can easily absorb beeswax, encouraging healthy skin development on a cellular level. Lastly, beeswax has the ability to protect and repair dry or damaged skin.

Shea Butter

Shea butter comes from the extracted fat of nuts from the Shea tree, which is native to West Africa. In fact, almost all of shea butter today comes from this region. Shea butter is rich in vitamins, fatty acids, and triglycerides, all of which contribute to softer, hydrated skin. It’s a powerful emollient and helps to prevent moisture loss. Anyone who uses shea butter knows that it applies smoothly and moisturizes the skin without leaving the skin looking or feeling greasy. It also helps to protect the skin barrier, filling in micro cracks that make skin more prone to dryness. 

Homemade Moisturizing Hand Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons beeswax pellets
• 2 teaspoons cocoa butter
• 1 teaspoon almond oil
• 2 teaspoons shea butter
• 15 drops essential oil of your choice

Instructions:

• In a heat-safe glass mixing bowl, add the beeswax, cocoa butter, almond oil, and shea butter. 
• Place in the microwave and microwave for one minute and 30 seconds, stirring well every 30 seconds. Add 30 seconds to the microwave if necessary, provided the beeswax pellets don’t melt. 
• Remove from the microwave and drop in the essential oil of your choice and mix well. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and then remove. 
• Using an electric hand mixer or fork, whip the mixture well. Spoon into a smaller container and allow the mixture to come to room temperature. 
• Store in a cool, dry place and use as needed. A small dab goes a long way!

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The frequent hand washing continues in 2021 as we continue to battle the novel coronavirus. We mentioned this in 2020, but regular hand washing, especially with hot water, can dry out the skin on your hands. Add the excessive use of hand sanitizer on top of that and your skin looks like that of a reptile. Now that we are in the middle of winter, the dry and cold weather also contributes to dry skin on the hands. 

When the cold weather arrives, many people start applying more lip balm on their lips than normal. Well, your hands deserve equal love and attention. It’s not practical to rub lip balm all over your hands, but that’s what hand creams are for! There is one problem, though, and it’s that most store bought hand creams or lotions contain contain fragrances. Some people don’t like fragrances and others do, but most people are unaware of why fragrances are bad for the skin.

The Problem With Fragrances

You see, fragrances are signature scents, and companies don’t have to list what ingredients are in those blends for copyright reasons. That means that some fragrances can contain non-FDA approved ingredients, or ingredients that are considered unsafe by the EPA. Fragrances are in about 50% of beauty products and they contain myriad toxic chemicals that can cause hormonal imbalances, cancer, and skin irritation. 

Fortunately for you, the hand cream in this article is free of fragrance blends, but the cream does smell delicious. You’ll find a brief explanation of how the ingredients benefit your skin below. 

Calendula

Known as the “Pot Marigold,” the calendula plant is native to the Mediterranean, but it grows abundantly around the world. The plant contains natural antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties, and it has been used in alternative healing practices for years. If you suffer from dry or itchy skin, calendula is an excellent ingredient for you. It helps to soothe and hydrate the skin by promoting the growth of collagen, an essential protein for your skin. 

Shea Butter

When it comes to ingredients that nourish dry skin, shea butter is the first one you need to know about. It’s a moisturizing emollient, meaning that it helps to seal in moisture in the skin by establishing a barrier on the skin. Don’t worry, it won’t clog your pores! According to several studies, shea butter contains palmitic, linoleic, and stearic acids, all of which help to strengthen the skin’s barrier to help it hold moisture. 

Lavender Essential Oil

The first rule of thumb about essential oils is that you should not apply them directly on the skin. You have to mix them with carrier oils or incorporate them into a recipe with other skin-soothing ingredients that help dilute the oils. Lavender essential oil has a wonderful aroma and it works to nourish all skin types. Many reports found that it works to brighten and moisturize the skin, making it great for anyone experiencing dry skin. It also has wound-healing properties, which is beneficial if your hands are cracked, dry, or have little cuts from all the hand washing.

DIY Hand Cream

Ingredients For Calendula Infused Oil:

• Calendula flower
• Olive oil
• Glass Mason jar
• Cheesecloth

Instructions For Calendula Infused Oil:

• Fill your Mason jar about 3/4 of the way with calendula flowers. Pour in enough olive oil to fill the Mason jar. 
• The amount of infused oil you make will depend on the size of the Mason jar, but you only need 1 tablespoon of infused oil for the hand cream recipe. 
• Cover the jar and store it in a cool, dry place for six weeks. Don’t forget about it. 
• After six weeks, strain the oil through a cheesecloth into another jar. Discard the flowers. 

Ingredients For Hand Cream:

• 1/4 cup shea butter
• 1 tablespoon calendula infused olive oil
• 6-10 drops lavender essential oil

Instructions For Hand Cream:

• Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until thoroughly mixed. 
• Spoon the mixture into a container and store in a cool dry place. 
• Apply a small amount to your hands and rub it into the dryer areas. You should only need to apply it once a day. 

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Is anyone else tired of washing their hands a hundred times a day? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends regular hand washing as a preventative measure against COVID-19, but it can be tedious and annoying. Dry skin that you’ve never witnessed in your life has come about as a result of all this hand washing. Obviously, staying safe is necessary, but you need an effective moisturizer to counteract the dryness.

When the skin starts to dry out, it becomes prone to cracking, peeling, or premature signs of aging. If you don’t address the dryness, it becomes harder and harder to repair the damaged, dry skin. Additionally, open wounds like cracked skin can increase your risk of contracting the virus. Don’t let your skin crack when you can easily use natural ingredients to help it retain moisture.

Shea Butter For Moisture

Shea butter comes from the seeds of the Shea or Karite tree. The butter is rich in essential fatty acids and nutrients that enhance collagen production and offer mild protection against UV rays. Due to the high concentration of natural vitamins, Shea butter has risen to popularity for its moisturizing properties. When you apply Shea butter to the skin, it helps protect the natural oils, and the linolenic, palmitic, oleic, and stearic acids help to prevent drying.

Sweet Almond Oil For Moisture

Almond oil comes in both sweet and bitter varieties, but sweet almond oil is popular in DIY beauty regimens. Considered to be an emollient, sweet almond oil helps the skin retain moisture as opposed to adding more moisture. Moisturizers supply the skin with water and hold it in with an oil-like substance, whereas emollients fill in the gaps and soothe dry skin. This is why people with dermatitis and eczema commonly use sweet almond oil.

Beeswax For Moisture

Beehives produce beeswax, but that is an oversimplification of the process. Worker bees produce the wax and hive workers collect it to form cells that store honey. Beeswax has many uses in skin care regimens because it contains anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that soothe, protect, and moisturize the skin. When applied to the skin, beeswax holds moisture to help you avoid dry skin. It is also a humectant, meaning it attracts water to help your skin remain soft and hydrated.

Homemade Hand Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Shea butter
• 1/8 cup sweet almond oil
• 1 tablespoon beeswax
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops cedarwood essential oil

Instructions:

• Add the Shea butter, sweet almond oil, and beeswax to a double boiler. Stir gently until thoroughly melted and mix well.
• Remove from the heat and let it cool for five to ten minutes. Drop in the essential oils and mix well.
• Quickly pour the mixture into a clean jar or container and allow it to harden (this should only take two to three hours).
• Use the hand cream as needed, especially before bedtime.

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The hands are constantly exposed to the elements. Whether they are digging in the dirt to plant flowers, washing dishes or cleaning house, wielding a sledgehammer to tear down walls, or handling a jackhammer, they can easily become cracked, calloused, dry, or unhealthy. Don’t neglect the health of your hands because they deserve the same attention you give to your facial skin. Nourish those hardworking hands by using the salve in this article.

When it comes to making sure the hands are sufficiently hydrated and moisturized, you need to take action because they won’t get healthy on their own. They open jars, wash dishes, dig holes with shovels, rake, knead loaves of bread, assemble furniture, and touch all kinds of bacteria-ridden surfaces. If you want “old-looking” hands then that’s fine, but we prefer not to head down that road. That’s why we picked some beneficial ingredients for your hands!

Clove Essential Oil

According to Ayurvedic medicine, clove essential oil can be used in myriad natural remedies, but is especially beneficial for the skin. It has been known to draw out impurities from pores, prevent acne breakouts, improve skin tone, slow the signs of aging, and inhibit bacterial growth on the skin. Clove essential oil helps to remove dead skin cells and improve blood circulation once the skin absorbs it. This helps to keep the skin hydrated and radiant.

Wild Orange Essential Oil

This is one of the best-selling essential oils in the world. Extracted from orange rinds, this essential oil is commonly used in aromatherapy, but it can also be applied topically with a carrier oil. It contains high concentrations of vitamin C, which has collagen-boosting properties, and powerful anti-inflammatory properties that help to fight free radicals and eliminate fine lines.

Beeswax

Beeswax is one of the best natural beauty products because it helps to heal and protect your skin. It is a potent antibacterial agent and when applied to the skin, it creates a protective barrier, which doesn’t clog your pores, between the skin and the environment. Beeswax is also high in vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant that supports cell reconstruction. If you have dry skin, beeswax is perfect for you! Because it is a humectant, beeswax attracts water to keep the skin hydrated and supple.

DIY Hand Salve For Working Hands

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup organic beeswax pellets
• ½ cup unrefined coconut oil
• ½ cup organic Shea butter
• 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
• 10 drops clove essential oil
• 10 drops wild orange essential oil

Instructions:

• Add the beeswax, coconut oil, and Shea butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the ingredients are melted and well combined.
• Remove from the heat and spoon the mixture into a heat-safe glass bowl. Place the bowl in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes, until it has just begun to form a solid surface.
• Remove the bowl from the fridge and whisk in the vitamin E oil and essential oils, stirring until fully incorporated. 
• Spoon the mixture to a small jar with a lid. Store it in a cool, dry place and apply as needed. If your hands are dry or cracked, it is wise to apply the salve after every time you wash and dry your hands, since that is when they are the driest.

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Your skin is the largest breathing organ, which means that you should know exactly what you are putting on it. Applying toxic chemicals like commercial beauty products or prescription creams/ointments can often result in acne, rashes, skin spots, dry skin, or wrinkles. These signs are the skin’s way of rejecting foreign toxins. Rather than just looking for the eco-friendly option, dive deeper and aim for cruelty-free, organic, and all-natural products. How do you find these? You make them.

A common misconception about skin care products is that organic and all-natural are interchangeable words. They are not. For your benefit, it is optimal to get something that is both organic and all-natural, simply because it means that you are providing your skin with the purest forms of the ingredients. We, however, want you to buy separate organic and all-natural ingredients so that you can make your own skin care products. Trust us when we say that your skin will be appreciative.

Your Skin Will Be Softer

Most lip balms, moisturizers, creams, and lotions often contain drying agents that counteract what they are supposed to be doing! Using real ingredients without drying agents helps your skin stay hydrated, nourished, and soft.

You Might Notice Clearer Skin

This is not guaranteed because everyone’s skin is different and each person reacts to ingredients in various ways. Halting the use of chemical-rich moisturizers may have a positive affect on the endocrine system, though. These products contain synthetic hormones that can lead to acne, fertility issues, or hormonal imbalance. You may break out using your standard lotion, but your skin may respond positively to an all-natural moisturizer.

Let’s take a look at some of our favorite DIY skin care products below. If you make them, let us know how they work out for you.

Two Ingredient Mask To Help Get Rid Of Acne

The two ingredients in this mask are raw apple cider vinegar and bentonite clay. When combined together, these ingredients can help to unclog pores, exfoliate the skin, rejuvenate skin tone, draw out impurities, help regenerate skin tissue, and leave the skin feeling soft.

Click here to make the recipe.

DIY Face Wash With Honey And Chamomile

Chamomile has the ability to reduce acne scars and provide relief from skin irritations. The antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti-fungal properties make it the perfect ingredient for maintaining healthy skin.

Click here to make the mask.

Coffee Sugar Scrub To Exfoliate Your Skin

Coffee is more than a drink that gives you a caffeine boost in the morning. Those grounds can do wonders for your skin, for example, helping to reduce inflammation or get rid of cellulite. Coffee grounds work to exfoliate the skin, helping to remove dead skin cells.

Click here to make the sugar scrub.

DIY Herbal Lotion For Dry Hands

You might look down at your hands one day, only to realize that they are dry and cracked. This is not good. Code dry, we have a code dry. Something that can moisturize is needed before you can set foot in the world. Well, as it turns out, we have an amazing DIY herbal hand cream that is perfect for daily usage.

Click here to make the lotion.

DIY Lavender Body Butter

The weather is the only thing that should be dry during the winter months. You don’t have to let the cold dictate the appearance or health of your skin. Use this body butter to keep your skin healthy and hydrated.

Click here to make the body butter.

A Trio Of DIY Moisturizers

Leaving you with only one moisturizer during the colder months seemed unfair, so we put together three of our favorite DIY moisturizers. They are all easy to make and contain amazing, skin-friendly ingredients.

Click here to make the moisturizer.

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Winter is coming and the air is getting dryer by the day. You might look down at your hands one day, only to realize that they are dry and cracked. This is not good. Code dry, we have a code dry. Something that can moisturize is needed before you can set foot in the world. Well, as it turns out, we have an amazing DIY herbal hand cream that is perfect for daily usage.

Most hand lotions or moisturizers contain toxins that can seep through your skin and into your body. Since the body cannot process these toxins, it is wise to use all natural ingredients that are designed to heal and benefit the body. Take a look at some of the key ingredients to see how awesome this hand cream is for you.

Comfrey

You’ll be comfy when you use comfrey because it helps to quickly repair skin cells. This herb actually helps the body heal from sprains, fractures, or broken bones as well.

Calendula

This herb is beneficial for soothing dry, itchy, or irritated skin. It has actually been used as an herbal remedy to help those with eczema and psoriasis because it works to calm inflamed and red skin.

Mango Butter

This soothing butter is beneficial for those with dry, itchy, damaged, or blemished skin. Mango butter helps to nourish the skin and helps prevent damage from happening.

Tamanu Oil

While you may not have heard of this strong-scented oil, you need to know that it is an amazing skin healer. It helps to heal burns, scrapes, acne, rashes, chapped skin, and can even help to get rid of stretch marks. This is typically very thick, but it works well when combined with other ingredients.

What You’ll Need

• ¼ cup dried calendula flowers
• 2 tablespoons dried comfrey leaves
• ¼ cup dried dandelion leaves or flower tops
• 1 teaspoon tamanu oil
• 2 tablespoons mango butter
• ½ teaspoon vitamin E oil
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
• ½ cup filtered water, boiled then cooled
• 6 grams beeswax

How To Make

• Mash the dried calendula, comfrey, and dandelion up in a mortar and pestle or blend them in a spice grinder. Combine the herbs with the ½ cup sweet almond oil in a heat-safe glass bowl. Place this bowl over a saucepan with simmering water to create a double boiler.
• Turn the heat off after an hour and strain the herbs through a cheesecloth or coffee filter into a clean heat-safe glass bowl. Add a little more water to that saucepan you used and let it come to a low boil before reducing the heat to low.
• Put the new glass bowl with the oil over the saucepan and add the mango butter and beeswax. Stir occasionally until melted.
• Pour this mixture into a blender and add the tamanu and vitamin E oils. Before blending, place the blender in the fridge for 10 minutes to let the mixture cool.
• Start blending the chilled mixture and slowly drizzle in the filtered water. We can’t stress this enough. It must be done slowly. This should create a thick and creamy mixture.
• Store the hand cream in a clean glass jar in a cool, dry place. Use on your hands as needed.

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Fall brings cooler temperatures and dryer air, which can wreak havoc on your hands. Your hands start to dry out and you may feel as though they never get moisturized, no matter how much lotion you put on them. It is hard for hand creams or lotions to really work their magic because most people wash their hands and dry them all day. So what are you supposed to do?

If you know that your hands get dry during the cooler months, it is important to apply a generous amount of moisturizer at night. This will allow the healing properties to set in. Here are a couple tips to moisturize dry hands during the fall and winter seasons.

Tip #1: Sleep in Socks

We know you are probably thinking, “Wait…I thought this article was about dry hands.” It still is, so don’t worry. We are instructing you to put socks on your hands when you go to bed. To help soothe your hands, massage Shea butter or coconut oil on your hands before putting socks over them. This gives your hands the TLC that they need. Make sure that the socks are thick enough to the point where the Shea butter or coconut oil won’t seep through onto your sheets.

When you wake up, your hands (and your nails) will be in much better shape. For best results concerning your fingernails, remove nail polish before doing the overnight sock treatment.

Tip #2: Choose the Best Hand Cream

Vitamin E Oil

Vitamin E oil contains awesome antioxidants that work to fight free radicals in the body. It also speeds up healing, while reducing possible scarring in the process. If you haven’t used it before, vitamin E oil is a great moisturizer for sensitive skin. Try a little bit on a small area before applying a large amount to your hands.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil contains saturated fat, which serves as a great moisturizer. Coconut oil is popularly used in the world of DIY health and beauty. The lauric acid in coconut oil works to kill bacteria and viruses, helping to sooth cracked knuckles or hands.

Olive Oil

Olive oil has been used as a beauty agent in the Mediterranean for many years. It is in most everyone’s pantry, just like it should be! It helps to soften the skin and make it more supple. Oh, and we forgot to mention that the healthy fatty acids have anti-aging benefits too!

Aloe Vera

While it may seem less appealing to use fresh aloe gel from the plant, it is truly beneficial for those with rough hands and knuckles. The properties in aloe work to calm inflammation and protect your skin’s outer layer. You can also moisturize with a combination of Aloe Vera and a few drops of vitamin E oil.

Shea Butter

Shea butter is absolutely ideal for softening hands and rehydrating dry skin. Because it is very thick, it is commonly mixed with vitamin E oil to make for easier application.

We hope you use some of these this fall and winter to keep your hands healthy and moisturized.

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