Take care of your hands this winter

Among the parts of the body that become really dry during winter, are the hands. They can be rejuvenated easily with simple, everyday kitchen ingredients

The skin on the back of the hands is thin and has few oil glands. Hands also come in contact with soaps and detergents daily, which play havoc on the skin, making it rough and dry. This is more so in winter, when the skin loses moisture.

So, protect your hands by wearing rubber gloves for your washing chores. Surgical gloves are easily available at a chemist shop. Bath time is appropriate to pamper the hands and supply them with the oils and moisture they need. In fact, applying body lotions and creams soon after bathing, while the skin is still damp, helps to seal in moisture.

Home remedies for hands

1.Before bath, apply oil on the hands and feet and massage into the skin. This helps to soften the skin. Sesame seed (til) oil or olive oil can be used. For extreme dryness, use pure warm almond oil.
2.A traditional home pre-bath treatment is to mix gram flour (besan) with curd (dahi) and a pinch of turmeric (haldi) into a paste. Apply the paste on the hands and feet. After 20 minutes, dampen with water and rub the paste gently on the skin and wash off while bathing. Do this two or three times a week.
3.For dry and dark hands, take 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 3 tablespoon coarse sugar. Mix together till it becomes a paste. Apply and rub into hands. Wash off after 15 minutes. Repeat thrice a week.
4.For dryness of the hands and feet, add one teaspoon pure glycerin to 100 ml rose water. Apply on hands and feet to relieve dryness.
5.To soften the skin and lighten skin colour of hands, you can also take some sugar and add lemon juice. Rub this on the back of the hands and wash off.
6.Take a cupful of warm milk, soak hands in it for five minutes to strengthen nails and soften the skin.
7.Take fresh orange peels, pierce them with a fork. Rub the peels on the hands to brighten the skin.
8.For very dry hands and nails, mix together one tablespoon almond oil, one tablespoon sesame seed (til) oil, one teaspoon wheatgerm oil. Apply daily and massage it into the skin.
9.Mix almond oil and honey in equal parts and massage into the nails and cuticles.
10.For dry nails, warm any vegetable oil and soak fingers in it for ten minutes. Wipe off with a moist towel.

A luxury treatment for hands
Take four teaspoons of almond oil and mix one tablespoon rose water. Add half-teaspoon tincture benzoin, drop-by-drop. Mix together. Apply this on the hands. Wear loose cotton socks on the hands and leave overnight. Rinse off with plain water the next morning.