How to take care of your hands

Our hands are always on display. We use them constantly in our work and even in our conversations. The hands begin to show neglect and ageing earlier than most other parts of the body because the skin on the back of the hands is thin and has few oil glands. The hands also come in contact with soaps and detergents daily which play havoc on the skin, making it rough and dry.

So, protect your hands by wearing rubber gloves for your washing chores. Surgical gloves are easily available at a chemist shop. Massage a cream after your washing tasks, working it into the skin. This takes only a few minutes. You should massage cream on the nails and the skin around the nails.

Massage the hands also at night with a good nourishing cream. Apply the cream on the back of the hand. This is the area prone to early wrinkling. Work down each finger, starting from the tip. Use small circular movements on the joints of the fingers. Using strokes moving from the fingers towards the wrist, massage the back of the hand.

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.

Before bath, apply sesame seed (til) oil or pure almond oil on the hands and massage it into the skin. This helps soften the skin and removes tan over a period of time. It protects the hands from the drying effects of soap and chlorinated water.

A traditional home pre-bath treatment is to mix besan (gram flour) with a little milk or curd and a pinch or haldi (turmeric) into a paste. Apply the paste on the hands. After 20 minutes, dampen with water and rub the paste gently on the skin and wash it off while bathing. You will not need to apply soap as this cleanses very well.

If the hands are dry, use a soap-free shower gel for bathing. Or you can use a mild glycerin soap. For extreme dryness, it is better to avoid soap. Oil massage and wiping with a moist towel can help to cleanse the skin adequately.

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. Do this thrice a week.

For dryness of the hands, add one teaspoon pure glycerin to 50 ml rose water. Apply on the hands and leave on for half-an-hour. Then wash it off with plain water. Adding a little lemon juice before application will help to lighten skin colour.

To soften the skin and lighten skin colour of hands, you can take some sugar in your palm and add lemon juice. Rub this on the back of the hands and wash off.

Put a cupful of warm milk in a bowl. Soak your hands in it for five minutes to strengthen nails and soften the skin.

Take fresh orange peels, pierce them with a fork. Rub the peels on the hands to brighten the skin.

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. Massage around the nails too, in order to soften the cuticles.