Caring, Protecting, Softening of Our Hands: Essential Oils

Our hands suffer a great deal from exposure to the elements, chemicals in daily use products like dish washing liquid, soap and cleaning products, constant use in handling rough objects and sheer hard work.

Essential oils are great for the skin and nails as they are absorbed quickly through the skin without leaving a greasy/oily feel.

We do need to take care of our hands both for personal appearance (who hasn't noticed someone's broken nails or cracked skin) and to protect them from damage and harm. Like Feet they are vital to our normal daily life.

Hands

Barrier Cream

A barrier cream protects our skin from cracking and splitting, which can be painful and allow infections to enter the body, so use this liberally before gardening or doing rough work.

Recipe One

Ingredients:

15grm beeswax
1 tblspn jojoba oil
3 tblspn Sweet Almond oil
2 drops Lavender essential oil
2 drops Geranium essential oil
2 drops Sandalwood essential oil

Directions:

Using a bain marie melt the beeswax and carrier oils. Then add some hot water and whisk until it forms an emulsion.

Add the essential oils and mix again. Store in an airtight container away from light and heat.

Massage daily or as needed.

Recipe Two

Ingredients:

40ml lemongrass infusion
25g lanolin
10g beeswax
75ml sweet almond oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 drops friars balsam
2 drops Lemon essential oil

Directions:

Add a handful of the lemongrass to a ceramic bowl and cover with boiling water. Steep for 2 hours and stain off the lemongrass.

Melt the beeswax and lanolin in a bain marie. Add almond oil and lemongrass infusion, stirring until blended. Allow to cool, add lemon juice, friars balsam and essential oil and mix thoroughly until cool.

Store in a glass jar.

HandBath

Ingredients:

1 drop Vertiver essential oil
1 drop Sandalwood essential oil
2 drops Geranium essential oil
Jojoba oil

Directions:

Prepare a small bowl big enough to allow both your hands to soak for about ½ hour. Add warm/hot water and then the essential oils. Mix the essential oils through. Soak.

Pat dry and then liberally massage jojoba oil over fingers and palms. If there is any excess, rub over your elbows or knees to absorb the extra oil (why waste a great skin oil like Jojoba?)

Cleaner

Ingredients:

Dried sage and dried yarrow in equal parts
30ml olive oil
20ml sweet almond oil
15 drops Lavender essential oil
15 drops Geranium essential oil
sugar

Directions:

Grind the herbs until small and mix together. Then add all the oils to 1 teaspoon of these herbs and mix. Add sufficient sugar to form a paste. Store in a glass jar with a wide lid. Use as needed.

Tough Workworn

Use this after cleansing to return moisture to the skin.

Ingredients:

45g beeswax
80ml sweet almond oil
125g wheatgerm oil
2 tlbspn glycerine
2 drops Lavender essential oil
2 drops Geranium essential oil
2 drops Sandalwood essential oil

Directions:

In a bainmarie melt the first 3 ingredients then add the glycerine. Once blended, add the essential oils and mix again.

Store in an airtight blue or amber bottle and apply nightly. You may need to cover your hands if using before bedtime.

I found when I first used this lotion that my skin seemed even drier, which surprised me. But I kept using it and within 10 days it was lovely and soft. So don't give up if that happens to you.

Mature

Ingredients:

1 tblspn honey
3 tblspn aloe vera gel
1 teapoon lemon juice
10 drops Lemon essential oil
2 drops Patchouli essential oil
2 drops Geranium essential oil
Almond meal to make a paste

Directions:

Melt honey gently over low heat. Combine honey with aloe vera and lemon juice. Then add the essential oils and mix well. Then add enough of the almond meal to make a firm paste.

Spread this all over paying particular attention to the backs which suffer the most from exposure and hard work.

Leave for about 15-20 minutes then rinse off. Apply your moisturizer.