When the temperatures drop lower our skin tends to suffer first, especially on our hands. It gets dry, flaky and can even crack. Moisturizing creams are usually our first line of defense, gloves come second. But is that really all we can do to protect our hands? There must be something else we can do to moisturize and restore out skin, make our hands soft and supple. Well duh – hand masks. That’s right there’s such a thing as hand mask, and they’re a very worthy investment. However, you don’t have to break a bank to have lovely soft hands. You can make various hand masks at home and the result will be just as impressive.
1. Cold Weather Life Saver
Ingredients: 2 tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of full-fat cream.
This mask is a literal life saver when your hands feel super dry and in need of some love. You probably have all the ingredients at home already just mix them up and put a generous amount on your hands. Rub it in, put on some plastic gloves or just wrap plastic bags around your hands and wait for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water.
2. Potato Hand Mask
Ingredients: 2 potatoes, milk.
You probably wouldn’t think of mashed potatoes as a hand mask, but it’s actually super nourishing. Just boil potatoes, mash them, add milk for creaminess and put on your hands while it’s still warm. Wait until it cools and wash off, follow up with your regular hand cream.
3.Overnight Oil Treatment
Ingredients: you favorite oil (avocado, coconut, extra virgin olive oil, almond oil etc).
Warm up the oil ever so slightly, just so it’s a little warm but not hot. You don’t want to burn yourself. Slather your hands in your oil of choice, put on some old gloves and go to bed. In the morning your hands will feel heavenly and look super moisturized and lush.
4. Avocado Hand Mask
Ingredients: 1 avocado, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tbsp of honey.
Avocado isn’t just delicious and nutritious but it’s also great for your skin. For this DIY hand mask you have to make sure to get a super ripe one. Mash it thoroughly with olive oil and honey and apply to your hands. Wrap your hands in plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
5. Irish Oat Hand Mask
Ingredients: 2 tbsp of oats, 1 tbsp of honey, 2 tbsp of yogurt.
For this mask you’ll need a food processor or a coffee grinder. The goal is to get your oats to become oat powder. Then mix the rest of the ingredients together and rub onto your hands and leave for 20 minutes. Wash off and put hand cream on.
6. Carrot Hand Mask
Ingredients: 1 carrot, 1 tbsp of sour cream, 1 tbsp of olive oil
Grate the carrot on the finest grater you have or pulse it in the food processor. Add olive oil and sour cream, mix it into a paste and put it all over your hands for 20 minutes. Carrots are full of vitamins and your dry skin will soak them up real quick. Wash off with warm water.
7. Gentle Exfoliating Hand Scrub
Ingredients: 1 tbsp of brown sugar, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of cranberry juice.
When your hands feel dry the first step is to exfoliate the top layer, but you want to be gentle. This gentle exfoliating scrub is super easy to make – just combine all the ingredients. Rub this mixture all over your hands, make sure not to miss any sports. The cranberry and brown sugar will do a great job of removing the dead skin, while olive oil will make sure it’s not to harsh of a scrub. Rinse with warm water and gentle soap.
8. Egg Yolk Hand Mask
Ingredients: 1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of lemon juice.
Use a mixer for this hand mask. The idea is to whip this mixture into a thick mayo-like consistency. Then put a generous amount all over your hands and wait for at least 15 minutes. The longer the better. Rinse off with warm water.