I did a brief stint on a construction site when I was putting myself through college. Not the ideal job for a self-proclaimed glamor girl, but it paid well. At the end of my first week, I took my dusty work gloves off, and was ready to quit. My hands were dirty, the nails cracked and even worse - my skin was cracked! The hard labor had put callouses all over my skin, and dried it out like clothes on the clothes line. If the clothes line were in the middle of the Sahara. When my boyfriend took my hand on Friday night and jumped in shock, I felt like Scarlett in “Gone With The Wind” when Rhett discovers the toil the O’Hara family has been through based solely on her hands. But, I toughed it out and found a few great tips to combat the dryness.
- Do the dishes. I never thought I would jump up and yell “I’ll do them!” when it comes to dishes. Smooth a generous amount of cocoa butter over your hands before putting them into your dish washing gloves. The hot water in the sink will activate the cocoa butter, making it super effective. Your hands will be more receptive to the moisturizer than ever, and you’ll finish the task feeling silky and smooth.
- Exfoliate using sugar and water. Pour some sugar into the palm of your hand, add a small amount of water and then rub it around for several minutes. This wears down the calluses and sloths away dead skin particles. It’s also inexpensive and easy.
- Use a pumice stone in the shower. The hot shower will loosen up the dry skin that make up your callouses and the stone becomes more effective. I recommend this being the last thing you do in the shower, as it gives your skin plenty of time to soften from the heat of the water. Gently rub the surface of your hands with the stone, and be consistent. You will probably not wear off all of your callouses the first time, but if you make it a daily practice, the pumice stone can make a big difference.
- Moisturize after your wash your hands. Incorporate your favorite lotion into your hand washing routine. Washing your hands, especially if you do it often, strips them of oils and can leave them feeling dry. Pick out a lotion you love, and make washing your hands a more luxurious experience that you actually look forward to.
There are a lot of fun ways to get softer and more beautiful hands. Try combining them and see what works best for you.
