For many it's a pesky nuisance but for me it's a bit of an occupational hazard... paper cuts! The not so pretty side of wrapping paper. On the bright side I get to strap on these sequin covered Band-Aid's by Cynthia Rowley and take steps to treat my hands better this year.
Keep reading for something simple that's made the biggest difference:
THE LIST >
Now for the secret to healing seriously winter chapped hands, paper cuts and everything else in-between, as told by a women with gorgeous hands, "moisturize every single time your hands touch water, every time!". Every single time? As someone who washes their hands a bajillion times a day this seemed to be a bit much but with taking care of my hands a priority this year
I decided to heed her crooked finger and sage advice. After a few days I was hooked. It really did make that much of a difference to the point of becoming an automatic habit. Wash, slather and repeat.
One simple moisturizer is oil. Anything non-greasy. Then to take it up a notch add in a few drops of essential oil. One of the best has been lemon. In addition to being a sunny pick me up on these gray snowy days it actually posses the ability to stop bleeding and regenerate the skin. It totally worked on the paper cuts, especially when added to super moisturizing avocado oil and a few drops of camellia oil which can help prevent scaring. That's my new paper cut formula which is in a dropper on my desk, ever at the ready. For on the go hand creams are better and make cute gifts, so I looked for anything with lemon, rose &/or shea butter and found these lovelies by Crabtree & Evelyn.
Something else I recently picked up that is eons old and a staple of the silky soft hand set is cold cream. Massaging simple cold cream into hand before bed and leaving a thick layer on. This makes total sense when you think how cold creams major attribute is lifting dirt and makeup out of your skin along with moisturizing. This one with cucumber is especially beneficial for keep your hands even and refreshed. For a mineral free option, this tea tree oil cream is a great alternative and has the added benefit of being naturally antimicrobial. I found both of these on Puritan's Pride.
One last thing I noticed by pure happenchance is how much of a difference retinol's can make to your hands. Frequently using mine as a makeshift palette I noticed the hand that received the nightly dallopp of retinol serum looked smoother than the one that did not. That's when I started smoothing on retinol serums or creams nightly. The key is it needs to be at least 1% retinol which is why I really like this one by Azure Naturals with 2.5% that manages to be gentile (e.g. no crazy skin flaking). It's enriched with moisture retaining Hyaluronic acid and Vitamin E too. Find it here on Amazon.
Citron, honey & coriander - Rosewater - Gardeners hand creams by Crabtree & Evelyn
Lemon essential oil by Majestic Pure
Avocado Oil by De La Cruz (find it in Duane Reade/Walgreens)
Camellia oil by Chidoriya
Ultimate Retinol c/o Azure Naturals
Cucumber Cold Cream by Puritan's Pride
Tea Tree Oil Cream by Perfectly Pure
Image: courtesy Magda K & mam for Gave That
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