Hand Cream

[richardw]

Thanks for all your help.

I think for the commercial cream I'll go with Neutrogena.

However Toddy's recipe looks great and I must have a go at this over Christmas.

Richard

 

[Bumblebee]

My wife does something similar as Toddy but she uses olive oil instead of sweet almond. Works a treat on dry skin! She puts in Lavender (or Lavendula to be correct) essential oil and it is very soothing if you use it at bedtime, for day use I asked her to do an unscented batch as well... My colleagues think I am crazy as it is ;-)

 

[2blackcat]

downsizer.net are doing a thread on the same thing at the moment

There's a couple of different recipes, even one for a lip balm

Supposed to be an article going up soon as well

 

[BorderReiver]

Toddy,does it have to be "live" honey,or will supermarket muck work just as well?

 

[match]

Any honey will do for creams and ointments, but supermarket honey tends to be more filtered, and thus has less of the extras like propolis and pollen that can help your skin.

Another good alternative to olive or almond oil is coconut oil - this is often available either from chemists or from Indian/Chinese food shops.

Its naturally solid at room temperature (looks like lard) and melts to an oil at body temperature, which makes it useful for carrying around, as you can carry it in a jar as a solid, but it soon rubs down to an oil.

Its an incredibly 'greasy' oil, and contains lots of extra proteins from the coconut plant that is good for skin. Its also a good deep treatment for hair (rub it in 30 minutes before having a shower) for extra conditioning.

Again, use it in ointments (Toddy's recipe would work fine) or just heat it with some herbs, then leave to cool again as a naturally setting oil.

 

[Rod]

FWIW,

I go the Neutrogena route

 

[ecks]

If the skin on the end of your fingertips by your nails cracks, bleed and hurt, put a little bit of SUPER GLUE in the crack. it doesn't burn, it closese the wound and you can go about your work pain free.

 

[Stew]

I thought I would bump this up.

My wife suffers from badly chapped hands relatively recently and while out earlier, remembered visiting somewhere years ago and my parents buying some propolis cream for use on eczema. Did a bit of searching around when back home and came across this so figured I'll just make some. I've got some honey left from one of my Dad's hives so not heavily filtered stuff. (I'm going to buy him a manuka plant or two this year. )

Why not make your own, it's easy, the ingredients are available and it really works.

4 tablespoonsful of sweet almond oil
Beeswax, about the size of 2cms square (a chocolate sized lump!)
The contents of 2 vitamin E capsules
2 teaspoonsful of honey.
6 drops of essential oil;
Lavender is excellent but the men folk aren't so keen to wear it; Tea tree is a very good healer oil too. Most of us know which oils we're happy with, if you make your own add that, and adjust with the almond oil to get the balance right. I use meadowsweet because it eases aches, other folks use St. John's wort. They all work.

Find a little tub or jar, break/grate the beeswax up as small as you can into it, and put the tub into v. hot water. When the beeswax is melting put the bottle the almond oil is in into the hot water too and you'll get them both to an even temperature. When the beeswax has melted lift the tub out of the water and add the almond oil and the honey.
Now, still gently until the mix is all one, and before it sets add the vitamin E and the essential oils. Keep stirring until it's setting well.
Set aside and let it cool throughly.

In winter I need less wax to oil, but it'll soften nicely if held in my hands for a little while anyway. Put a little of the cream into the palm of your hand and rub carefully into the finger tips and nails of the other hand. If you do this two or three times a day and last thing at night then hacks will disappear and quicknails and torn cuticles become a thing of the past rub it into your knuckles too.
If my hands are really in a bad state (I'm an archaeologist, and I garden too) I'll rub in masses of the cream and then put on a pair of cotton gardening gloves before I go to bed (surprises the h3ll out of the husband )

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Gray]

Years ago we just used vaseline which was not very good, the young fellas where i work mostly use cocoa butter, i think it can be used as a general moisturiser not just for hands.

 

[Ogri the trog]

I hope Mary doesn't mind me posting this, as I'd have to but most of those ingredients amyway.

I bought a pot of "O'Keefe's" hand cream from a local builders merchant a few months ago - comes in a bright green tub - aimed at carpenters brickies etc.

Anyway - it works great after days out in the wet and cold either in the woods or working around house or farm.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[mountainm]

This stuff is good:
http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/hemp/hemp-hand-protector.aspx

Also +1 on the cocoa butter/

 

[drliamski]

Salt or auger mixed with olive oil works as an exfoliant as well

Sent from my ST21i using Tapatalk 2

 

[Zingmo]

Ooh! A re-animated zombie thread; I can't resist!

I use lanolin. If you use it little and often then its not too greasy. Its sold under the brand "Shepherd's Secret" at my local farm supplies shop (TFM).

Z

 

[Stew]

Ooh! A re-animated zombie thread; I can't resist!

Who doesn't love a bit of necro thread.

 

[MikeLA]

the only 2 Ive used are nivera or olive oil. Both good just remember its regular use thats needed

 

[santaman2000]

Not gonna be much help but mine is a perscription cream. Actually not for my hands (though it should work for them as well) but rather for dry, cracking feet; I'm diabetic.