Give yourself a hand.

Dry hands

My hands have been really dry lately, far more than usual at this time of year. My esthetician told me about a really wonderful way to hydrate my hands with ingredients from the kitchen cupboard.

A simple recipe

This recipe has been around for ages and it is amazingly effective. It exfoliates and moisturizes.

Mix up olive oil and sugar thoroughly.

Take about an 1/8 of a cup of sugar and mix it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. This makes enough for 2 sets of hands or 1 set of hands and a set of feet! Cut the recipe in half if you only want it for one set of hands. (I have used less sugar and more oil in the past but this seems to be the consistency I like the best.) Feel free to experiment!

Rub the mixture into your hands, being careful not to rub too hard. Be gentle, you don’t want to over do it and have sore hands.

Not too hot

Rinse with warm water.

Pat dry

Pat your hands dry. Let the oil sink into your skin for a few minutes afterwards.

Voila! A revitalized, softer version of your hands!

Some people add a dash of lemon juice for scent and cleansing properties but I like it just as is! You can also use salt if you have it on hand- just be careful of using a really coarse salt. I also learned last night over dinner that using brown sugar makes for a divine scrub!  Thanks for the tip Sarah; I am going to try it next time!