Cracked, Dry Hands and Elbows and Heels – Ick!

With cold and flu season still looming, many of us are washing our hands more than ever – meaning those hands can get even more dried out than the rest of your body. If you’re suffering from painful chapping and cracking on your hands and your elbows feel like sandpaper, there are great store-bought creams. But you can also whip up an all-natural cure to get the relief you crave. I like to start with a moisturizing sugar/salt scrub in the shower, then slather on some moisturizer while my skin is still damp. Below are some easy DIY recipes:

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Homemade Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub

What you’ll need:

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (You can use up to 1/2 cup if you want your scrub to have a more coarse, sand-like texture.)
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • Optional > 1/2 teaspoon essential oil (about 50 drops) (I like lemongrass for a fresh scent)

How to make it:

Combine all ingredients.  (I do not recommend heating the coconut oil prior to mixing because hot oil will dissolve the sugar.)

To Use

  • On your hands – Massage into your hands and fingernails for 30 seconds.  Rinse and pat dry.
  • On your legs and feet – Massage into your legs and feet while in the bath or sitting on the side of the bathtub.  Rinse and pat dry.  (Never use on your feet in the shower because the coconut oil is slippery and you risk falling.)
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Almond and Cocoa Butter Hand Cream

What you’ll need:

  • 6 tablespoons beeswax pellets
  • 3 Tablespoons pure cocoa butter
  • 6 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • 6 Tablespoons almond oil
  • water

How to make it:

  1. Melt beeswax pellets in a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water.
  2. Remove from heat and add cocoa butter, which you can usually find at a beauty supply store. No luck? Your local health food store will definitely have some in stock.
  3. Stir in six tablespoons of coconut oil and almond oil. You can find both at a local health or natural foods store for less than $5.
  4. Add about a tablespoon of water, and stir until smooth.
  5. Pour the mixture into a glass mason jar while it is still hot, as it will firm up as it cools. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before using, and store in a mason jar for up to two weeks.
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Cracked Foot Salve

What you’ll need:

  • Double-boiler (You can make your own with a pot and glass bowl on top)
  • Kitchen scale
  • Glass jar(s) &/or tins for salve (simply recycle an old glass jar at least 8 oz in size)
  • Beeswax  1 oz
  • Cocoa Butter – 1 oz (raw, organic, unrefined cocoa butter)
  • Avocado Oil – 1 oz
  • Tamanu Oil – 1 oz
  • Coconut Oil – 3 oz
  • Vitamin E – 1-2 teaspoon
  • Essential Oils – Max of 10 total drops

Here’s a nice EO combination for this recipe (for scent & healing effects): 2 drops German (blue) Chamomile, 3 drops Sandalwood, & 5 drops Lavender.

How to make it:

  1. Combine all ingredients in your lightly simmering double-boiler (EXCEPT the Vitamin E and Essential Oils).
  2. Melt everything down; the beeswax will be the last to melt. You can encourage melting with a wooden spoon.
  3. Remove glass bowl from heat and wipe down the HOT outside to remove moisture. You don’t ever want water getting into your DIY skincare creations, as this can contribute to and encourage bacterial growth. Now, add the Vitamin E and Essential Oils.
  4. Carefully pour mixture into your clean, sanitized containers.
  5. Let cool for a while (at least 30 minutes), but you’ll be surprised at how quickly this actually cools (it’s the beeswax).

To Use

  • Apply to your feet at bedtime and (if you can stand it) wear socks over the top. This salve works quickly, with only a treatment or two you should start to see improvement.

 

HealthJamieComment