Our hands get a lot of abuse as we go about our daily tasks. Most of us use them to shower and bathe ourselves, our kids, our dogs and our cats (think extra abuse for cats). We scrub toilets, wash dishes and dig around in the garden like earthworms. After all that, our hands truly deserve some tender loving care with the best hand cream we can get.
To be the best hand cream, it must meet certain criteria. It must: absorb well into the skin, moisturize and nourish hands and nails and leave no greasy residue. Beyond that there are also considerations depending on individual needs. There are old hands, young hands, hands with eczema, hands with psoriasis, hands that work in paints or harsh chemicals, hands that work in concrete and mortar and hands that work in the soil.
Best hand cream for aging hands
You’re looking for a commercial hand cream that contains one or more of the following ingredients:
- Alpha-Arbutin (4- Hydroxyphenyl-?-D-glucopyranoside)to lighten age spots,
- Matrixines for skin repair
- Niacinamide to improve skin texture and the appearance of brown spots
- Super sterol liquid for skin conditioning, repair and moisturizing
Best hand cream for hands with eczema or psoriasis
You’re looking for a commercial hand cream that contains one or more of the following ingredients;
- Colloidal oatmeal – relieves itching and soothes skin
- Argan oil – soothes skin (You will not find this product without preservatives due to its short shelf life.)
- Cranberry seed oil – soothes itchy skin
- ELHIBIN – helps skin cell destruction due to proteinase elastase * See explanation below.
Best hand cream for hands that work in paints and other chemicals
You’re looking for a commercial hand cream that contains one or more of the following:
- Colloidal oatmeal
- Matrixines for skin repair
- Niacinamide to improve skin texture and the appearance of brown spots
- Super sterol liquid for skin conditioning, repair and moisturizing
- Special note: When working with chemicals, extra precautions should be taken to avoid contact with skin. The small molecular size of some chemicals allows them to pass through your skin and enter your body. Many of these chemicals are extremely toxic.
Best hand cream for hands that work in concrete, mortar, or the soil.
You’re looking for a commercial hand cream that contains one or more of the following:
- Colloidal oatmeal
- Matrixines for skin repair
- Niacinamide to improve skin texture and the appearance of brown spots
- Super sterol liquid for skin conditioning, repair and moisturizing
You can also make your own hand cream and add the ingredients that work best for you. I have included a basic hand cream recipe for you to try. After you make the basic hand cream recipe, add the ingredients specific to the needs of your hands.
Basic Hand Cream Recipe
Ingredients
2 ounces beeswax
1 cup sweet almond oil
1 cup water
Directions
In one container, heat beeswax and sweet almond oil just until wax melts. You’re not trying to get the wax and oil hot. In another container, heat water until it’s warm, not hot. It should not be uncomfortable to touch. Place the water in a blender. Start blending the water on high speed. As the water blends, slowly add the beeswax/oil mixture in a thin stream. When the mixture begins to thicken, most of the oil will be used up. Now is the time to add essential oils (up to 10 drops) and any other ingredients. Once all ingredients have been added, continue to blend until the mixture is thickened. Spoon into jars, cool thoroughly and cover.
Essential oils blend for psoriasis or eczema:
2 drops Roman Chamomile
2 drops Lavender
2 drops Tea Tree
2 drops Rosemary
2 drops Clove
Use therapeutic grade oils only. Add the 10 drops of this mixture to your cream.
Keep in mind that each person is different and different ingredients and combinations of ingredients might work for one person and not for another. For this reason, a trial and error period might be necessary to come up with the formulation that will produce the best hand cream for you.
* Irritation stimulates the release of proteinase elastase to cell membranes. Proteinase elastase is potentially the most destructive proteinase in the body as it can attack connective tissue proteins and thus endanger the integrity of skin. ELHIBIN is used to inhibit the overproduction of proteinase elastase.
Now go have fun and relax.
Related articles:
Have Dry Sensitive Skin? Here’s an Easy Fix. [1]
The Best Moisturizer for Dry Skin [2]