This guide aims to give you advice on how to keep your hands looking beautiful. We look at the most common hand and nail care issues and provide natural hand cream suggestions that will leave you with gorgeous, healthy hands.
Healthy hands
Your hands work harder than any other part of your body. Despite the fact that your hands have very few oil glands in comparison to the rest of your body they constantly exposed, coming into contact with water and chemicals, heat, cold and UV light and they are used in practically all of your daily activities, from cleaning, gardening, cooking, carrying shopping or typing. Keen gardener? Read our gardeners’ hand care guide.
" Your hands are often the first area to show signs of ageing. "
With all the daily stress put on your hands it’s no wonder they are often the first area to show signs of ageing. Having a good hand care routine will work wonders on keeping your hands healthy and looking beautiful.
Daily care
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Moisturise your hands several times a day. Dry skin not only looks wrinkled but can easily be damaged.
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Wear gloves while washing dishes, cleaning and gardening.
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Protect the skin on your hands from the sun by using a sun lotion with SPF15.
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Ensure that you dry your hands after washing them. If you constantly have water on your hands it will dry your skin.
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Improve circulation and release tension by stretching or bending your fingers for a few seconds several times a day.
Once a week
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Give your hands a gentle sugar scrub massage. Rub your hands with a small amount of sugar scrub, massage gently for one minute and rinse thoroughly with warm water. Wipe excess oils with a hand towel and pad dry.
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Alternatively, make your own hand exfoliator. Mix 2 tbsp of organic olive oil with 3 tbsp of granulated sugar. Make a paste and follow the instructions above.
How to look after dry hands naturally
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Mix 1 tbsp of organic honey with 2 tbsp of organic unsalted butter. Apply to clean hands and massage for a couple of minutes. Wipe any excess off with a hand towel.
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Try mixing mashed potatoes with milk (cow's or soya milk), this makes a great hand mask.
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Rub a piece of lemon on your hands to give your skin a more even tone.
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Restore the pH balance of your skin - wash your hands with organic apple cider vinegar and water solution (1 tbsp of vinegar per 200ml of water).
Our key products for naturally beautiful hands:
Your nails are one of the first areas to suffer when your nutritional status is out of balance. Stress, illness and poor diet will all affect your nails.
What are the signs of nutrient deficiency?
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White spots or flecks are likely to be a sign of zinc deficiency. White marks can also be caused by the contraceptive pill
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Ridged or brittle nails can be a sign of vitamin A and calcium deficiency
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Cuts and cracks in the nails may indicate that you need more liquids
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Splitting nails could indicate a lack of sufficient hydrochloric acid or a lack of Essential Fatty Acids in your diet
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Dryness, very rounded and curved ends can be caused by insufficient intake of vitamin B12 or iron deficiency
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Uneven nails can be caused by poor digestion and absorption of protein and lack of magnesium, vitamin A or biotin
How to improve the health of your nails
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Eat a diet composed of 50% fruit and raw vegetables in order to supply all the necessary vitamins, minerals and enzymes your body needs.
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Eat foods rich in sulphur and silicon, such as broccoli, fish and onions, and include foods rich in biotin such as soy, brewer’s yeast and whole grains.
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Remove all traces of nail varnish, apply Green People's hand cream and massage your cuticles and nails – repeat several times a day. The high content of Shea butter can benefit both nails and cuticles by strengthening and repairing.
How to look after your nails naturally
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Dirt, stain remover - Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a cup of water. Soak your nails in a bowl of the liquid and massage your cuticles for a few minutes.
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Harden soft nails by soaking them in warm organic olive oil for 20 minutes every second day.
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Brittle nails, split or dull nails is often a sign of nutrient deficiency. Try supplementing your diet with wild seaweed (kelp) ; this will increase the growth of your nails and prevent them from becoming brittle, also add essential fatty acids to your diet.
Hand cleanliness: what’s the issue?
Many hand washes contain powerful anti-microbial agents such as triclosan. However, you may not be aware that the widespread use of triclosan could be contributing to the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as MRSA.
There are also fears over the fact that triclosan reacts with water to produce dioxins, which are extremely toxic and can interfere with hormone production. Triclosan residue in waste water is also extremely toxic and there are concerns about its long-term environmental effects. Read more about triclosan in hand wash.
Dirty hands are one of the fasted ways to get and spread germs. but just washing your hands isn’t enough – wet hands actually carry far more germs, so remember to dry them well.
If you are particularly concerned about the spread of bacteria then try our organic hand wash that contains extracts of Tea tree and Manuka - both of which have powerful antibacterial properties without causing bacterial resistance of harming the environment.
Manuka & Lemon Tea Tree Antibacterial Hand Wash 300ml
Powerful organic hand wash for kitchen and bathroom
€17,95
Do you have any further questions? Please get in touch by emailing our friendly customer care team organic@greenpeople.co.uk.
