During the summer, we normally think of the damaging affects of the sun on our skin so we take great care in protecting it. One area we do not usually think about is our hands. The sun, water, dirt and other substances can all damage our hands. It is important that one implements a care plan designed to protect the hands because one of the first signs of aging can be seen on the hands.
The following are a number of helpful tips that will protect your hands during the summer:
1. The summer is a time when many people enjoy working in their flower and vegetable gardens. When you are working in the garden, wear garden gloves which will protect your hands from dirt, nail breakage, and skin abrasions.
2. During the summer, we will often do a number of outdoor repairs to the home such as painting, roofing, mowing the lawn, trimming branches, etc. It is important to protect our hands when doing manual labor. Gloves should be worn, but a quality hand cream should be applied. This will help keep your hands moist and hydrated. A good moisturizing hand cream should be applied several times a day. When our skin dries out, they often look as though they have wrinkles. A moisturizing hand cream will prevent drying out.
3. You should also protect your hands from harmful UV rays. A quality hand cream with a sunscreen will protect your skin. It will also keep your hands nourished with vitamins and minerals, as well as moisturized, Sun damage can cause a loss of vitamins so hand cream will prevent nutrient and vitamin loss. It will also keep your skin from drying out. Sunscreen will also prevent age spots
4. When you wash your hands, use a mild and organic soap. You should wash them with warm water rather than hot. Organic soaps do not contain any harmful chemicals which can damage the skin. After you wash your hands, apply a hand cream to retain moisture and promote skin rejuvenation and elasticity. As well, there are exfoliant products you can use on your hands to ensure a deep cleanse leaving your hands smooth and soft. After you have thoroughly rinsed off the soap, apply a hand cream that contains a moisturizer. You should also apply a hand cream before you go to bed. The nourishing substances in the hand cream will work all night.
5. Give your hands an herbal oil massage once a week. This will help soften and enrich the skin with natural healing and protecting ingredients.
6. Give your hands a soak in oatmeal, oil, and warm water once or twice a week. You can use either a teaspoon of almond or olive oil. Soak your hands for about 15 minutes. This will help moisten and improve skin texture. After, pat your hands dry, and apply a hand cream.
Because our hands are very delicate, they need effective protection during the summer in order to prevent damage and pre-mature aging.