Your hands are unsung heroes! Think about it. Depending on how you spend your days, your hands might scrub, type, cut, stir, hammer, wash, or even draw. They can easily become dry and rough, but the good news is that soft hands are not out of reach!
There are several easy ways to care for the skin on your hands on a daily basis. In this article, Babo Botanicals gives you a few of our favorite tips for silky soft hands!
But first, let’s quickly review why your hands might be anything but soft.
Causes Of Dry, Rough Hands
We’ve already mentioned a few of the tasks your hands may do on a daily basis. But the list of factors that contribute to dry, rough hands is essentially endless!
The wind and the cold, dry air of winter can do a number on your hands. But sun exposure can age and damage their delicate, thin skin. And, if you find yourself elbow-deep in hot dishwater each day (who doesn’t?), this can also lead to dry hands.
That’s not to mention how many times you wash your hands each day, which strips your skin of its natural moisture and protective barrier.
All of this can lead to dry, rough, or even cracked skin on your hands. However, a medical condition can also lead to rough skin on your hands. It’s always best to check with your doctor if you have specific concerns.
That being said, let’s jump straight into what you can do to combat the daily wear and tear on your hands and get back to the soft skin you love!
10 Home Remedies For Soft Hands
1) Apply Almond Oil
Dry, rough hands need to be hydrated! When it comes to natural remedies for soft hands, it doesn’t get much better than oils like almond oil.
This oil is full of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids that are great for your skin. All you have to do is gently massage this beneficial oil into your hands.
To combat dry, rough hands, turn this into a habit (at least once a day!).
2) Apply Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is another fantastic natural moisturizer that can get you on track for soft hands! In addition to quickly absorbing into your skin and being super-hydrating, it also has antibacterial properties.
Apply coconut oil just as you would apply a regular lotion — just remember that your hands will be oily for a few minutes as it soaks into your skin.
3) Sleep With A Moisturizer
If applying an oil to your hands during the day is bothersome or inconvenient for you, simply make it a part of your nighttime routine!
Using oil or moisturizer before you go to bed is a great way to provide your hands with deep moisturization over several hours.
The best way to sleep with almond or coconut oil (or any other moisturizer of your choice) on your hands is to put gloves on after applying the oil.
If you don’t have a pair of gloves that you want to get oily, you can always use a pair of socks. Then simply hop into bed and let the moisturizing magic happen overnight!
4) Use A Healing Ointment
Using lotion might seem like a no-brainer if you want soft hands. Unfortunately, lots of lotions and moisturizers on the market are full of chemicals and artificial fragrances that are far from good for your skin.
But that doesn’t mean you have to write lotion off altogether. The right one can do wonders for your hands!
Babo Botanicals Sensitive Skin All Natural Healing Ointment is a 100% natural and 70+% organic moisturizing ointment that’s perfect for chapped hands. It’s created for adults with sensitive, dry, or eczema-prone skin, but it can be used by anyone on the quest for soft hands!
This non-greasy healing formula contains medical-grade colloidal oatmeal, shea, and cocoa butter. And it’s hypoallergenic and free of preservatives, fragrance, mineral oil, parabens, and petroleum.
It’s got all the good stuff for soft hands and none of the bad!
5) Exfoliate With Sugar And Olive Oil
Part of getting the soft hands you want is doing what we have just talked about — moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! But the other part is exfoliation.
Exfoliating removes the top layer of dead skin cells so that the fresh skin underneath can shine. Bonus: it’s easy and quick! All you need to do is mix equal parts of olive oil and sugar (we recommend one tablespoon of each) and gently rub the mixture into your skin.
The olive oil will hydrate your skin while the sugar will provide physical exfoliation. Just don’t damage your skin by rubbing too vigorously!
And remember: contrary to moisturizing, which should be done at least once a day, you should only exfoliate your skin two or three times a week at most.
6) Turn To Aloe Vera
If you think of summertime and sunburn when you think of aloe vera, you’re not wrong. Here at Babo Botanicals, we love using After Sun Soothing Hydrating Aloe Gel to cool and rehydrate after a day in the sun.
But aloe vera goes far beyond sunburn relief! It’s healing, hydrating, and reduces inflammation, meaning you can include aloe vera in your soft-hand regimen.
As opposed to a lotion that you leave on your hands, aloe vera works like a mask. Simply massage a bit into your hands, let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse it off and go about your day.
7) Treat Your Hands To A Mask
In addition to treating your hands to a few minutes of aloe vera, whipping up your own hand mask can be just the thing to soothe and soften your skin.
You can make a hand mask with ingredients you’ve got on hand in your kitchen, like potatoes, honey, avocado, eggs, oats, or yogurt.
There are plenty of recipes online, but to give you an idea of how quick and easy it can be, one DIY mask only involves boiling a potato, mashing it with a splash of olive oil, and spreading it onto your hands once it cools off a bit.
Leave the potato mask on for around 15 minutes before taking it off and rinsing your hands.
8) Wear Sunscreen
Lather up with sunscreen before going for an outdoor adventure and wear facial sunscreen on a daily basis. You know the ropes. But have you ever thought about putting sunscreen on your hands?
Your hands are just as susceptible to sun damage as any other part of your body! So, next time you apply sunscreen, don’t forget your hard-working hands.
Just be sure to choose a safe sunscreen that will both nourish your skin and protect it from the sun’s harmful rays.
Babo Botanicals Clear Zinc Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 fits the bill. It’s made with 16% non-nano zinc oxide and skin-soothing certified organic oils. Plus, it’s hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and reef-safe — safe for the whole family as well as the sea creatures!
9) Wear Gloves
Don’t let all your hard work moisturizing your hands go to waste! Gloves can help protect soft hands. This means winter gloves as well as rubber gloves.
Wearing gloves when the weather turns chilly protects your skin from the cold air and harsh wind, which can both be particularly drying to your hands.
And rubber gloves are essential for cleaning or washing dishes to provide a barrier between your skin and the hot water or harsh chemicals.
10) Run A Humidifier
Dry air can suck the moisture right out of your skin, leading to the exact opposite of soft hands.
While you can’t do anything about the weather, running a humidifier in your home will increase the moisture in the air and help prevent dry skin.
Wave Goodbye To Rough Hands
Be it winter weather, unceasing hand-washing, or a job that requires you to roll your sleeves up, no matter the cause of your rough skin, there are steps you can take to achieve soft hands!
Moisturize with almond oil, coconut oil, and Babo Botanicals Sensitive Skin All Natural Healing Ointment. And, if necessary, go for deep moisturization overnight by lathering up and slipping a pair of gloves on before bed.
Don’t forget to go on the offensive to keep your hands soft by wearing sunscreen, winter gloves, and rubber gloves as needed, and using a humidifier in your home.
With the right care, you can wave goodbye to rough skin and say hello to smooth, soft hands!
