5 minute read

Can Working Hands have Soft Skin?

Definitely yes, and today’s article discusses how.

Most of us take our hands for granted and expect them to look great despite all the damage we inflict on them in ordinary household tasks, in gardening and even how we use them in office or anywhere. With the result that our hands can feel dry, rough, sometimes develop callouses and chapped skin that can lead to infections and irritation.

Also, it is not just the skin that can be unkempt or poorly cared for, as our nails are subjected to the same maltreatment we give hands.

Of course, some of us always have great looking hands with beautifully shaped natural nails, or are able to use gel nails that always make hands look so glamorous.

But what happens to those of us that have “acceptable” looking nails though are unable to use nail polish or gel?

I fall in this category, as in last couple of years my nails stopped tolerating gel nails, and I can’t use nail polish anyway. So, the only option for me is to ensure that the skin on my hands is well maintained, supple and soft to touch.

This is important to me because as a family genetic trend I have very well-defined tendons that can be visibly seen controlling my finger movements, and to add insult to injury I have also been gifted with large protruding veins – all the more pronounced as I have got older. In fact, you can study the anatomy of the hand on mine, just by looking at them! You don’t need to do any dissection.

Besides, I have knobbly fingers with lots of little wrinkles that are just skin folds that enable my finger to move with amazing dexterity, but I agree they are not great to look at.

So, with the finger shape as well as the pronounced tendons and veins, you must be getting the picture… I do not have model hands, and recently a business connection referred to a photo of my hands as “unflattering”… which made me laugh - as try as hard as I may, I can’t disguise my tendons and veins.

These are my signature, and to be truly honest this has never bothered me, but I’m aware that the visual impact of my hands is not elegant.

However, I have always been complimented on how soft my hands are, and this is true, as the skin on my hands is beautifully soft.

Thank goodness that not everything is bad about my hands… especially as I can’t have glamorous nails!

But I’m just kidding, as I’m really proud of my unglamorous hands because they are amazing in all the work they do, and I cannot begin to think what I would do without their flexibility enabled by my noticeable skin folds and tendons. Enough about me, but it does provide the context for what I want to share with you.

How to Get Soft Hands?

So, regardless of the look of your hands, there is a really great secret to soft skin, and this is not just about using a good hand cream, such as our Moisture Holding Hand Cream.

This secret is to on a regular basis, just like you have heard me talking about the importance of a consistent Skincare Routine, use a clay Mask on your hands.

At Azurlis we have 2 clay Masks - Pink Swirl Kaolin Face Mask and Simple Earth Mask, where the benefits of the Pink Swirl are due to a mixture of Pink, White, Yellow and Green clays from France, whereas the benefits of Simple Earth Mask are due to the NZ Glacial Clay.

But, you can use your favourite clay mask, just check that it does not contain any of the hazardous ingredients and preservatives that I have covered before and which we do not use at Azurlis.

Ideally, hand masking should be done every couple of weeks, but if you can only make it monthly, that is fine too, as long as you don’t skip a month.

How to Prepare for Clay Masking your Hands

What’s needed:

• Two thick “old” hand towels – no need to use new towels
• Two biodegradable or recycled plastic bags; size: 25 cm x 20 cm
• Two elastic bands to go over your wrists.
• Four tablespoons of a clay mask
• 15 minutes of your time

Method:

• Wash your hands in warm water and dry well.
• Place the two towels in front of you so you can easily fold them over your hands.
• Add 2 tablespoons of mask into each bag.
• Slide the elastic bands over the bags close to the top of the opening, so these help to keep the bags in place around the wrists.
• Place one hand into one bag, secure the elastic band over your wrist.
• Do the same with the other hand and through the plastic secure the elastic band as you have done for the first hand.
• Now, move your hands inside the bags to spread the clay mask over the entire surface of the hands.
• Use the towels to cover/roll over your hands.
• Seat yourself somewhere quietly for 5 – 10 minutes and continue moving your hands inside the bags to maximize exposure to the clay mask. Your hands will warm up in the bags, and this is important to help the clays to slough off some of the superficial skin cells.
• After this, remove the bags and rinse your hands with warm water. Follow with a very gentle hand wash step, rinsing again and patting dry.

Your hands will feel beautifully soft and supple.

Notes On the Masking Hand Method

Of course, if you have someone to help slip the elastic bands over your wrists, the process is easier, but I have done this often on my own, and I manage perfectly well. So, I reckon you should also.

Some of you will be asking, why not use cloth gloves?

You can’t. because the success of the step where your hands are in the plastic bags relies on the bags retaining moisture and heat from your skin. This moisture helps the clays to act as exfoliators, as explained in my previous article on the skin health benefits of exfoliating.

The use of the towels is important to ensure that as much heat is retained. This heat also adds an element of relaxation and facilitates the gliding of the mask over your skin and between the fingers.

The suggested time of 5 – 10 minutes is a starting point, so you can easily increase this step to 30 minutes.

You can use an exfoliator instead of a mask, but always use soft gliding movements, and do not rub.

You should avoid masking if you have cuts or abrasions on your hands. First, ensure that these are fully healed before masking.

Take Home Message

Soft hands can be achieved by anyone regardless of whether or not we have model hands. Like everything else in looking after ourselves, making time for a hand routine is not only good for your hands, but also to help you relax and strengthen your mind body connection.