Everyone and my dad will tell you that dry winter hands happen when you expose your paws to the elements (and also just wash them with water—who knew?!). Alas, I stopped wearing the seriously aggressive gloves (dusty rose, bedazzled with pink crystals and pearls) my aunt gifted me for Christmas. And two weeks ago, I had the searingly painful dusty-red hands to show for it.
A few simple Google searches taught me that my poor skin was screaming for moisture, but as someone too lazy to even slip on some gloves, I certainly wasn’t up for trial-and-erroring my way through fancy, pricey (and, yes, cult-beloved) moisturizers. I’ve had back luck with products irritating my skin in the past, and I didn’t want to take any chances, so with not much to lose, I went back to DIY basics—and, no joke, it worked.
For a dry-hand treatment that’s simple, cheap, and natural-leaning, grab some aloe vera, coconut oil, and scroll your way to hydrated mitts.
Step 1: Before bedtime, coat your hands in coconut oil
Regardless of whether you cook with controversial-to-consume coconut oil, the hydrating beauty benefits of the ingredient are worth keeping it in your shelfie.
To get started, scoop up some oil (in liquid form), and give yourself a mini hand massage. Work it down your wrists, and saturate your skin to the point that it feels dewey. You don’t want to be entirely greased up—that’s an easy way to ruin your new eco-friendly bedding. Low sheen is the name of the game here.
Step 2: Rub aloe all over your hands
The trusty succulent that cools down your summer sunburns can also mend your flaky claws in the dry winter, soothing your skin while improving moisturize levels. All the while, it works to regenerate and heal skin cells, which is precisely what we need when the wind shreds our skin.
Squeeze a quarter-size dollop of aloe for one hand and rub it in, focusing on the more irritated areas first. Work it down your wrist the same way that you did with the coconut oil, and try not to focus on the absolutely disgusting sound you’re making. Seriously, it’s like stirring a bowl of mac and cheese—but without the payoff of eating said mac and cheese.
But there is a payoff to be had, so stay the course.
Step 3: Blend in a tiny squeeze of Burt’s Bee’s cream before realizing it’s coconut foot cream
Ugh, #setback. If you have any kind of oops like this, just wipe off the incorrect product and keep going or restart the process.
Step 4: Try not to touch your phone for five minutes
Give ingredients the opportunity to soak into your skin—even when it starts to feel weird that the webs of your fingers start feeling sticky. Fight the urge to paw at a towel!
Step 5: Start wearing gloves, idiot
I saw a massive improvement the next morning, courtesy of my DIY treatment, and by the morning after night two, I was all healed. Of course, people react differently to different products, so I can’t guarantee that you’ll end up with the smoothest hands of all time. What I can advise, though, is that avoiding an epidermal disaster starts with prevention. Namely, even if the gloves make you feel ridiculous, take one for the team (i.e., your appendages) and layer up.
Now that your hands are set, here’s the warmest winter workout gear to protect the rest of your body. But make sure you wash all your cold-weather accessories to avoid breakouts.
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