health topics > skin care >>  Topics >>> HANDS & FEET CARE

Your face might get noticed first but your hands get the maximum exposure. Besides harsh sun and chaffing winds they are in direct contact with drying elements like detergents, hot water etc. the result: hands look years older than the rest of you.

Why hands age so fast?

The fragile structure of your hands makes the skin especially vulnerable to aging, but you can slow the process. The skin on the backs of your hands has few oil glands so it shrivels and chaps easily upon exposure especially around the joints. Protect skin with gloves in winters and use moisturizer and sunscreen all year round.

Why does skin on the hands sag?

Thinning bones and shrinking fat cells cause skin to sag. Keep bones strong with calcium supplements. Also moderate exercise will pump blood and it's nutrients back into hands and feet. Production of collagen and elastin- proteins that make skin supple also slows with age. Oral vitamin C protects these component.
Top hand irritants

• If your hands are itchy and rashes seem to erupt inexplicably then consider the following culprits

• Orange peels:

Contain oils that can inflame skin, if you are sensitive, have someone else peel off the fruit.

• Onion and garlic:

Contain a chemical that can be irritating to the touch. Avid cooks who are constantly in touch with them are vulnerable.

• Shellfish:

Such as crab and lobster can cause a condition called contact urticaria, which results in hives.

• Nickel:

In coins, doorknobs, pens and foods such as lettuce and asparagus-causes red, cracking skin or blisters in 5% of the female population.

• Carbonless copy paper:

Used in credit card receipts and many office forms contain tiny capsules that release skin irritating solutions. Constant friction can cause rashes.

• In order to keep your hands looking young and fresh see our foot therapy section and treat yourself to a manicure to give your hands the essential groomed look.

For lovely hands always use gloves for washing clothes and utensils Soak hands in a bowl of warm water to which 1 tsp of corn starch has been added for 5 minutes daily after finishing the house-hold chores.

Massage hands once a week with olive oil and a little table salt added to it.

Remove ingrained dirt from hands with a 10 minute massage of sugar' and butter.
Glycerine, rose water and lemon juice rubbed on the hands every night during winter months keeps them soft and prevents ugly cracks forming.

For chapped hands in winters, wash with lukewarm water (before going to bed), apply milk-cream and put on a pair of gloves; wash hands the next morning.

To remove stains from hands ' rub with a slice of lemon or a raw potato. For nicotine stains, apply lemon juice and leave for 10 minutes before washing.
A drop of Witch Hazel in the palms is an effective antidose for hands that perspire a lot.

To keep hands clean and soft, soak 250 grams oatmeal in 11-12 cups water and leave overnight. Strain it through a thin muslin cloth the next morning and add 1 thsp lemon juice and 1 tsp each. of olive oil, rose water, glycerine and diluted ammonia. Bottle and apply on hands 3-4 times daily.

Knees, Heel and Feet :

Keep knees smooth by rubbing them occasionally wit. fresh lime juice or massage with a nourishing cream.

The winter itch that cracks the skin of the heels due to excessive dryness or the use of an alkaline soap can be treated by washing the feet at night in warm water and mild soap and applying a lanolin rich cream or mixture of glycerine and rose water.

Tired feet should be soaked alternately in hot and cold water.

Before applying paint on your toe-nails, cut triangular shapes of sponge and place then between toes to keel them separated, and save the hassle of cleaning the skin on the toes.
 

• Wash legs with fresh water and wipe with clean towels.

• If knees are dark than the rest of the leg... Mix lemon juice, curd, wheat flour and make like paste and apply, and remove after 5 minutes.

• soak legs in warm water for 5 minutes and rub with pumise stone. Apply cold cream.

• To get rid off dry skin from feet, put soap on spong and rub on feet and wash. Apply baby oil.

• Apply white petroleum jelly on feet to remove dry skin.

• If your feet sweat too much mix 10 drops of lavendor water or udecolen in water and soak feet in it for 15 minutes. Pat dry and apply Zoric powder.

• Use 10 drops or sandalwood oil in 100ml coconut oil or olive oil and massage your leg or the entire body just before your bath.

• Waxing or shaving too often can result in gooseflesh or ugly goose bumps that spoil the shape of legs. Do this massage more often. Start at the ankles and work your way towards the top of the thighs with a rotary action using lots of soap.

Then wash. Dry your legs with a towel using a strong upward motion from your feet. Then massage in a good hand and body lotion or baby oil while the skin is still warm and the pores are open, so that the skin gets well nourished. Concentrate a bit more on the knees and rough heels, as these require more attention.

• Soak feet for 10 minutes in warm water to which salt has been added. Remove and scrub dry, especially between the toes. This is the easiest way to relax tired feet. In the case of a sprain add Epsom salt to the water for best results.

• Mix a few drops of lemon juice in vaseline and apply gently on cracked heels
 

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