Beautiful ring! Beautiful hands?

[goldenringlets]

I''m not sure this is appropriate for the health section, but there wasn''t a vanity section...

I''m now the proud owner of a beautiful engagement ring, but I''m not so proud of the the way my hands look. Does any one have any tried-and-true beauty tips for keeping the hand as good-lookin'' as the ring?

 

[fire&ice]

Funny, I hate my hands also - part of my body that has not aged gracefully - mostly my fault. I never think about putting on sunscreen & do nearly everything w/o gloves including gardening.

That said, a friend gave me a Mary Kay gift called "Satin Hands Pampering Set". It has four steps. One is a really intense hand cream. Two is an exfoliator. Three is a body wash (to wash the exfoliator). Four is their hand cream "Satin Hands" & sometimes says "Salon Direct". Not only does it make your hands look much better - they feel so much better. I'm really sold on the Mary Kay "satin hands" hand cream. This is unbiased information. I am not a distributor & not a big fan of these types of marketing companies - but I do like their products. If you don't want to go to a Mary Kay lady, they sell the products on ebay - although w/ a disclaimer. The prices are about what you pay a distributor.

Thanks for the colesterol info!

 

[diamondlil]

Don't have kids! Heehee, just kidding.




I noticed a significant change in the appearance of my hands (not to mention the crows feet around my eyes) in the few years after having my children. Could be age, but I think it has to do with my hands always being in water, washing my hands constantly and cleaning up after the kids, and neglect as far as keeping them moisturized that has resulted in their withered appearance.




Okay, New Year's resolution #2: Moisturize hands daily. I think I need to make a list.

Diamondlil

 

[pqcollectibles]

Bag Balm works wonders!

I had never heard of this until we moved to "Farm Country USA". I have lots of friends that use Bag Balm on their hands. Especially in the winter when it gets soooo dry in the Midwest.

Bag Balm is a little tub of lanolin based cream that farmers use on dairy cattle utters. Sounded gross to me at first, but it smells fine and really really works!

 

[iceprincess]

Hi GR,
As far as dryness and cracked skin goes, I would recommend Neutrogena's Noreweigan Hand Cream. It's cheap and you can find it at any drugstore. I wash my hands +50 times a day (not an obsessive compulsiveness disorder, just related to my job!)

and I often have problems with dryness and chapping. I just use this cream on my hands overnight for a few days and occasionally after hand washings and it works like a miracle. Another suggestion would be to apply a very emolient cream before bedtime and wear gloves overnight to allow the heat to seal in the moisture. You know, my best friend gave me a pair of special conditioning gloves that you wear for 20 mins. or overnight. It's put out by Princess Borghesa (the company also puts out a highend line of skin care and cosmetics) and it was purchased at Nordstroms. I find the Neutrogena cream much more effective and simpler to use. I hear parafin wax bath treatments are great for softening skin and can be helpful for improving circulation to boot!

 

[canadiangrrl]

You need a rich hand cream that lists petrolateum, mineral oil, glycerin, and/or lanolin on its ingredient list. Why? Because they all help to bind water to your skin - which is exactly what you need to remedy dryness.

If you are in the US or Canada, you can get a giant tub of Palmer's Cocoa Butter at Target or almost any drugstore for around $4, and a bottle of the lotion for the same price. You can also get a small purse-sized bottle for less than a dollar. I've found that the cream and the lotion are the absolute best products for moisturizing the skin on my body (it gets damn cold here in Toronto.) And they're cheap, they smell yummy, and they're not tested on animals, either.

You can also get the unscented version if you don't like the smell - I love it, it smells like hot chocolate (but not too strong.) I ran this morning (it's -28 here in Toronto) and as per usual when it's below freezing, I smeared a thin layer of the cream all over my face. Zero windburn/chapping/drying that way.

Night - The cream - It's very thick and greasy - wash your hands, dry them (but leave them slightly damp as this helps with absorption) and scoop out a dollop of the cream. Emulsify it with the warmth of your hands by rubbing it between them. Then rub it all over your hands. Don't touch anything for awhile.

If you have thin cotton gloves, put them on and go to bed this way. This also works for feet (put on socks after the cream and go to bed.)The cream also makes an excellent lip balm and cuticle cream. I put some in little round pill containers and carry it with me in purses, coats, etc.

Day - The lotion - Apply it at least three times per day - especially if you've just washed your hands.

 

[winyan]

Lanolin; in any of it's many forms.

I'm a 'spinner' and I also weave, and sheeps' wool is sold with lanolin intact (makes for easier spinning).

I'm a really old f**t and my hands haven't aged much.

win

 

[Mara]

ebay Baby!!! The best way to get stuff like this for cheap.




Shea Butter is excellent for the hands...but alot of stores sell it way too expensive. You can get it online, I love Lavender scented. It's very thick. L'Occitane sells a great hand shea butter product...but get it for much cheaper on eBay.

Anything super thick usually works really well if you slather on enough.




During the winter my hands get SO DRY and actually tend to flake and peel. Using a hand scrub (usually with salt or sugar in it) is key at this point so I don't scare people into thinking I have some sort of weird flaking disease...hee hee. It's the combo of the warm dry heat in the house and the cold outside that does this. Same with chapped lips. L'Occitane has great hand scrubs too.




At night I still do the old tried and true sometimes...Vaseline! Slather it on your hands and wear socks to bed on your hands. Works great for feet too.

One thing about aging...peoples HANDS tell the story far better than their face does. People don't pay enough attention to their hands. It's skin too.