New to the world of homemade beauty products? The homemade hand cream in this article is the perfect entry point, especially if soaps and body butters seem out of reach at the moment. If you make soap or lotion, you may already have the ingredients in the hand cream, which is quite thick and balm-like. It effortlessly melts on the skin, which absorbs the nourishing elements within a few minutes.
The skin on your hands and your face is constantly exposed to the elements, yet you neglect your hands more than your face. You don’t apply sunscreen to your hands or palms, and you probably don’t cover them in makeup either. The skin on your hands is quite different from the skin on other areas of the body. The middle layer of skin (the dermis) connects to the outer layer (epidermis) through many papillae, which are connective tissue. Rows of papillae form ridges that make up your finger and handprints, but they also help protect the skin on your hands from tearing.
The skin on the back of your hands is much thinner, with hardly any fatty tissue. Because of that, sebum production is very low, making it harder for your hands to hold moisture. This is why it is very common for your hands to dry out quickly. For this reason, you are responsible for moisturizing them, especially if you don’t want them to appear wrinkly and dry.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is rich in medium-chain fatty acids, specifically lauric acid, which exhibit antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. This is just one reason to incorporate coconut oil into your skin care routine. Coconut oil also exhibits emollient properties, which work to repair the skin barrier’s function, helping your body defend against environmental threats. Forming a protective layer that sits on top of the skin, coconut oil helps lock moisture into the skin, while also preventing transepidermal water loss.
Mango Butter
Mango butter is the substance that results from cold-pressing the fats from mango pits. The creamy butter is a great ingredient to use on the skin and hair. Mango butter has a semi-solid consistency, but quickly melts into the skin without making you feel greasy. Similar to coconut oil, mango butter provides a protective layer on the skin, preventing bacteria and environmental chemicals from entering your pores. Mango butter also contains nutrients that may promote skin repair. According to one study, a foot cream made with mango butter was able to completely repair cracked skin in human volunteers.
Olive Oil
In addition to being a great addition to your diet, olive oil is a wonderful ingredient to add to your skin care routine. If you suffer from dry skin, you can rub a small amount of olive oil into the dry area, cover it with plastic wrap for a couple hours, and then notice smoother skin. Olive oil also exhibits antibacterial properties that may help to accelerate the healing of cuts and burns. Mix it with essential oils, healing herbs, coconut oil, or beeswax to enhance its healing properties.
Beeswax
Different civilizations have used beeswax for centuries, specifically for the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Beeswax is a great moisturizer suitable for people with all skin types, including the most sensitive skin. Additionally, beeswax is a humectant, meaning it attar’s water molecules from the air. That helps to keep your skin hydrated over time. Just like coconut oil and mango butter, beeswax forms a protective barrier on the skin, preventing it from environmental assaults, moisturizing the skin in the process.
Nourishing Hand Cream
Ingredients:
- 3 ounces coconut oil
- 1.75 ounces mango butter
- 1 ounce olive oil
- 0.125 ounces beeswax pellets
Instructions:
- Add an inch or so of water to the bottom of a double boiler and place over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and place the top on.
- Melt the coconut oil, mango butter, and beeswax in the top of the double boiler. Once the ingredients are melted, stir in the olive oil and then remove from heat.
- Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature until solidified (about four hours or overnight). You can also transfer the mixture into a bigger bowl and allow it to solidify in there, as you will need to whip the final product with a hand mixer.
- Using an electric hand mixer, whip the solidified mixture until fluffy. This may take about 10 minutes.
- Store in a clean container at room temperature. If temperatures exceed 80º F where you store it, it will most likely melt.
