Now that it’s cool in the Northern Hemisphere, many of us need to think about hand moisturizers.
Every winter, my hands would dry out and crack.
Until I discovered natural plant-based emollients.
I undoubtedly aggravated my skin by using harsh chemical dish washing detergent.
Then, I think I added insult to injury by putting more chemicals on my dried, cracked hands.
The last few winters have been good.
My hands get a little dry but they don’t crack and bleed.
I think that’s because I rinse my dishes with natural non toxic Castile soap before putting them into the dishwasher.
Then, I keep them conditioned with a homemade hand balm.
This is something I always have in my house, because it also doubles as a lip balm.
Homemade hand balm is very easy to make.
You just need three ingredients – coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax pastilles.
That’s it.
The end result is a firm balm that should last about six months and will hold up in hot weather.
Firmness is determined by the amount of beeswax you add.
I prefer a firmer balm because it stays solid even in the hottest weather.
How To Make A Basic Hand Balm Recipe
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In addition to healing my dryness, plant based hand balm is a good alternative to chemical lotions.
Chemical lotions, by the way, didn’t seem to touch my cracked scaly skin and, as far as I’m concerned, probably made the problem worse.
Also, unless the lotion is made from all natural ingredients, commercial lotion probably contains parabens.
(Actually, unless it specifically says, “no parabens,” it probably contains one or more types of these nasties.
What are parabens?
Why do you want to avoid them.
Parabens are a class of chemicals added to a wide range of beauty products and processed foods.
You may not know an ingredient is a paraben because they are listed under a variety of names. Such as:
- methyparaben
- propylparaben
- isoparaben
- butylparaben
Parabens function as preservatives.
But they also function as hormone disruptors.
Parabens mimic the female hormone estrogen. So there’s growing fear they’re contributing to the breast cancer epidemic.
My motto is, “Why wait for the research?”
Just avoid them now, since natural alternatives exist.
My DIY homemade hand balm allows you to do just that.
How To Make Homemade Balm for Your Hands
All you need are three ingredients.
You may already have coconut oil in the house.
So you’d just need to get shea butter (it’s available here) and beeswax pastilles (they’re available here)
I greatly prefer pastilles over solid beeswax. That’s because beeswax is relatively difficult to melt, compared to the other two oils.
The small surface area of the pastilles makes it easier.
Plus beeswax pastilles are easy to measure. So you can get exact proportions.
DIY Natural Hand Balm
1/4 c organic coconut oil (You can find it here)
1/4 c of shea butter (You can find it here)
1/4 c of small beeswax pastilles (You can find them here)
- Combine these ingredients in a stainless steel pan.
- Melt over very low heat until they become liquid.
- The coconut oil and shea butter will help the beeswax pellets melt.
- Remove from heat.
- Optional. You can add 6 drops of essential oils of your choice. I prefer lavender essential oil or palmarosa essential oil for the skin soothing qualities. Both of them also smell heavenly.
- If you choose to add the essential oils do it while the mixture is still liquid, right after you remove it from heat.
- Pour into a clean container. You can order glass cosmetic jars online or use an empty mint tin.
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.
