Since drawing much more I've noticed that my hands need more love and attention than before. Mainly in the form of stretches and a few breaks to wiggle the fingers and do an invigorating set of jazz hands. To supplement this, I've been using a few products that have helped too.
So to all those out there who use your hands a lot…
This post is for you!
CND SolarOil
I (almost) never paint my nails. I reserve it for times when I go to a wedding or reach a very rare level of boredom. It's not that I don't like color, I just don't like how quickly polish tends to chip or how many layers are required for them to not chip as fast. Also, the general feeling of having polish on makes my nails feel heavy. Anyone out there feel me on this? I have had shellac done before too, which is fine, but not the best for the nails either, which is what leads me to this product! My mom found this after she had a shellac manicure removed and gave me a tiny bottle in my Christmas stocking. My cuticles aren't in the best shape, they get pretty dry and peel a lot. So I was really excited to try it. They call it a 'nail conditioner' which basically means that it's an oil for the hands. It smells of almonds and sinks into the skin near your nails and even on the beds of the nails too. It's probably the most noticeable after you remove polish, acrylics or shellac nails, but after a long winter day, it has made a big difference to me and my digits.
Gold Bond Intensive Healing Hand Cream
This lotion is another recommendation that I originally got from my mom! She too suffers from dry, itchy winter hands. I know lotion is a very personal preference and everyone's body chemistry reacts differently to the myriad of formulas out there. So from my experience, this lotion is thick, but sinks into the skin quickly with an almost cooling sensation. My hands feel smooth and not at all sticky. As for the scent, it is very light and citrusy. I put it on my hands every night before going to bed.
Lush soap Figs and Leaves
A lot of soaps on the market can strip natural moisture away from your hands and I'm pretty sure there isn't much of a worse feeling for the hands to experience than that. I rely on very moisturizing soaps because I usually can't be bothered with putting on lotion AFTER washing the hands. Enter this soap! I'm a huge fan of LUSH anyway, but this soap is my favorite that I've used so far. It exfoliates gently, lathers a very very very little and feels more like rubbing a lotion bar on your hands. Finally, THE SCENT! 🙌 It's deep and as you could probably guess, smells like figs, which smells earthy and bright.
Wintergreen Oil
My last favorite for the hands is wintergreen oil because it is a natural muscle relaxer. It's great for days when your hands and wrists feel tense and tired. The scent is uplifting and when you work a drop into your skin it takes the edge off of any mild pain or discomfort. I use my oil from Young Living. All of their oils are great, but this one is great for muscle pain or overuse.