Photography
Richard Skins
There are more good reasons to take good care of your hands than you could count. Why not show them some love?
Whether you're typing in an office, gardening outside, doing housework or on a shopping run, your hands rarely get a break. The skin here is very delicate, with few oil glands, which means your palms and fingers need a little love to overcome weather exposure and the general wear and tear of daily routine.
It can be difficult to get into the habit of treating your hands with care, but a good hand cream is a great place to start. Handy Gurugu's high butter content includes shea, peanut, cashew and almond butters and is perfect to slather on at night. A little Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter is filled with fresh organic lemon infusion and organic avocado oil to ensure your nails are hydrated and happy too!
Harsh weather conditions can really take it out of your skin, especially your hands, so protecting them is a great idea. Wearing gloves when you are outside in the cold weather doesn't just keep you toasty, it helps skin to retain moisture and stay soft until summer. The sun's rays can be equally tough on your hands, though, so remember to apply suncream to your hands as well as your body when you plan to catch some rays and enjoy a sunny day.
If you have five minutes, a hand massage is a lovely way to relax and look after your hands. Using a massage bar or hand lotion, work it across your palms, fingers, and wrists focusing on your pressure points. It's a perfect way to unwind, if only for a moment.
Lush Spa trainer Sophie-Rae Martin gives this advice for performing your own hand massage on yourself or a loved one: "Massage the product into the skin using comforting movements, covering as much area as possible. Circle with your thumb gently around the wrist, both on top and underneath.
"Using your thumb again, massage in a circular motion on the palm of the hand, focusing on the thumb muscle. This is such an overworked muscle that it will feel great to ease any tension away from the area. You can even hold down on the edge of the muscle where it meets the rest of the palm for a relaxing pressure point.
"Massage the fingers from the base up to the tips and then finish each finger with a little pull, gliding slowly upwards and then coming off the end gently."
Whenever you can, don't forget to take a few minutes to give yourself a hand massage.