3 Ways to Moisturize Dry Winter Hands

Beauties, are your hands parched? The dry weather can turn once-smooth palms into dull, cracked, and flaky mitts! Here are three easy ways to get soft and moisturized hands during the cold months.

HOW TO Moisturize Dry Winter Hands

1. Invest In Your Hands Since we crank up the heat in our homes during winter, the arid environment can be equally as drying as the great outdoors. Invest in a home humidifier to bring back some of the moisture lost in winter homes. It's time to protect your hands from the cold with accessories--invest in a pair of warm, non-itchy gloves to provide a barrier against harsh temperatures. If a luxe fabric like cashmere is out of your price range, buy a less expensive acrylic blend that will keep your hands just as soft and protected--a fingerless pair is perfect for texting and typing!

2. Exfoliate and Pamper Just like your face, dry hands needs to be exfoliated too. Dead skin cells accumulate and flake on hands, not a pretty sight. See below for two ultra-pampering recipes for smooth and rejuvenated dry skin. Mix up each ingredient and massage into hands for a few minutes, rinsing off with warm (not hot!) water. Remember, massage gently--if it feels raw and painful, you've scrubbed too much.

3. Moisturize All Day It's not enough to slather on product one time and call it a day. Hands need perpetual hydration (up to 5-6 times per day!) in the form of potent lubricants that lock moisture in. Look for formulas that are full of emollients--lubricants like jojoba oil, glycerol stearate, and isopropyl palmitate, and humectants draw moisture to the skin's surface--hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and lactic acid are common examples of ingredients you should find. Keep a little tube of your favorite cream/balm/salve/jelly in your car, your purse, and on your work desk for all day hydration, no matter where you are. Beautylish recomends Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Body Butter, Korres Guava Body Butter, and L'Occitane Shea Butter.

RECIPE Apple Hand Scrub

Apple is a natural exfoliant and helps to eliminate dead skin around the hands.

3 tablespoons of mashed/pureed apple (use an unsweetened apple sauce if you don't have an apple)

2 tablespoons brown sugar (you may use regular sugar if you don't have brown sugar)

1 tablespoon Olive oil

RECIPE Anti-Aging Hand Scrub

1 tablespoon Flax Seed Oil

1 Vitamin E Oil Capsule

1/4 cup ground almond or corn meal

Image courtesy of MAC Cosmetics