Pamper Your Mitts With These 8 Homemade Hand Treatments

For flawless hand skin, you'll need: vegetable oil (olive, sweet almond, walnut, argan, etc.). Pour a bit of oil on to your palms, let it warm up, and massage gently to ensure that it penetrates your skin. Don't rinse it off; rather remove any excess with a tissue.

The result? Baby-soft, smooth, supple skin.

For a nourishing, homemade cream, you'll need: 50g vegetable butter, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp beeswax, 20-30 drops of essential oil (of your choice!), and 6 drops of vitamin E to work as a preservative. Melt the beeswax in a bain-marie and add the vegetable butter. Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and massage on to your hands.

The result? The rich, protective beeswax will nourish and moisturise your hands.

For a homemade hand scrub, you'll need: 1 tbsp powdered almond, 1 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 tsp table salt, and 1 tsp orange flower water. Mix the almonds with the salt and sprinkle with the orange flower water. Add the sunflower oil and mix until you get a smooth paste. Scoop up a dollop and gently massage it on, paying attention to the back of your hands, in between your fingers, and around your cuticles. Rinse off.

The result? The almonds' nourishing, softening properties will leave your skin baby-soft and supple.

For a softening hand mask, you'll need: 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp vegetable oil (olive oil's a good choice), 1 tbsp honey, and 2 drops of lemon essential oil. Mix the ingredients in a bowl; you can dose the honey to get the texture you want. Apply this mask once a month, leave for 20 minutes, and rinse off with warm water.

The result? Olive oil's oleic acid and the honey's soothing properties will gently nourish and soften your hands.

For an anti-ageing spot treatment, you'll need: 1 drop of celery essential oil and that's it! Using your index finger, massage the celery oil on to each age spot for a minute. Repeat each evening. Note: Celery essential oil is photosensitive, so protect your hands from the sun after each application.

The result? Celery oil's depigmenting properties lighten age spots to leave you with younger-looking hands.

For a purifying, DIY scrub, you'll need: 2 tbsp table salt, 1 tbsp olive oil, and juice from 1/2 lemon. Mix the olive oil and salt. Once you've got a smooth paste, mix in the lemon juice. Gently massage the scrub on to your hands, paying attention to in between your fingers and then rinse it off.

The result? The salt will get rid of skin-dulling dead cells and the lemon will deeply cleanse your skin.

For a protective, homemade treatment you'll need: 4 tbsp cocoa butter and 4 tbsp sweet almond oil and beeswax each. Melt the cocoa butter and beeswax in a bain-marie. Add the sweet almond oil and mix until you get a smooth, creamy texture. Leave to harden and apply as and when your hands need nourishing.

The result? The nutritious cocoa butter will repair and soften your mitts!

For a strengthening lotion, you'll need: 10 ml castor oil, 10 ml olive oil, and juice from 1 lemon. Mix the castor and olive oils then add the lemon juice. Pour into a large bowl and soak your hands for 10 to 15 minutes. Follow by massaging your hands and nails, before rinsing off.

The result? The castor oil will fortify your skin and strengthen your nails.
Good luck!