| Liquid Hand Soap (4 oz., 120 ml) 1/4 cup (60 ml) Distilled water 1/4 tsp. (1.25 ml) Xanthan gum (thickener) 1 tsp. (5 ml) Lecithin 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) Lemon juice 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) Coco betaine (surfactant) 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) Polyglucose (surfactant) 10 drops Germaben II (preservative) 6 drops Chamomile essential oil Lady's Mantle Hand Mask 2 Tbsp finely ground oatmeal 1Tbsp lady's mantle infusion 1 tsp avocado oil 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp glycerin Mix all to form a smooth paste. Apply to hands at bedtime. Leave on for 1/2 hour, wash off and apply moisturizing cream overnight (wear gloves) Wash off in the morning. Cornmeal Hands Mask Mix 1/4 cup corn meal with 3 Tbsp. milk. Heat over low heat until a paste forms. Add 1 drop almond oil. Let cool. Spread on hands, leave on for about 10 minutes. Rinse. Lady's Mantle Hand Lotion 2 Tbsp of a strong infusion of lady's mantle 2 Tbsp glycerin 2 tsp carrageen moss (Irish Moss) melted in a little hot water 4 Tbsp vodka 10 drops essential oil of rose or geranium Stir glycerin into melted moss. Add essential oil to vodka, then blend into the glycerin mixture. Stir in lady's mantle infusion, blend well. Pour into jar, cap tightly. Shake before using. Heavy Duty Barrier Cream 4 Tbsp Unpetroleum Jelly (available in natural foods stores) 2 handfuls fresh elderflowers Melt jelly, add elderflowers. Steep for 45 minutes, reheating the jelly when it solidifies. Reheat until mixture is liquified, strain through a fine sieve into a jar. Cool, then cap tightly. Heavy Duty Gardeners Hand Cream 2 Tablespoons of shaved beeswax 1/2 Teaspoon of carnuba wax 2 Tablespoons of jojoba oil 1 Teaspoon of aloe vera gel 10 drops of Vitamin E oil ( or 4 capsules) 1 drop of your favorite essentail oil for fragrance Melt the first four ingredients in a stainless steel pot on the stove or use a glass pyrex cup in the microwave. Remove from heat and beat until cool, adding the Vitamin E oil before mixture thickens. Continue beating until this mixture becomes creamy. Add your favorite essential oil, continue beating until cream has completely cooled. Spoon your cream into a jar, store in a cool dark place. Banana Hand & Foot Cream Dry hands and feet will become smooth and soft overnight if you mix: Bananas Honey Lemon juice Natural margarine Smear on hands and wear white gloves to bed. Wash off in the morning. For dry feet, smear the mixture on and wear heavy socks to bed, wash off in the morning. Simple hand lotion 1 ounce of soft soap, 4 fluid ounces of glycerin, 15 fluid ounces of rubbing alcohol (alcohol content must be at least 70%) 15 fluid ounces of distilled water. Mix the water with the rubbing alcohol. Add the soft soap until it dissolves. Add glycerin and stir. You can experiment with different scents by adding perfume if you wish. Honey and almond cream 2 ounces of honey 4 ounces of lanolin 2 ounces of almond oil. Melt the honey in a double boiler. Add the lanolin and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and let cool. When cooled, add the almond oil, stirring well. Add perfume if desired Home Brew for Hands Cold weather's rapid arrival is bad news for hand texture. A trip to the beauty salon might be in order, but London nail technician Rene Rainbird has her own recommendation for a home brew that should do just as well. "Make your own by mixing in a small bowl a quarter of an avocado with one egg white, two dessert spoons of oatmeal and a teaspoon of lemon juice," says Rainbird, of the Daniel Hersheson salon. Blend together and apply evenly to your hands, leave on for 20 minutes and rinse off with warm water." The result, she says, should be both luxurious and effective. She describes her treatment as "an exfoliating scrub that will leave dry, rough skin noticeably softer and smoother." |