Gem and Jo's Healthy Hands

With winter slowly creeping in one thing everyone should take care of is their hands! The cold weather seriously dries out those little handies and the result is the unsightly hangnails and red raw hands that we all hate!

If you don't know what a hangnail is then we shall enlighten you! A hangnail is the little pieces of skin (and sometimes nail) that stick up and often cause bleeding around the tips of your fingers and your nail beds. 

To prevent these annoying and painful little buggers you can follow these few simple steps! 

1. Soak your hands in warm water and then cut off any dead skin. Be careful not to cut the healthy skin as it will bleed and could be susceptible to infection. Ouch! 

2. Push back your cuticles regularly! You can do this after a shower so the skin is soft and it won't be as harsh or damaging. Cuticle remover is also pretty handy (haha, punny!). This one from Mavala removes your cuticles really gently and easily. Apply it to your nails, leave it to sit for 2 minutes, then gently push back your cuticles with a cuticle pusher. 

3. Apply cuticle oil! This can be bought from most drugstores and is a lifesaver! We like to apply 1 drop on every second nail and then spread the oil over every finger, massaging it in gently as we go.

4. An alternative to cuticle oil is cuticle cream, such as this Cath Kidston one that Jo loves! All you have to do is rub it into your cuticles, leave it to soak and then wash it off! Just like that, super soft fingers!

5. Use moisturiser after washing your hands or working in water (such as washing the dishes!). A good idea is to buy a matching set of hand wash and lotion so that it looks cute on your sink and is good for your hands!

6, Invest in a warm, chic pair of gloves, they will seriously save those hands! And always keep a little tube of hand cream close, Gem loves to keep Champeny's Hand and Nail cream in her handbag and Jo keeps L'Occitane's Rose Velvet Hand Cream in hers!

7. If you've neglected your little fingers, don't fret because this Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream is a lifesaver! It's really thick and moisturizing and is great for using anywhere on the body, like your lips or elbows. We use it if we have super cracked or dry hands. If you're looking to really indulge your hands, lather it on then slip on a pair of cotton gloves overnight.

There you go, some helpful steps to keep your hands in tip top shape this winter, use them wisely, (the tips and your hands!) and as always, Thank you for reading. 

Until Next Time,