How can I use aloe vera from a plant on my dry hands?
By hemlata from Bilaspur, Chattisgarh, India
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You can cut a leaf from the plant and rub it on your hands.
I have very dry skin on my hands because I have psoriasis. I saw an atricle on the web written by a doctor who said every time you wash your hands, towel dry them but leave them slightly damp, then rub a very small amount of vaseline into your hands. After I do that, I use a paper towel to blot the excess. It sounds like it would be greasy, but you only use a very small amount of vaseline, so it isn't and it works great. It is the water in combination with the vaseline that makes it work. Whether you go with the aloe vera or the vaseline, good luck.
If it were me, I'd first put a hand cream on my hands than I'd add a little Aloe Vera then rub it in while the hand cream was still slightly wet.
I don't think Aloe Vera is the best thing for dry hands, but it certainly won't hurt to try it. I believe Aloe Vera is more to help healing than to actually moisturize so if you have little cracks on your hands from the dryness it might help.
I know all about super-dry hands because I'm a potter & there's nothing that sucks the moisture out of your hands more than clay does! I like to use cocoa-butter or bees wax. But my top, all around best treatment is to use 1 or 2 drops of an anti-frizz hair de-frizzer. (It's for making hair shiny & reducing frizz). In the USA some brand names are: "Frizz-eze" or "Citre-shine" & the magic ingredient is dimethicone, so look for the words "Dimethicone, cymethicone or silicone" as the first & main ingredient. This hair serum is clear & it feels very slippery between your fingers.
If your hands are extremely dry & you have to wash them all the time like I do, it really helps if you can use one of the items I suggested above like cocoa-butter, bees wax, shea butter or dimethicone at night... Just rub a bunch of it into your hands then put on a pair of cotton or even plastic gloves, then sleep with this moisteriser on.
Another very helpful hint if your hands are very dry & rough is to wet them a bit then take several tablespoons of sugar & rub this all over your hands (front & back). It works even better to use a bit of oil, hand lotion or cocoa butter first, then rub the sugar into the cooking oil or hand cream. Rub this sugar around & around all over your hands & this will exfoliate your hands removing all traces of dry & dead skin. (The sugar is like sandpaper for your hands) Next wash the sugar off then put on some more hand cream.. Your hands will feel extra soft & like brand new! Do this about once a week & never more than twice a week.
PS. As Amuck says, Vaseline DOES work & they are also correct about putting creams on damp hands. This helps hold moisture in!
I use baby oil when I shower to help my very dry skin. Before towelling off I rub in the oil, and it really helps a lot, though you do have to wash your towels more often.
I've found pure olive oil to be wonderful on my hands. It's always available and you don't have to use much at all. I don't see why you couldn't combine the two by putting on the aloe then using a little olive oil.
I use a product called Udder Cream. It is non greasy and rubs in quickly so you can touch things right after putting it on. I also have really dry calloused feet and when I rub it in liberally at night I can tell a big difference by morning with just the one application.
The product was originally made for farmers to use on the cows but is now also used by humans. I get mine at Wal-Mart.
bette
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