Do You Have Gardener's Hands?

Gardener’s hands are magical. They work the soil to grow plants, flowers, vegetables, fruit, and all sorts of nutrient-rich edibles. There is love, warmth, hard work, and patience etched into them.

But they pay the price for their dedication. The result of gardening can cause dry, irritated, itchy skin, brittle nails, rough cuticles. And when your hands are dry, it’s hard to remove the soil under the fingernails, around the cuticles… Those pesky hangnails take forever to go away. It’s not easy to go from a gardening day to a night out on the town without a trip to the nail salon.

However, with a little care, you can protect your hands, prevent them from cracking, keep your nails healthy, smooth and shiny, and your skin soft and moisturized. And when your skin is in good condition, the upkeep is so much easier!

HERE ARE 7 STEPS TO COMBAT “GARDENER’S HANDS”:

1. Use clear nail polish to protect your nails (choose a non-toxic one).

2. Use a balm on your cuticles every night. Cuticles are there to protect your growing nails from bacteria. So keeping them healthy is very important! Remember to massage the balm into the entire nail area (even if you have polish on).

3. Use a nail brush and a gentle liquid soap to clean the dirt from under your nails. Do this as soon as you’re done gardening.

4. Exfoliate your hands regularly (if you don’t have an exfoliating cream handy, just mix a tablespoon of sugar with a bit of coconut oil and use it on wet hands. The moisture will melt the sugar crystals so you won’t risk overdoing it. Plus sugar is a natural humectant (it draws moisture from the environment into your skin).

5. Moisturize and protect your hands with a rich balm. Apply it to your hands before going to bed, and sleep with cotton gloves on. Or leave gloves on for an hour or so, while watching a movie… I was going to say while reading a book, but that might make turning the pages a little harder.

6. If your hands are stained from berry juice, use a bit of distilled white vinegar or lemon juice to remove the stains. Rinse and moisturize immediately afterward.

7. If your hands are stained from walnuts, use a bit of toothpaste as a slightly abrasive hand cleaner.

Our Gardener’s Hand Balm is 100% natural and botanical. It is loaded with repairing, protective ingredients, and it will help keep your hands in great shape:

Its ingredients include: Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Raw Shea Butter, Organic Unrefined Golden Jojoba Oil, Organic Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Beeswax, Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil, Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil, Calendula Extract, Organic Vitamin E, and a blend of soothing, healing, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial essential oils.