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Three Simple Treatments for Dry Hands That Won't Cost $4,300!

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Summer is hard on hands and nails. Digging in the garden and the weather can really dry them out, causing chafing, and split cuticles, and rough skin, and with all the handwashing and use of sanitisers over the last three years, dry hands and cracked skin have become a real problem, even if you don't suffer from eczema or dermatitis.  

Slathering them with lotion or cream is a good way to care for them, but sometimes they need a little extra boost to keep them in tip top shape, so they sparkle (well not really sparkle, but they'll be soft and smooth) and feel amazing.
​

​The Simplest Dry Skin Treatment: Coconut Oil

This is the easiest treatment, and one I use every week. Simply take a big blob of coconut oil, about 2 teaspoons worth, and gently massage it into your hands. Take special care to get it into cuticles and over any rough spots. Leave it on for 15 minutes, then gently rinse it off under warm - not hot, warm - water and pat your hands dry.  Pat, don't rub - be gentle!

Alternatively you can do this treatment before bed and slip your hands into cotton gloves and leave overnight. You'll need the cotton gloves otherwise your bedding will be covered in coconut oil! You can get cotton gloves from your chemist for around $3 a pair. I wash and line dry them and reuse until they fall apart. 
​

​Smashed Avocado, but Not on Toast

Not my favourite fruit, avocado isn't something you'd normally find in my fridge or fruit bowl. But just lately they have been very  inexpensive, so a couple have been used to treat dry hands. Yes, avocado is excellent for dry skin. It's full of good things like fatty acids and Vitamin C (an antioxidant essential for collagen synthesis) and Vitamin E (known as the skin repair vitamin and another antioxidant that provides photoprotection against UV skin damage). Vitamin C and Vitamin E work together to provide these benefits. And of course the benefit of the oily goodness in the avocado.

So if you have one that's perhaps not so appetising, mash it up with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread it over your hands. Massage it into your cuticles and leave it for 15 minutes. Then shake it off into the compost (or rubbish bin - you don't want the chunks going down the drain) and rinse off under warm water - not hot - and gently pat your hands dry. You'll notice the improvement immediately.
​

​A Milk Mask

​This is my favourite dry skin treatment. It works for hands and face and neck, and is simple to prepare as you need it.

Milk is good for your skin; it is soothing and it pulls out impurities. And it contains lactic acid, a natural exfoliant. 

Simply mix 1/4 cup powdered milk (full cream is best) with a little water to make a smooth paste. If you have it, add a few drops of rose water. Spread it over your hands, or face and neck, or all three. Allow the milk mask to dry completely. Rinse off with warm water, not hot, and pat dry. 

Your hands (and face and neck) will be soft and smooth and look refreshed. Do this weekly to keep dry skin away.

When the cost of a manicure starts at $15+ and goes up, depending on what you have done and where you get it done, some places charge up to $85 plus, giving yourself a simple weekly hand treatment at home, using ingredients you already have is going to keep over $4,300 in your bank account over a year. 

Next time you're tempted to just zip into the nail salon and get a hand treatment, stop and think about that figure, and what you could do with that $4,300.

We take our hands for granted. They do a lot of work, all day every day, so it makes sense to take care of them and keep the skin soft and supple. 

Remember warm water for washing, not hot. And pat dry, don't rub. Use lots of hand cream or lotion, be generous, it's not overkill to use it every time you wash your hands or they've been in water. And wear gloves for doing dishes and cleaning and in the garden and your hands will always be in tip top shape.
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Related Article
Give yourself a MOO Manicure On A Budget

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  • Home
  • Join the Club!
    • Twenty Reasons to Join the Cheapskates Club
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    • Glossary of Cheapskating Terms
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    • How to Use the Member Forum
  • Inspiration
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      • Handmade Christmas 2025 is about to start
    • 31 Days of MOO Index
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      • Back to Basics
      • Back to Basics Index
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