BEAUTIFUL HANDS

Your hands are usually the first place on your body to show signs of age, and they can make you look 5 to 10 years older than you really are, but it's not too late to turn back the hands of time.

These are the days your hands look their best. They are soft, plump, and evenly toned. Your primary concern isn't so much combating the signs of aging, but preventing them. Cumulative sun exposure is the biggest cause of premature skin aging and now's the time to start protecting yourself. Apply a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 at least twice a day. If you plan to be in strong sunlight for long periods of time, use a sunscreen that has a UVA-blocking agent in it, since UVA rays cause brown spots and wrinkles.

Once a week, lightly slough off the dead skin flakes on your hands with a gentle scrub. Removing this flaky, occlusive layer will help your daily moisturizer penetrate your skin more deeply. Apply moisturizer to your hands before going to bed. Wear a pair of cotton gloves overnight and your hands will feel lovely and soft.

To reduce or eliminate age spots or areas of discoloration there are a few alternative remedies,

• A mixture of honey and yogurt creates a natural bleach that can lighten age spots. 1 teaspoon of plain yogurt plus 1 teaspoon of honey. Mix together apply to your hands. Allow to dry for 30 minutes and then wash off. Do this once a week.

• A few drops of lemon essential oil added to a vegetable carrier oil, then apply the mixture to your the ageing spots twice a day.

• Cut a lemon in half and rub the lemon on your age spots once a day.

• Any beauty products that contain glycolic acid or licorice extract can lighten or eliminate age spots. Glycolic acid contains natural sugars derived from papaya, citrus, or other foods. It gently exfoliates the top layer of the skin, while the licorice bleaches the spot.

Remember to apply a good hand moisturiser whenever your hands are feeling dry and before you go to bed. If you are out and about keep a container of hand moisturiser in your handbag.

 

How To Improve Your Nails

Dry and brittle nails should be cut when they are soft from bathing. Cutting you nails when they are dry can cause further damage. If your fingernails are looking dry, apply some lip balm and gently rub into the nail.

Carry an emery board with you. This is so any potential cracks can be smoothed out, preventing further damage to the nail, and reducing snapping.

If your have fragile nails, keep your nails short, this reduces further damage. The longer your nails are the more they are risk of splitting and cracking.

You have probably have heard this many times. Don't push or cut your cuticles. But if you suffer from over grown and dry cuticles there is nothing more ugly. If you have healthy looking cuticles do not touch them. Cutting healthy cuticles can leave the base of the nail open to infection. Overgrown cuticles need to be softened first by bathing, and then gently push back with a cuticle stick. Cut back the excess cuticle, but not too far back so there is still some cuticle. Once finished apply some moisturiser.

Once a week give your nails a manicure.

• Using a double sided emery board begin to file your nails using a gentle stroke in one direction. Do not file in both directions as this can cause splitting.

• Begin to shape your nails.

• Apply a softener to your cuticles. Allow to sit for a minute or so.

• Transfer your hands to a bowl of warm water and soak for a few minutes.

• Gently push back your cuticles.

• Remove any ridges by using a 4 way manicure block.

• Final step buff and shine.

Hands very often are treated roughly. People treat them badly while washing clothes, dishes, scrubbing floors and working in the garden. Hands are so beautiful and important but one probably feels no need of taking care of them. One must take proper care of the hands.

Hands are the most precious gift given to the human beings from God. Like one takes care of other parts of body, hands too need proper care and protections. Hands are the most noticeable part of the body. One must give proper attention to them as one gives to the face.

By following some easy tips, one can maintain the natural beauty of the hands. The hands will definitely thank one for taking good care of them. Hands ask for a little care in turn of infinite jobs that they perform for us.