I love sharing with my daughter my old tried and true beauty tips and secrets.
Her hands have been chapped since the cold weather began this year. So I whipped out the extra-moisturizing hand cream – not lotion – cream. It needs to have a buttery thicker texture to have the best effect. But, before I had her use it, I showed her how I wash my hands with a washcloth and firmly scrub the backs of my hands to exfoliate. When hands are still damp, the cream goes on. Thick.
Then, the magic. I gave her a pair of my cotton gloves to put her moisture-coated hands in just before bed. We both wore them all night. The next morning – our hands were smooth soft. I really think she was impressed – which in itself is a miracle. The gloves work every time.
For myself, I apply Retin-A every night on my hands – even in the winter. Once that has absorbed in – usually about ten minutes – I will apply a humectant-based cream. I prefer glycerin as a humectant for my hands. Once that has absorbed, I lightly spray my hands with rosewater (or just plain water) and apply the heavy-buttery cream. Gloves go on all night, and I wake up with much much smoother and softer hands.
But not as soft as my fifteen-year-old daughter. I wonder why?
