Gardeners Hand Scrub

by Kyrstie Barcak on March 11, 2014

Pantry Ingredients – Natural Hand Scrub

I wear gloves in the garden, almost always…certainly when I am planning on working for a period of time, gloves are the first thing I grab. Despite this, my hands seem to always be stained. The thumbs and index fingers are split and cracked and always look dirty. It has been beginning to bug me!

On a one income family budget I am always on the hunt for new ways to make the budget go further. I admit to having a hankering for good quality. For us this means that we grow as much of our own fresh food in the garden as possible, ensuring that we are eating fresh organic produce often. We eat high quality meat, straight from a farm, but less of it and less often than in the past. We shop at farmers markets and farm gates. I buy organic Australian grains in bulk via a co-op – you get the picture. I have spent the last two years working out where to find the best quality at an affordable cost.

So that brings me to skin care…..I have been wondering what I could do to return my hands to their previous state. As with food, I could be described as obsessive. I will only use natural skin care. What you may not know about me is that I was a qualified Aromatherapist practitioner many many many years ago . As an Aromatherapist I created my own range of skin care that I sold to my clients and anyone else who was interested in using it. I have not practiced Aromatherapy for many years but I have continued to use essential oils on a daily basis and continue to be mindful of ingredients in products that I put onto my skin, and that of my family. That leads us here – why was I not getting out my old recipes and making my own skin care again????? Why indeed.

This recipe has worked beautifully to soften and heal my poor old battered gardeners hands. I use it each afternoon and if I have been in the garden I often use it again in the evening. When I first made it I used it daily to get my hands back into shape. Now I use it as required.

A natural hand scrub made from pantry ingredients. Give it a try. It also makes a fabulous body scrub.

This is a quick summary of the properties of the ingredients that I have used, thus the reason they were included:

I adore the fresh clean smell of this scrub. It also works beautifully on the feet and as a body scrub as the sugar is not too harsh ( a good thing as skin starts to age…)

Avoid scrubbing any areas of the skin where you have a sore or wound.

Do you have gardeners hands? Have you tried making your own skin care preparations?

References:

Tagged as:
Make from scratch,
Skipping the Supermarket,
Vegetable garden

{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

I do have gardener’s hands – and feet since I work barefoot much of the time – so this scrub sounds absolutely wonderful! So luscious and nourishing. I do make my own products and can’t wait to try this one.

Thanks Krista. I have always envied people who could walk around bare footed. Mr Fresh and the kids do it – it is hard to get them into shoes but I am a softie!

yum! i used to get very bad gardener’s hands but i use these great gloves now, which offer some protection. but still – this would be a great treat for feet other parts of the bod – i swear i must be an elephant; my knees and elbows and tootsies get so gnarly.
i’ve heard great things about coconut oil. i love sweet almond oil, but must try the coconut.

Ohh I would love to know what gloves you have found to use as I put holes in the finger tips of mine in a weekend! I drives me crazy!

This scrub sounds just what I am looking for – land hands!!