4 Ways to Pamper Your Hands & Feet

Hand Care

Because the skin on your hands is relatively thin, it’s one of the first places to show signs of aging. Ayurvedic beauty expert Pratima Raichur, the author of Absolute Beauty, recommends this all-natural treatment:

Bedtime Hand Mask

Make a mixture of 1 tablespoon of almond oil (which is nourishing) and 1 teaspoon of buttermilk (which is an astringent, gentle exfoliant), and massage it into your hands. Cover them with cotton gloves and go to sleep. In the morning, remove the gloves and rinse your hands. “This will help keep your hands soft and young-looking while strengthening the nails,” she explains.

3 Ayurvedic Foot Treatments

By living indoors and wearing shoes during most of our waking hours, we have become more distanced from our feet than our ancestors, who knew the value of caring for their feet after a hard day’s work. Try these remedies:

Heel Soother

If your heel is dry and callused, Monisha Bharadwaj, author of Beauty Secrets of India, suggests blending 3 tablespoons of coconut milk (which has nourishing properties) with 1 teaspoon of chickpea flour (which acts as a “skin polisher”) into a fine paste and leave it on your heels for 15 minutes.

Foot Bath

For tired, dry feet, mix a handful of sea salt, 5 drops of clove oil, and 1 tablespoon of castor oil in a shallow bowl of warm water and soak the feet until the water is cold. “Salt and clove boost the circulation and castor oil softens hard skin on the heels and soles,” says Bharadwaj.

All Purpose Treatment

Reenita Malhotra, author of Inner Beauty, recommends rinsing the feet with the juice of 1 lemon diluted in 1 cup of warm water. Dry them off and massage 3 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream into your feet “to moisturize thoroughly.”

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