Whether you garden or not, dry hands can plague anyone at any time during the year.
Personally, I find winter and spring to be the most common times of the year to have dry hands.
During winter, I suppose my dry hands are the result of washing them more often. The air tends to be drier with the heat on in the house as well, so perhaps that contributes to drier skin.
In the spring, though, the majority of my dry hand woes come from being outside in the garden. For some reason, dirt has this way of drying your skin out and making it feel parched! Yes, I could wear gloves when I garden, but I hate wearing them. I’d much rather get my hands in the cold earth!
Regardless of why you have dry hands, today I’d like to share a recipe with you that infuses moisturizing plants into rich oils and butters. Once these are combined with lightly scented beeswax and whipped into submission, you will find yourself with a luxurious hand butter that will not only nourish your skin but moisturize them as well!
DIY Gardener’s Hand Butter
Yield: 6-ounces
Infused Oil Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons dried violet (Viola spp.) aerial parts (flowers + leaves)
- 2 tablespoons dried marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) root
- 1/4 cup dried dried calendula (Calendula officinalis) flowers
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup sweet almond oil
- 1/4 cup apricot kernel oil
- 1 tablespoon castor oil
Ointment Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of infused oil
- 1/2 ounce beeswax
- 1 ounce mango butter
- 8 drops lavender essential oil
Directions:
- Combine dried herbs and oil in a glass jar. Place a piece of parchment paper over the jar then seal with a lid. Label the jar and place it on a seed warming mat for 1 week to infuse. If you have more time, you can place the jar in a warm, dark location for 6 weeks. Shake daily if you can remember.
- Once your oil has been infused, strain the oil from the herbs using a fine-mesh sieve layered in cheesecloth. Compost the herbs.
- Measure out 1/2 cup of the infused oil into a small saucepan, and save excess oil in a labeled glass jar in your apothecary for later use. Add the 1/2 cup of oil to a small saucepan along with the beeswax and mango butter. Heat over low heat until beeswax and butter have both melted. Add essential oil and mix well.
- Allow the mixture to cool. When cool, whip with an electric blender or immersion blender to get a soft creamy consistency.
- Spoon into glass jars or tins. Cap and label.
- Apply as often as needed to nourish and moisturize your hands (and other areas of dry skin too!).
I hope you enjoy this lovely DIY herbal recipe, friends! Happy spring!
Love and light,
Meagan