A BLUE-COLLAR woman has revealed how she keeps her hands smooth and soft while working in construction.
She explained how she makes a DIY skincare scrub that helps soften calluses and pairs it with a budget buy.
Reddit user Wolfofthekells shared the step-by-step routine she recommends for anyone who works with their hands and wants to keep them soft.
“I used this as a barista after washing my hands or cups so many times, and my mom who’s a retired nurse used to do this,” she said.
It is especially helpful for blue-collar workers in construction, machinery, and similar industries.
She explained the detailed process in a post and recommended an $8 buy to add in.
First, she said to “take water as hot as you can stand” and put it in a large bowl with Epsom salt.
“If you have a kettle, keep it handy with some extra water,” she added.
She recommended adding a seed oil such as grapeseed oil for added moisture.
“The Epsom salt soak is nice because it helps with the aches you don’t know you have in your hands,” she explained.
Then, while watching something on the television or a phone, soak your hands in the water.
You can also put your feet in it too.
If you need to replenish the hot water, that is why the kettle is there.
“You can keep a bit of plastic wrap or a towel on top of the bowl to trap the heat,” she suggested.
After about 20 to 30 minutes of letting your hands soak, rub sugar, salt, coffee, or any scrub of choice on your hands.
“Don’t be too vigorous with the backs, just the parts that are most calloused,” she warned.
The Reddit user said the “second most important part of this” is scrubbing your hands when they are softened from the hot water.
“That gets rid of some of the excess dermal layers that have hardened,” she said.
Then, dry your hands lightly, but make sure that they’re still damp and not dripping water.
“On one palm put two to four drops of your fave oil and rub it in THOROUGHLY,” she said.
If needed, apply the excess oil on your wrists as well.
Lastly, she said to finish with “no more than a dime’s worth of lotion.”
Her personal recommendation is O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream, $7.93, which can be purchased on Amazon.
According to the product description, it is “a highly concentrated and moisturizing hand cream that heals, relieves, and repairs extremely dry, cracked hands.”
The Reddit user explained that “the oil will trap the water in your skin and make a barrier and the lotion on top will seal it in.”
She recommended doing this beauty trick two to three times a week before bed, if you have really bad calluses.
