Gardening is a favourite past-time for many people. Over lockdown, I have been busy planting out new shrubs, doing the weekly weed and prune plus all that handwashing, so my hands have suffered. I’ve got tiny cuts, rough patches and dehydrated skin. I’m sure fellow gardeners will understand.
To escape the surreal situation, we have found ourselves in over the last four months, I have sought peace and solace just getting down and dirty in the garden. Becoming immersed in planting is an excellent way of taking your mind off the worries of life, with the bonus of fresh air and physical exercise and the satisfaction of seeing what you have achieved.
Before getting stuck in, it makes good sense to find a pair of gardening gloves, and you’ll save your hands from cuts and callouses. Without protection a few hours weeding, planting and pruning can leave your skin extremely dry and sore. Although to be honest, I don’t find all gardening tasks easy if I’m wearing heavy gardening gloves; and if Monty Don can get his hands dirty, then so can I!
If you don’t have any gloves to hand then try applying a waterless balm which will act as a protective barrier. Apply liberally but not so much that it leaves hands greasy.
We have three lovely balms which are perfect for gardener’s hands:
Innocent Skin, Lavender and Orange Grove. These are lightly fragranced and will definitely help to soothe sore, dry and damaged skin.
See my previous post (here) on the benefit of using skin balms.
My self-care mantra: It’s always easier to prevent damage than repair it!
After you've finished in the garden and your hands are filthy, it’s tempting to go mad with a harsh soap and nail brush. But rather than using a cleanser that will strip your skin of even more moisture, try a gentle bar that contains no detergents and uses smart ingredients instead.
Give your hands daily hydration with a rich nourishing hand-cream.
And to remove heavy ingrained dirt and stains, then I recommend rubbing over with a slice of lemon or taking a long soak in the bath to ease those gardeners’ aches and pains.
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