I’m a woman in construction, but my routine keeps my hands soft and helps with aches and pains

A working-class worker shared how she keeps her hands soft and supple while working on construction.

She created a skin care scrub that also helped with her aches and pains and bought it for a small price.

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Reddit user Wolfofthekells shared a homemade scrub for anyone who often 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. My mother, a retired nurse, used to do this too,” she says.

It is especially useful for workers in construction, mechanical engineering and similar sectors.

She explained the detailed process in a after and recommended buying it for $8.

STEP-BY-STEP

First she said to “take as hot water as you can get” and put it in a large bowl.

“If you have a kettle, make sure you put some extra water in it,” she added.

She suggested adding Epsom salt and a little oil to the bowl.

The oils “contain canola, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, soybean, sunflower, rice bran and peanut oil,” according to Today in the US.

“The Epsom salt bath is nice because it helps with aches and pains in your hands that you don’t even know you have,” she explains.

While watching television or talking on the phone, immerse your hands in the water.

You can also put your feet in it.

If you need to top up the hot water, the kettle is there for that.

“You can place a piece of plastic wrap or a towel over the bowl to retain the heat,” she suggested.

After soaking your hands for about 20 to 30 minutes, rub them with sugar, salt, coffee, or another scrub of your choice.

“Don’t treat the backs too roughly, only the parts with the most calluses,” she warned.

The Reddit user said that the “second most important part of this” is scrubbing your hands once they become soft from the hot water.

“It removes some of the excess skin layers that have hardened,” she said.

Then dry your hands lightly, but make sure they are still damp and there are no water droplets on them.

“Put two to four drops of your favorite oil in your palm and rub it in WELL,” she said.

If necessary, you can also apply the excess oil to your wrists.

PRODUCT SELECTION

Finally, she said to finish it off with “no more than a dime’s worth of lotion.”

Her personal recommendation is O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream, $7.93, which is available on Amazon.

According to the product description, it is “a highly concentrated and hydrating hand cream that heals, relieves and repairs extremely dry, cracked hands.”

The Reddit user explained that “the oil traps the water in your skin and forms a barrier, while the lotion on top seals the water in.”

She recommended doing this beauty trick two to three times a week before bed if you suffer from bad calluses.

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