YOU AND BEAUTY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 99, 16 May 1941, Page 44

YOU AND BEAUTY

HANDS Te woman who reads her newspaper intelligently will be aware that there are many types of hand. (No, this isn’t the Culbertson Bridge Corner). But the hand that rocks the cradle is quite likely to be a housework or even a dish-pan hand, in which case, we are told, love often flies out the window. So, before more approbrious terms are invented, let us take steps to get our hands compared to magnolia petals, lotus buds, or (less happily), white butterflies, These two precautions were recommended by the A.C.E. in a recent talk: 1. Wear gloves wherever possible -tubber gloves when using harsh cleaners; cotton gloves for gardening. 2. Keep a pot of lubricating cream or hand lotion above the kitchen sink, After the hands have been in water for any length of time, apply the cream and massage in from fingertips to wrist, If your hands are calloused, rub gently with pumice, brush briskly with’ a stiff nail brush and work warm oil into the skin. A nightly massage will also help. To remove dingy, stained skin, scrub your hands daily with a stiff nail brush in warm, soapy water to which a softener has been added. Give your hands a "facial" by massaging them with oatmeal thixed with warm water or milk, This is excellent for softening and whitening. Rinse with warm water and finish with a cold rinse. Then dry thoroughly. The cold rinse prevents the hands from becoming red and chapped. A simple hand lotion to be used each time the hands are dried is made by mixing 20z. glycerine, 2 tablespoons water, and the juice of 2 lemons. A simple ‘cream for protecting the hands from ingrained dirt when’ doing work of a dry and dusty nature is made from three parts clarified mutton fat and one part lard, softened and beaten together well with a drop or two of scent. Or lanoline may be used. The dust, soot, etc., will stick to this layer and can be away, leaving the hands ‘clean and supple. Always after washing the hands push back the cuticle gently with a towel. This is the simplest way of keeping it well-groomed, To soak the fingertips in a dish of warm cuticle or olive oil for about ten minutes every day will prove a real aid in softening and nourishing both the cuticle and the nail bed itself, and is excellent for brittle, flaky nails. Apply cuticle oil or cream nightly, and gently push back the softened cuticle, This hand care may take some time, but it is surprising how quickly one falls into the necessary routine, and results are well worthwhile. And in these days of "thumbs up" we can’t have hands let us down. \ (Next week: More About Hands)