An eco-friendly guide to happy healthy hands

An eco-friendly guide to happy healthy hands

Our hands are pretty incredible. They help us to express ourselves, to eat, to drink, to get the daily chores done, to get our work done, to play with our children, to hold our loved ones. We use them constantly, for the big and the small. But oftentimes, we don’t give them enough love and attention. A quick wash in the sink, a slap of excess face cream so it doesn’t go to waste. You might have your facial skincare routine down to a tee, but what about your hand care routine? If it needs some work, don’t worry, we’re here to help.

Helpful hand exercises for everyone

It’s often assumed that hand exercises are only for people with hand, wrist or finger problems. However, they can be really beneficial for absolutely anyone and everyone. If you’re typing at a computer all day (which many of us are!) your hands can easily begin to feel stiff, stained and tired. Physically strenuous work can also leave your hands feeling worse for wear.

Frequent hand exercises can help to strengthen the muscles that support our hands’ joints. This can aid you in performing day to day hand movements with less discomfort. Frequent hand exercises can also help to maintain the ligaments’ and tendons' flexibility, improving a range of different motions and hand functions.

Fist flex

Hold your hands upright with your fingers apart. Gradually bring your fingers together, into a fist, with your thumb on the outside. Don’t clench or squeeze, just hold for a few seconds, then open your hands up, pause for a moment, and repeat. Aim to do five to ten sets. 

Thumb circles

For this one, put your hands into the “thumbs-up” position. Gently rotate your thumbs in a circular motion, and switch directions after five or six seconds. 

Tip touch

For the tip touch, hold your hands in an upright position and spread your fingers comfortably apart. Touch your pinky finger against your thumb, open your hands back up, then move onto the ring finger. Keep going until you’ve touched all four fingers against your thumb.

Finger stretch 

The finger stretch is a great general pain reliever. Simply place your hand palm-down on your desk, table or another flat surface. Gently, and without forcing your joints, straighten your fingers as flat as you can against the surface. Hold for thirty seconds to a minute, then relax. Repeat at least three or four times on each hand.

Finger lift

Place your hand flat on a flat surface, palm down. Then gently lift each finger in turn off the table. Lower it, and repeat. 

The importance of using natural products on your hands 

Your hands deserve the best. Not only because they’re hardworking, but also because the skin on the backs of our hands is some of the thinnest and most delicate skin on our entire bodies. Our hands are one of the very first places where wrinkles appear, and they can be super prone to dryness and conditions like eczema. 

As such, it’s extra important to use good quality, natural products on your hands. Natural products are packed full of nourishing ingredients that work to protect and strengthen your skin’s natural barrier. Your hands will be left super soft, glowing and healthy. By contrast, many non-natural products contain parabens and harsh chemicals, which can cause dryness and irritation to your hand’s delicate skin. 

The best natural products for happy healthy hands

At KiteNest, all of our products are 100% natural and paraben-free. They’re also plastic free and cruelty free, helping you to reduce your plastic usage and carbon footprint, without having to sacrifice the pampering that you and your hands deserve.

Natural soap bar

Even in non-pandemic times, it’s important to keep your hands clean by washing them regularly with warm water and a good soap. To avoid dryness and irritation, use a natural soap bar. Natural soap bars are much kinder to the planet than liquid soaps, and much better quality too. Whilst liquid hand soaps are mostly made from water, the fats, oils and glycerin in natural soap bars will leave your hands nicely hydrated.

Bamboo nail brush

Making use of a nail brush is an important step in any good hand care routine. You’d be surprised at just how much gunk gets stuck behind your nails! Frequently cleaning behind your nails prevents you from getting poorly with infections and viruses, and helps to keep your hands looking well-polished (dirt behind the nails is never a good look!) At KiteNest, our nail brushes are made from bamboo and coconut husk bristles, helping you to say no to plastic whilst keeping your nails squeaky clean.

Himalayan salt scrub

If your hands are dry and flaky, a pinch of our Himalayan salt scrub might just be your saviour. Packed with lots of lovely oils such as avocado and sweet almond, it gently exfoliates and hydrates the skin. If you suffer from eczema or psoriasis on your hands or wrists, you’ll want to avoid physical exfoliation on aggravated areas. Instead, you can reap the antimicrobial properties of Himalayan salt by dropping a pinch or two into a sink full of lukewarm water. Let your hands soak in the water for a minute or two, then pat dry with a clean towel, and apply moisturiser. 

Body butter

With our luxuriously whipped body butters, a little goes a very long way. They’re ideal to apply all over the body, including the hands to keep them super soft and prevent chapping in the winter months. KiteNest body butters contain vitamin E, a moisturising and healing ingredient that works to prevent signs of premature aging, which our delicate hands are especially prone to. Our body butters also come in a mini size, which is perfect to pop in your bag for on-the-go use.

With these exercises and product recommendations, you should be able to start a care routine that your hands will thank you for. They constantly do their bit for you, now it’s time to do your bit for them!