How to Make Hand and Nail Care Products

Keeping your hands beautiful can take lots of work. But you don't necessarily need­ to invest in a supply of manufactured cosmetics. Instead, you can make your own products at home and get beautiful results.

See the next page to learn how to make your own hand and nail care products using easy instructions and ingredients available at the grocery and pharmacy.

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Nails, like hair, often need conditioning. Use this simple nail hardener recipe to keep your nails from splitting or cracking.

Equipment:

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Ingredients:

Yield: About 1/2 cup

To 1/4 cup of water in a measuring cup, add 1/4 cup of witch hazel, 2 tablespoons of glycerin, and a drop of green food coloring -- the coloring is just for identification. Add 2 teaspoons of alum and stir to mix well. Pour into a small jar and cover tightly.

Apply the solution nightly for several nights; dip your nails into the solution and let them dry. Repeat as necessary until your nails are hard, as desired. If you wear nail polish, remove the polish and don't reapply it until your nails have hardened as desired.

For winter-cracked hands, try this lotion. Glycerin and rose water are a classic combination, and this version has the added benefit of witch hazel.

Equipment:

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Ingredients:

Note: Buy the ingredients at a pharmacy.

Yield: About 1/2 cup

Measure 1/4 cup of glycerin into a mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of bay rum, 2 tablespoons of witch hazel, and 2 tablespoons of rose water; stir the mixture thoroughly. Pour into a small jar and cover tightly.

Shake the lotion thoroughly before using.

Blotchy or mottled fingernails aren't pretty, but they're easily dealt with. Mix this fragrant lotion to correct the problem.

Equipment:

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Ingredients:

Note: Buy glycerin and orange flower water at a pharmacy.

Yield: 8 ounces

Measure 2 tablespoons of glycerin and 5 ounces -- 5/8 cup -- of 3 percent solution hydrogen peroxide into an 8-ounce bottle; fill the bottle with orange flower water. Cap the bottle and shake it well.

To use the bleach, soak your nails in this mixture for about 15 minutes. Repeat as needed.

If your nails are too tough to cut or shape, try this effective softener.

Equipment:

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Ingredients:

Note: Buy lanolin at a pharmacy.

Yield: About 3 ounces

Empty a 2-ounce tube of hydrous lanolin into the top of a double boiler and melt the lanolin over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of soap flakes, 2 teaspoons of glycerin, and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil; stir well. If desired, add a few drops of your favorite perfume or cologne.

Remove the mixture from the heat and stir to dissolve the soap flakes. Pour the mixture into a small jar and cover it tightly.

Apply the softener to the nails daily, until the nails are as soft as desired.

There's no need to go out and buy expensive nail whiteners; it's easy to make your own:

Equipment:

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Ingredients:

Note: Buy the ingredients at a pharmacy.

Yield: About 41/2 ounces

Empty a 2-ounce tube of hydrous lanolin into the top of a double boiler and melt the lanolin over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of zinc oxide powder and 2 tablespoons of talcum powder and stir the mixture to form a smooth, creamy paste. Then add 1/4 teaspoon of glycerin and 1 tablespoon of almond oil or heavy mineral oil, mixing them thoroughly into the paste.

Caution: Almond oil vapors are toxic.

Transfer the paste to a small jar and cover it tightly.

To use the whitener, apply the paste under the nails with an orange stick.

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