10 DIY Hand Treatments and Scrubs That Actually Work

Despite a ramp-up in vaccinations, hand-washing and sanitization are still of the utmost importance in protecting yourself against Covid-19, and all of its variants. The need for proper hand hygiene and care remains at an all-time high; and the results of adhering to these recommendations have led to dry, cracked hands. To help your hands become softer and maintain that level of softness, we reached out to some of our favorite aestheticians to get their take on some of the most efficient, straightforward DIY hand scrubs to alleviate dryness and simplify your beauty routine—all of these ingredients should be in your kitchen.

Angela Caglia’s Nourishing Vitamin E Sugar Scrub

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon meadowfoam seed oil (a hero ingredient in my skincare line)

1/2 teaspoon vitamin E

A couple drops of eucalyptus essential oil

“Hands are so important and one of the first tell-tell signs of a woman’s age,” Caglia says. “I love to give anti-aging hand treatments not only in the treatment room but also at home for myself. This scrub leaves hands looking remarkably beautiful. Mix all the ingredients together and rub through hands for a few minutes and then rinse. Afterward, I apply Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm just to additionally smooth and nourish the hands. It’s one of my favorites.”

Cynthia Franco’s Coconut Oil Exfoliating Hand Treatment

1/3 cup of raw honey

1 cup of raw sugar

Juice of one lemon

Extra virgin olive oil

Warmed coconut oil

2 tablespoons of crushed almonds

“This is exactly what your hands need after long summer days getting sun exposure or even cold winter nights that drain moisture from your skin,” Franco, a noted aesthetician, says. “Both honey and sugar are natural exfoliators, while the lemon is perfect for natural brightening. The crushed almonds aid in exfoliation while warmed coconut and olive oil are nutrient-rich skin softeners for the hands. I think it’s always nice to add a healing hand cream afterward. Kat Burki makes a very luxurious peptide hand cream that adds as a beautiful finishing touch to help protect your hands.”

Ronit Falevitch’s Brightening and Exfoliating Vitamin C Hand Scrub

1 packet of Emergen-C vitamin C powder

1/2 tablespoon pink Himalayan salt

11/2 tablespoon plain full fat yogurt

“These ingredients combined will not only exfoliate the accumulated dead skin cells off your hands but will effectively brighten them to look and feel renewed,” says Falevitch, a Beverly Hills facialist. “Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and apply to your hands and even up to your arms. Massage it into the skin and leave on for 20 minutes before rinsing. Once you rinse the paste off, your skin might feel tender and little red, which is fine—it means it’s working. Follow up with Arilan Skincare’s Vegan Hydrating Oil Cocktail to soothe the redness and to moisturize the skin. This treatment leaves your skin smooth, soft, and bright. I recommend this treatment be done twice a week. You can thank me later.”

Gina Marí’s Ultimate Aromatherapeutic Honey Sugar Hand Scrub

½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 cup white or brown Sugar

1/3 cup Manuka honey

10 drops of your favorite 100 percent essential oil

1 slice of lemon

“In a small bowl, mix the honey and olive oil together, then blend in the sugar, add the drops of essential oil, and place the lemon slice in the mixture as well,” celebrity aesthetician Marí says. “Cover and leave the mixture overnight. Once ready, discard the lemon and stir in the mixture, then apply in circular motions for a few minutes on your hands. Rinse thoroughly and follow up with a healing hand cream. I particularly like Golfaden MD’s Hands to Heart—it’s fast absorbing and an ideal treat to finish off the exfoliating scrub.”

Natalie Aguilar’s Soothing Vegan Hand Exfoliant

1 tablespoon granulated cane sugar

1 tablespoon oatmeal powder

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

“With so much hand washing, constant alcohol sanitizing, on top of cold winter weather, our hands might be feeling irritated and dry,” Rita Ora’s LA-based facialist Natalie Aguilar says. She recommends oatmeal as a powerful healing agent for dry hands. “Oatmeal contains Beta Glucan, whose macrophages boost our skin’s immune system to speed up wound healing, making it ideal to soothe inflammation, heal cracks, and hydrate. Cornstarch is another beneficial ingredient that can soothe and calm skin irritations like sunburns, rashes, and itchiness. Coconut oil is rich in fatty acids that can deeply hydrate, reduce inflammation, and provide wound healing. I prefer to use sugar as a physical exfoliant, rather than salt, because salt is naturally drying. Sugar is a glycolic acid, found to be a natural chemical exfoliant. Glycolic acid dissolves the bonds that hold layers of skin cells together, so that the outer layer of dead skin cells can be stripped away. Sugar also softens, leaving hands feeling smooth. This simple, vegan DIY hand exfoliant will definitely make you fall in love with your hands again.

Mix one tablespoon of oatmeal powder (that’s dry oats blended into a powder) with one tablespoon of warm water. After mixing, add one tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken. Then mix in one tablespoon of coconut oil. After all four ingredients are mixed, apply a handful to clean hands and gently exfoliate for 30 seconds. Allow mixture to remain on hands for 1-3 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Follow with a hand moisturizer or a drop of coconut oil.”

Joanna Vargas’s Honey Yogurt Hand Exfoliation Mask

Ingredients:

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons olive oil

The bicoastal facialist responsible for the glowing complexions of Rachel Brosnahan, Julianne Moore, and Mindy Kaling is a firm believer in the benefits of brown sugar to exfoliate and heal hands. “Brown sugar is super soft on the skin, but just strong enough to really clean out your pores,” Vargas says. “The milk has lactic acid which will gently exfoliate you all over while the honey hydrates. It will leave the skin and body really looking fresh and clean! Blend ingredients and refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes. Apply it all over hands for 10 minutes for smooth, exfoliated hands.”

Vanessa Hernandez’s Nourishing Hand Scrub

Ingredients:

10 crushed almonds

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 tablespoon rosemary herb

1 ½ honey

1 teaspoon olive oil

“This recipe is 100 percent edible and actually tastes pretty good!,” says Los Angeles-based facialist Vanessa Hernandez. “Crush 10 almonds. (If you are lacking a food processor, pull out a cutting board and a mug with a small base. Push the bottom base of the mug onto the almonds, keeping the mug in close range and slowly pushing into the cutting board to crush the almonds.) In a bowl, add your 10 crushed almonds, 1 tablespoon grape seed oil, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 1 1/2 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon olive oil. Stir with a spoon, muddling everything together for 1 minute.

Next: apply onto dry skin. Do not scrub aggressively—less is more when it comes to exfoliating. Gently massage your hands together, rubbing your DIY concoction over the tops of your hands, on each finger, massaging evenly around your fingernails; feel free to take it up to your elbows—this will definitely soften, rehydrate and nourish your skin. Massage into skin and leave on 3-5 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Follow up with your favorite moisturizer.”

Lakeisha Dale of Melaskin Studio’s Healing Brown Sugar Treatment

Ingredients:

1 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil

1 tube of your favorite lotion or cream

Cerave or Aquaphor Healing Ointment

1 pair latex-free gloves

Socks

“This is a great mask to give you super smooth, baby soft hands,” the New York-based aesthetician Dale says. “Mix together the light brown sugar and grapeseed oil until it makes a paste, then set aside. Wash your hands, then scoop the scrub into your hands and massage while your hands are wet slowly but gently. You don’t want to be aggressive because the sugar granules can scratch the skin if there is too much pressure and friction. Massage until you notice the texture of your hands feeling softer. Rinse and pat your hands until they feel damp, but not wet. Apply lotion to your hands, followed by less than a pea size amount of the Cerave healing ointment or Aquaphor. Put on the latex gloves, then put the sock over the gloves. Sit with your hands covered for 10 minutes then remove the socks and dispose of the gloves. Blot or wipe away any excess ointment and you’re done.”

Nachi Kanemaru Glick of Mist Beauty’s Healing Coffee Hand Scrub

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¼ cup honey (raw honey is best)

½ teaspoon coffee grounds

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

“When I was working at a spa in the West Village, we made this homemade scrub to serve to our clients. Everyone was obsessed with it. The scrub exfoliates extremely well and thoroughly moisturizes the skin,” the model favorite NYC-based skin guru (Juana Burga, Steph Shepherd and Maryna Linchuk are devotees) says. Kanemaru Glick advises her clients to use the power of coffee grinds, honey, and lemon juice for a soothing hand scrub to relieve cracked hands. “The added bonus is that the aroma is so yummy. The brown sugar contains glycolic acid, contributing to the exfoliation. The lemon juice contains vitamin C and citric acid, (used for its detoxifying effects,) and coffee grounds are gentle as a skin exfoliator. Honey has a moisturizing effect, as well as anti-bacterial properties and antioxidants. When these ingredients are combined, they leave skin smooth and soft. Mix all ingredients together, leave on for a few minutes and then gently exfoliate hands for a minute or two and then rinse off.”

Ada Ooi’s Brightening Hand Peel

1 egg white

½ teaspoon lemon juice

“I recommend using the power of egg whites and lemon juice to brighten and soften hands. This mixture make use of the acids and proteins to perform exfoliating actions while keeping the hands moisturized and supple,” London celebrity aesthetician Ooi says. “It will also allow any hand mask or hand cream to absorb better afterwards. Mix well and use a brush to apply on the hands. Leave for 10 minutes then gently peel and scrub, and rinse off with warm water.”

Related: Dry Hands? A Guide to the Most Nourishing, Moisturizing Products