Soothing & Healing Hand Cream for Farmers/Gardeners

Gardeners and farmers have hard-working hands that need a little TLC at the end of a long day. This homemade hand cream helps moisturize and soothe rough, achy hands. The best part is that it only takes minutes to make a batch and it lasts a long time. After buying the initial supplies, this hand cream costs less than $1 to make.

Gardeners and farmers have hard-working hands that need TLC. This homemade hand cream helps moisturize and soothe rough, achy hands.

You can make this recipe in the microwave, but I prefer to do it in a makeshift double boiler on the stovetop. What I found works best is to put a jelly jar into a saucepan and fill the saucepan (not the jar) with water, leaving room for the water to simmer without overflowing.

Hand Cream Ingredients

For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients. Feel free to switch out the essential oil (maybe lavender?) and/or flower petals (calendula is nice) if you don’t have these ones on hand.

Making Dandelion Tea

To make dandelion tea, pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tablespoon of dried dandelion petals (or 4 dried dandelion heads). Steep until cooled. Any leftover tea can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-6 weeks.

Making Hand Cream on the Stove

Using the above-mentioned double boiler setup, melt the beeswax. Once the beeswax has melted, add the sesame oil and coconut oil. Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients. Stir slowly to incorporate.

Making Hand Cream in the Microwave

Let me start by saying that beeswax doesn’t always perform as expected in the microwave, which is why I prefer the stove. If beeswax has been overheated, it gives off an odd scent. It won’t affect the final product, but I prefer the control of the stove.

In a small microwave-safe bowl or large glass measuring cup, mix all the ingredients. Adjust the microwave so it heats on a medium setting for 30 seconds +/- until the beeswax has melted. Slowly stir the melted mixture to combine.

Storing Your Hand Cream

Once your cream has cooled enough to safely handle, pour it into a sterilized jar with a tight-fitting top. I like these 4 oz jelly jars for storing things like this. Store in a cool, dark place until ready to use. Because of the vegetable oils, the hand cream does not have a long shelf life (one month or so with proper storage). Feel free to share it with a friend!

If your lips are getting dry and chapped, check out these heavenly handmade lip scrubs.

Gardeners and farmers have hard-working hands that need TLC. This homemade hand cream helps moisturize and soothe rough, achy hands.

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11 Comments

  1. How many 4 oz. jars can this recipe fill? I’m so excited to try this, thank you!

  2. Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s the only thing that I could find/make that took care of my poor chapped hands! 😀

    1. Jessica Lane says:

      So glad to hear it!

  3. This stuff is AMAZING! It’s the only thing I was able to find/make that took care of my dry chapped hands! Thanks so much for the recipe.

    1. Jessica Lane says:

      You are so welcome!

  4. This sounds awesome, I can’t wait to try it and share it. You said it alleviates soreness too? I would hate to substitute something that is responsible for that, or is it just the act of massaging it in that helps?
    A question: could it last longer if kept in the fridge?
    Thanks!

    1. Jessica Lane says:

      Thyme improves circulation which relieves soreness, but if you have arthritis or some other chronic condition, I don’t think the power of thyme will be enough. The dandelion has a small amount of pain relieving properties, but I add it because it improves skin condition, softening calloused skin and increasing moisture intake.

      Kept in the fridge, it should do quite well. Thyme acts as a preservative, but refrigerating should increase the shelf life.

  5. Nancy Escamilla says:

    Why baking soda?

    1. Jessica Lane says:

      I helps to alleviate the greasy reside from the oils. It’s perfectly fine to use it without the baking soda, but it takes a bit of time for the oil to sink in all the way. It would be more of a salve texture.

  6. Will this work for eczema?

    1. Jessica Lane says:

      I don’t have eczema, so I can’t say for sure. The baking soda and oil leads me to think it would help soothe irritation associated with eczema.