Easy Homemade Hand Cream for Gardeners

Whip up a batch of homemade hand cream with basic ingredients and just a few minutes of time, for the gardeners on your list or anyone with dry hands. For more homemade gifts, check out the homemade gifts page!

Welcome the bi-monthly Tuesdays In the Garden! Our theme this week is Garden Gifts – either gifts from the garden, for gardeners, or about gardening. After checking out my homemade hand cream, be sure to visit the links below to the other bloggers where you’ll get lots more ideas for gift-giving from the garden.

Being a gardener, it’s probably not surprising to you that I battle dry hands during the gardening season from the rough scrubbing needed to remove all the dirt. But I actually have fairly dry hands all the time – it just gets worse in the months the garden is growing. It seems I constantly deal with chapped hands, especially around the cuticles.

I’ve tried many different brands of hand creams, but I have never found one that I liked both the scent and that had the power to keep my hands moistened. Plus, the ingredient lists on these creams were SO long…surely a hand cream could be simpler, couldn’t it?

Yes, it can. When you make your own homemade hand cream, scented with the essential oil of your choice, you’ll get simpler ingredients with a wonderful light scent. This cream is rich enough to not only keep your hands and cuticles looking good, but also work wonders on your elbows and dry heels as well.

Some methods for making homemade hand cream call for blending or processing and run the risk of separating, but the method I’m sharing with you is practically foolproof, resulting in a smooth product every time.

Since it’s made with real oils and beeswax, it is, well…oily, so I wouldn’t apply it right before working on the computer or reading a book. It’s perfect, however, for applying before putting on gardening gloves and before going to bed at night, where it has a chance to soak in – protecting and replenishing the skin we can be so rough on during the day.

For my hand cream, I used lavender essential oil and left it thicker to be scooped out of a jar. It can be adapted to use whatever scent you like best and can be thinned to use with a pump. Any way, I think this would make a lovely, thoughtful gift. (Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them I will receive a small commission at no cost to you – thanks for your support!)

Homemade Hand Cream Tutorial

Supplies (to make 2/3-3/4 cup or 6 oz.)

1/3 cup Sweet Almond Oil
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons grated beeswax (about 1-1/2 oz.)
30-35 drops lavender essential oil (or other fragrant oil, see variations for suggestions)
small vintage jars or 4-oz mason jars

Instructions:

1. Combine the oils in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the grated beeswax, stirring until the was is completely melted.

2. Refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes to start the oils cooling, then stir in the essential oil (30 drops for less scent, 35 for more). At this point, the cream can be poured into a glass container (or two containers, if desired) to cool completely.

Since this method doesn’t use water, there is no need to use a blender or processor and you won’t have to worry about the cream separating (it really is easy!). It will be softer in warmer weather and harder in cooler, but still be spreadable either way. It can be stored at room temperature (storing in the refrigerator will result in a stiffer cream).

Storage: This hand cream keeps 6-8 months in a covered jar, so the smaller the container, the better for gifts.

Variations:

For a thinner consistency to use with a pump, use only 2 Tablespoons beeswax.
For a thicker, salve-like consistency, use up to 4 Tablespoons beeswax.
Replace lavender with the essential oil of your choice like lemon, orange, pine, rose, or another floral scent.
Since a little goes a long way, the hand cream can also be packaged in small salve tins like these to give as gifts.

Packaged with a new pair of gardening gloves, this would be a sweet gift for gardeners.

And if you’re needing more DIY gift ideas, be sure to check out all AOC’s Crafts & Handmade Gift ideas for a TON of easy and useful things you can create that everyone will love.

And here’s more garden-themed gift ideas for you from our Tuesdays in The Garden group:

Mason jar herb garden at Frugal Family Home

Gift ideas for mom’s who garden at Simplify Live Love

DIY herb garden in burlap sack at Hearth & Vine

Gifts for gardeners at The Freckled Rose

Create beautiful containers to gift with these tips at Homemade Food Junkie

Disclosure: I received product and/or compensation for this post. As always, the opinions, thoughts, and projects are all mine and I will NEVER promote something I don’t love and think you will find helpful – promise! For more info, you can read our entire disclosure page here.

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About Jami

Since 2009 Jami Boys has helped readers live a simple homemade life through whole food recipes, doable gardening, and easy DIY projects on An Oregon Cottage. Whether it's baking bread, creating a floor from paper and glue, or growing vegetables and canning them, Jami's done it and written about it. She's been featured in Cottages and Bungalows, Old House Journal, and First for Women magazines as well as numerous sites like Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, and Apartment Therapy.

Easy Homemade Hand Cream for Gardeners