An easy way to get immaculate hands and nails at home

Our hands reflect our health and our personality and, more than any other part of us, also show our age because its skin produces very little oil and dries out more easily. Here is your guide to caring for them and maintaining their best appearance at all times.

• Plants can also be used to enhance the health of your nails. Tea tree oil can be used to tackle fungal infections, and cod liver oil — rich in vitamin A — applied to nails and cuticles helps make them stronger.
• Eat a varied diet rich in wholemeal products and essential fatty acids (EFAs) and don't forget to keep yourself sufficiently hydrated: it is a guaranteed way of maintaining healthy nails without having to resort to commercial care products.
• Wear rubber gloves when washing dishes or when using cleaning products.

The interior of the aloe leaf contains a colourless thick gel. This softening gel is used to treat burns and moisturise dry skin. It should be used immediately once extracted, as it is unstable and rapidly loses its consistency. Don't use if it has a green tint. It can also be found in food stores.

1. Cut a healthy leaf near its base.
2. Cut it in half lengthwise.
3. Gently peel the two pieces obtained.
4. Using a blunt knife, scrape the gel inside the leaf and collect it in a bowl.

Masks aren't just for faces. Both softening and hydrating, they remove dark spots and have a firming effect on the skin of your hands.

• 15 g (1 tbsp) honey
• 45g (3 tbsp) aloe gel
• 5 ml (1 tsp) lemon juice
• 10 drops of lime essential oil
• Almond flour in sufficient quantity to produce a paste

1. Melt the honey over low heat. Then mix in a bowl with the aloe gel and lemon juice. Add the essential oil and mix well.
2. Add the almond flour in sufficient quantity to obtain a fairly consistent batter.
3. Spread the mask on your hands, with particular attention to the back and joints.
4. Wait 20 minutes before rinsing with warm water and apply moisturizer.

Since our hands are faithful companions throughout our lives, these small pamperings are a good way to thank them.