DIY Cream for Dry and Cracked Hands and Feet

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Cream for Cracked Hands and Feet

This DIY cream for cracked hands and feet uses a luxurious blend of herbs and oils. Use it to help get rid of dry, cracked winter skin on hands and feet.

Every year, without fail, my husband ends up with deep cracks on his hands and feet. His job is very physical so he needs these healed fast. Often I’ll make him wear gloves (or socks!) over his hands while he is sleeping along with cream for cracked hands and feet that I made especially for him.

Ingredients for DIY Cracked Skin Cream

I always like to cover the ingredients I use in my DIY projects so you have the best understanding of how and why things work. Below are the ingredients I used to make this cream for cracked hands and feet.

Using Herbal Oil

This year it started earlier and seems to be worse than ever. Naturally, I wanted to make him something to help. I remembered that I had some of this Skin Soothing Herbal Infused Oil just begging to be used. If you don’t remember, this oil is a lovely blend of chamomile, calendula, and lavender flowers infused in high-oleic sunflower seed oil. It smells heavenly and is equally heavenly for the skin. While often overlooked sunflower seed oil is a wonderful moisturizer and has a long shelf life.

Mango Butter

I also added another lovely moisturizer to this cream: mango butter. Not only does it have some great healing properties, but mango butter also contains Vitamin C as well as saturated and unsaturated fatty acids that help it moisturize skin. (Source: “Power of the Seed” by Susan Parker, 2014). One of my favorite things about mango butter is that it feels light on the skin and is one of the less greasy feeling kinds of butter. No one wants greasy cream on their cracked hands and feet!

Beeswax

To give this cream more texture and antimicrobial properties, I added beeswax. I kept the ratio pretty low because I wanted this cream to be easily spreadable. I love beeswax in creams for dry skin because it creates a barrier that locks in moisture and protects skin from irritation.

Lavender Essential Oil

Although we infuse the sunflower oil with lavender, chamomile, and calendula, I like to add more lavender essential oil. First, because lavender essential oil is skin healing and also antimicrobial. It is very soothing as well. I used a 1% dilution in this cream, which is safe enough for everyday application.

Overall this DIY cream for cracked hands and feet has a wonderfully soothing aroma and is deeply nourishing to dry, weathered hands and feet.

Cream for Cracked Hands and Feet

DIY Cream for Cracked Hands and Feet

5 from 3 votes
This DIY cream for cracked hands and feet uses a luxurious blend of herbs and oils. Use it to help get rid of dry, cracked winter skin on hands and feet.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Active Time
30 minutes
Cooling Time
2 hours
Total Time
2 hours 45 minutes
Servings
14 ounces
Estimated Cost
$20

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Begin making this cream for cracked hands and feet by putting the beeswax in a glass pyrex measuring cup and placing the measuring cup in a small saucepan of water over medium heat.
  2. Once the beeswax fully melts, add the sunflower oil and return to liquid, stirring gently.
  3. Add in mango butter and turn heat to low. Melt mango butter gently and slowly, stirring occasionally.
  4. Once fully melted, take off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Drop the essential oils in and stir well to fully incorporate.
  5. Pour into mason jars (or any glass jar you have handy).
  6. Allow it to cool gently at room temperature.
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Get Rid of Cracks faster with an Epsom Salt Bath

Soaking feet and getting rid of dead skin cells will help this cream be even more effective. My favorite way to soak feet is with a soothing Epsom Salt Bath.

Simply combine 1/2 cup of Epsom salts and warm water in a foot bath and soak feet for at least 30 minutes. Once finished, gently exfoliate feet with a pumice stone or nail file. Dry feet with a towel, then apply the cream for cracked feet wherever you need it. Then cover your feet with socks and allow the cream to soak in overnight.

We generally do the Epsom salt soak 3-4 times weekly and use the cream nightly to help heal and prevent cracked skin throughout the winter. It works wonderfully!

Have you ever made a cream for cracked hands and feet? You can do it, you just have to try!

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About Katie Vance

Katie is a wife, mother, aromatherapist, and lover of all things DIY. She offers consultations and gives simple aromatherapy advice at Katie Vance, Aromatherapy Simplified. You can also find Katie on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar photoBarbara says

    Did you know that on the Epson salt box it says if you are diabetic you should not use Epson salts.

  2. Avatar photoAmelia Yankovich says

    Do you provide this product for sale? If so, can you provide a link to where I can order it? Thank you.

  3. Avatar photoCarol L says

    Hello. I have somewhat of the same issue with the mango butter: I am severely allergic to poison oak, and mangos are related. Do you know if mango butter has the uruseol (sp?) oil in it? I know that the skin of the mango is heavy with this oil that causes the allergic reaction…Scared to use mango butter (bought some, though!!!) as I worry that I’d break out in really bad oozing blisters. Could I substitute another butter?
    Thanks! I also have issues with cracked hands as I deliver mail and my hands get cold and wet in the winter.

    • Avatar photoKatie Vance says

      Hi Carol! That is a good question. Mango butter is made from the nut (kernel) of the mango, which is not supposed to contain any Urushiol. Urushiol is found in the sap, skin, stem, and leaf of mangoes. I am thinking the mango butter should not bother you, but there is definitely the potential for a reaction there. If you would rather substitute, you could definitely substitute with another butter. You could try using cocoa butter, but since it is harder than mango butter, I would use 1/4 or 1/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup. Shea butter would also be a good alternative and I would use 1/2 cup of it in this recipe.

  4. Avatar photoAurora Weiss says

    Hi Katie!
    This cream sounds like exactly what I’ve been looking for, with one possible exclusion.
    I have a ragweed allergy and have been told to steer clear of chamomile as they are related.
    Is the chamomile absolutely necessary? Thanks for all these fun and helpful home remedies
    and beauty products!

    ~ Aurora