If you grow your own food, herbs or flowers, it’s likely your hands are covered in dirt (good) but dry and rough (bad!) Here are some tips to keep your hands in good condition, without using chemicals, palm oil or animal ingredients.
If you garden with animal friends, see how to make your garden safe for pets, to know toxic plants, mulches etc to avoid. Many indoor plants (like sago palm, cheese plants and lilies are also toxic – never place foliage near windows, to help stop birds flying into windows).
Paper Plane Rose Geranium Gardener’s Soap contains madder root and shea butter. Gardeners often get dirt stuck under their fingernails, and these soaps are designed to naturally exfoliate and get the earthy smell from your hands, fast.
Avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing and medical conditions like epilepsy and asthma. Also avoid rosemary and citrus oils for high blood pressure. Avoid shea butter for latex allergies.
If you get a splinter, wash your hands, then mix a paste of water with 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. Apply to the splinter and surrounding area, then leave a sterile bandage on top for 24 hours, before removing. For blisters, let the fluid drain and cover with a biodegradable plaster. Some pharmacists will remove splinters for you, if you can’t do it yourself.
Gardeners are always outdoors. So as for all skin, read up on how to stay safe in the sun naturally. If you use natural sun lotions, these contain pet-toxic zinc oxide or titanium oxide, so wash off thoroughly, before you let animal friends lick your skin! Wear a wide-brimmed sunhat too, to protect your head from sunburn.
Quality Vegan Gardening Gloves
Foxgloves are synthetic leather gardening gloves. Giving comfort and superb performance to protect against thorny and abrasive tasks, they feature a padded palm and reinforced fingertips, and resilient synthetic suede cuff guards, to protect against scrapes and scratches. In several sizes, the wide cuff fits comfortably over long sleeves. If washed, launder with a microplastic catch bag.
McCalifornia Vegan Gardening Gloves offers the protection of leather, with no animal ingredients. These gloves can stop serious thorns and protect against plants like poison ivy. They can also prevent blisters, cuts and rope burn.
