Hand lotions moisturize your hands, keeping them soft and supple. These cosmetic products contain oil, water, and other lubricating substances to protect and heal your skin and nails.
However, did you know you can use hand lotion in other creative ways? You can use hand lotion to smoothen frizzy hair, polish leather, remove stickers, reduce static shock, lubricate stiff hinges and keyholes, and so on.
Surprised? I was as well. There is more to it and I will explain these unique hand lotion uses in this post.
1. Smoothening frizzy hair
Flyaway hairs give off an ungroomed appearance (something we all don’t want). Luckily, hand lotion is an excellent replacement to tidy frizzy hair if there is no hair gel or spray.
First, pour a small amount of hand lotion on your fingertips, rub them together and apply to your hair. It’s important to start with a small amount to see how your hair looks. After a few applications, you’ll have a better sense of the ideal amount of lotion your hair needs. Avoid applying the product to your scalp, as that may lead to burns.
2. Polishing leather
It is also possible to use hand lotion for polishing leather shoes and furniture. This simple trick gives the leather shoe/furniture a nice sheen.
Start by cleaning the leather shoes/furniture with a clean and dry cloth. Cleaning the surface ensures you don’t spread dirt when applying the lotion.
Ensure you use alcohol-free hand lotion to avoid damaging the leather. Then, pour a small amount of hand lotion on a soft cotton cloth and wipe the leather for a clean glow.
Gomestic Tip: We sometimes seem to forget that leather is actually animal hide, or skin, so it’s not too much of a surprise that lotion works well on leather!
3. Removing stickers
Stickers can sometimes be difficult to remove, and even when they come off, they usually leave a glue residue that picks up dirt and makes the objects appear dirty. The oil and wax in hand lotion soften the sticky glue, making it easy to come off.
Apply lotion to a clean cloth and rub the sticker or glue residue with enough force to remove the sticker and any residue.
Gomestic Tip: Check out another novel way of removing glue residue with peanut butter!
4. Reducing static shock
If you’re unfamiliar with static electricity, it occurs when two different fabrics rub against each other and cause minor electric shock on your skin.
Usually, static spray solves this problem, but you can also apply hand lotion on the surface of your skin to reduce static cling.
5. As a Shaving cream
Hand lotion is a viable alternative when you are out of shaving cream but still need to shave. Lotion softens the skin, making it easier to remove hairs.
Moisturize the area with hand lotion and gently shave the area. Once done, put more hand lotion around the spot for a refined finish.
6. Lubricating hinges and keyholes
There is nothing more annoying than squeaky hinges. These sounds are incredibly irritating if you’re a light sleeper or have a baby. In most cases, using oil to grease the hinges eliminates these squeaky noises.
What you may not know is that hand lotion works as well. Hand lotion has lubricating properties, so applying a small amount on rigid tools softens them and gets them functioning again.
Pour a small amount of lotion on the door’s hinges. Flex the door and ensure you apply the lotion on every crease. For keyholes, apply lotion around the keyhole and the key and slide it in carefully. This solution works for other home tools like scissors.
Gomestic Tip: Good old-fashioned WD-40 is your best option here, but if you simply can’t deal with a squeaky door for one more night, then the above is definitely worth a try!
7. Skin Exfoliator
Instead of paying for pricey exfoliating creams, why not create your own exfoliator with hand lotion as the main ingredient? Creating your exfoliator ensures you tailor the mixture to your preference.
The steps are simple but require some readily available household items such as sugar, oat, and coffee grounds.
- Mix the hand lotion with natural exfoliators such as sugar, oats, or coffee grounds. Ensure you mix and keep the ratio even. The lotion shouldn’t completely overwhelm the natural exfoliators and vice versa.
- Next, gently apply your exfoliator on your skin in a gentle, circular motion.
- Repeat this step a few times, and then leave the exfoliator on for a bit. You should notice smoother skin almost immediately.
8. Removing stuck rings
Did you wear a tight ring, and it’s now stuck on your finger? Don’t fret. Putting lotion on the affected finger can remove the ring quickly and easily. Oil also works, but personally, I feel lotion is a better option because your hand will smell pleasant afterward.
All you need to do is pour a good amount of hand lotion on the ring finger and gently tug and twist the ring. Ensure you don’t tug at it too forcefully. Take your time and twist, then pull. The stuck ring should be off your finger in no time.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can hand lotion be used as body lotion?
No, you should not use hand lotion as a body lotion. Hand lotion is explicitly formulated to hydrate and protect the skin of your hands, while body lotions are made to moisturize larger areas of the skin.
Is it OK to use hand lotion on your face?
No, you should not use hand lotion on your face. Hand lotions are specifically formulated for the skin on the hands and may contain fragrances or other ingredients that can irritate the more sensitive skin on your face.
Is it better to rub lotion in or let it sit?
For best results, it’s recommended you gently rub lotion into the skin until it has been completely absorbed. Rubbing in lotion helps ensure that it properly penetrates your skin for maximum hydration and protection.
Conclusion
When I started writing this list, I’d been using hand lotion as a back-up option for shaving for years. Little did I know there we so many other things that it could have helped me with!
I hope you learnt a few things and that in the future you’ll be able to get yourself out of an annoying situation thanks to a few of these tips.