Homemade Hand Cream

Last night on the news the weatherman referred to the overnight lows, of 35-40 degrees, to be "brutally cold." I literally laughed out loud. Before I know it we will be in legitimately brutally cold weather, flying in on the tail of a blizzard. We will actually have a white Christmas this year. I'm still undecided as to whether or not I'm excited about the snow. All I know is that the white stuff better not interfere with our flight plans. The last thing I need is to be stranded anywhere with a nine month old (who likes to be held still about as much as a sack of snakes). Yikes.

Anywho... That Midwest cold and wind is certain to do one thing while we're back, and that's zap all the moisture from our skin. I can already feel the itchy arms and legs. Eww.

This year I'm bringing a secret weapon for the skin. My mom introduced this to me awhile back. I used it while I was pregnant and huge. I can't say that this lotion prevented any stretch marks, but I'm sure it didn't hurt that I slathered it all over on a daily basis. It's rich and creamy and does wonders for the skin.

Homemade Hand Cream

1 - 15 oz bottle of baby lotion
1 - 8 oz bottle of vitamin E cream
1 - 7.5 oz container of Vaseline

Add lotion, cream, and Vaseline in a large container and mix well, approximately 5-10 minutes, or until a smooth cream is created.
If not mixed thoroughly there will be clumps of Vaseline.

While whipping this up I had a genius idea. This would be a great homemade gift for family and friends. I had five cute little jars that I knew would be perfect for this little project.

I wanted to get the hand cream into the jars without making a hot mess. To do so, I put one corner of a gallon zip lock bag in a very large beer mug glass and spooned the lotion into the bag. Once filled I removed the baggie from the glass, snipped the corner of the baggie and pipped the lotion into the jars.

Here's a little secret that may be the icing on the cake. The lotion, cream, and Vaseline can all be found at any dollar store, for, well, a dollar a piece. And, the batch of lotion is HUGE. There should be enough lotion to last you about forever.

My mom and I both swear by this stuff. It truly is amazing. Put it on just before you hit the hay and let your skin soak up all that goodness. You'll wake up to buttery smooth skin.