beauty lotionLast year for my birthday, my friend Peggy gave me a very thoughtful gift: a free manicure at a very nice salon. She knows how infrequently I indulge in things like that, and this was her chance to help me pamper myself, at least a little. I had never had a manicure before and was very excited. However, when I sat down in the chair and presented my dry, cracked hands to the manicurist, the look on her face made me cringe! As a nurse, I sometimes wash my hands ten or twenty times in a single day. Combined with the very dry climate of the southwest where I live, this means incredibly dry hands. I had never spent much time thinking about it, but this experience was a real eye-opener! The manicurist recommended that I use a high-quality beauty lotion on my hands several times a day, especially after washing them with the harsh soap at the hospital. Since then, I've found that a good beauty lotion goes a long way towards making my hands soft and supple again. I tend to prefer products not specifically intended for hands; a good all-over beauty lotion really seems to work at hydrating the skin of my overworked hands. Now, I never leave the house without beauty lotion in my purse, and I also keep a small bottle in my nightstand. I've also brought a larger bottle of beauty lotion to work with me, for others to share.