Winter's over, summer's almost here, and I'm tired of my dull, dry, hands! I'm sure we can all agree that during winter, our hands get dry and no matter how much lotion/hand cream is used, it's quite futile. Thankfully, I've got some tricks that will take little to no effort! This is so easy, and with regular at home hand softening sessions, your hands will thank you. Sure we can go to the nail salon and get our nails done every week, but honestly, why break the bank when you don't have to?

Dull skin is a result of the accumulation of dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. Think about how after facials when your skin glows and you feel like a radiating god(dess), the same thing applies with your hands! Those dead skin cells need to be lifted so that the fresh, plump skin cells are radiating at the surface for all to see.

Dry skin is from a lack of moisture. During winter, we have the heat on, the weather is typically drier and the cold just doesn't help either, does it? What we'll need to do is moisturize our skin inside-out and outside-in by drinking plenty of water and by water, and by water I mean H2O (sorry guys, soda, juice, coffee and energy drinks don't do the trick); and slathering our skin with emollient moisturizers.

I hadn't done this on my own hands in awhile and I was amazed that I had forgotten just how easy, time efficient and cost efficient this is so much that I wanted to share a rediscovered beauty regimen that I had completely forgotten about!

You'll need:

Cotton socks/mittens (if you have specialized gloves for moisturizing your hands, this is perfect!)
Exfoliant this lifts dead skin cells to reveal the young and plump skin underneath! Examples are:
- store bought sugar scrubs/sea salt scrubs
- DIY hand scrubs - there are literally a ton of great recipes on Pinterest!
- Papaya (this one is my favorite when papayas are in season! Eat the papaya and rub the inner side of the skin all over your hands for an all natural and super effortless exfoliant!)
Hand Cream moisturizes skin (if you don't have this, regular body lotion/oil works too!)

Step 1: Prep & Exfoliate

Before exfoliating, hands should always be cleansed. Since I'm literally always juggling a million things at a time throughout my day, I like to multi-task and get this done while in the shower. If I have some extra time, I'll do a double cleanse on my hands with my Clarisonic (with a body brush attachment) and some hand soap.

After hands are cleansed and patted dry (it's ok if hands are still a bit damp), scoop a proper amount of exfoliant into your hands. Not a lot of scrub is needed so I would suggest dispensing the size of about a quarter. A little goes a long way! I'm using my absolute favorite - the Satsuma Shea Salt Scrub from Basin White .

Tip!: If you're adventurous and DIY-ing a scrub, make sure that you have a thick paste, anything too runny will result in a huge mess and not much exfoliating action. The consistency of the scrub in the picture is what you're looking for.

Start rubbing! Focus on your palms, knuckles and around your nails paying special attention to the areas that need a little extra love. Rub for about 2 minutes. Time will go by quick! Be sure not to use too much pressure or rub for more than 2 minutes in this stage. Over exfoliating can actually take off too much skin and damage the beautiful skin cells underneath!

Tip!: If you feel like your scrub is a little too abrasive/dry for your hands, add water a tiny bit at a time until the exfoliant slides comfortably on your hands.

Once your 2 minutes are up, rinse your hands and pat dry.

Step 2: Moisturize

Now that the hands have been softened, it's time to nourish those beautiful skin cells that you worked so hard to reveal!

Squeeze about a nickel-sized amount onto your hands and start working it into the hands. Now you can start using some pressure and maybe even massage your hands just a little bit, after all, your hands work so hard for you everyday. Work it in until all the cream has been absorbed.

If you don't have a hand cream but are dying to try this out, regular body lotions and oils will work too. I strongly suggest investing in a hand cream though because hand creams are formulated specifically for the hands. They are usually richer and more moisturizing than your average body lotion and you'll see some superb results.

This is a good stopping point for a quick fix. We've tackled the dull and dry skin, so your hands by now should be looking fabulous!

For an extra bonus to ensure your hands are sealed to silky perfection read on to the next step!

Step 3: Overnight Treatment (Optional, But Highly Recommended!)

Now that our hands are fully moisturized it's time to seal in that moisture and let our hands have maximum absorption!

Slip on your cotton socks, mittens or gloves for about 10-15 minutes.

For the absolute best results, go to sleep with your hands in the socks or gloves and when you wake up in the morning, your hands will literally feel like silk!

For best results, do this 1-2 times a week.

Soft hands? - DONE.

Wasn't that easy and, most importantly, quick? With an active time of at maximum 5 minutes, I'm sure we can all find 5 minutes to treat our hands with some TLC and love the way our hands feel once again!

Please let me know how this worked for you and what products you love to use on your hands!