Years ago, as a dog groomer, I was looking for a solution to a problem I was facing daily: dry, cracked hands.
Over time, our Hand Butter helped many dog groomers to solve their problem with dry, cracked hands.
“If you are unable to understand the cause of a problem, it is impossible to solve it.” – Naoto Kan
The first-ever product I made was for me, not for dogs. As a dog groomer, I suffered from dry, cracked skin on my hands for years, especially in winter. The dry skin was itching, cracking, and even bleeding.
I was using different creams, sleeping in gloves covering a thick layer of cream, but nothing had a lasting effect. The condition goit a bit better once I moved to the UK, maybe because winters we much milder, I was using different products, who knows. But it was still here, and I was fed up. So, I started to do some research.
I learned that creams are water-based, so some part of it evaporates from the skin pretty quickly, so we get the feeling to apply the cream more often on the dry skin.
What shall I use then? Shall I just dip my hand in olive oil? I kept researching and learned about the benefits of coconut oil, shea butter, chamomile oil, sweet almond oil, and of course, beneficial essential oils.
One day I cleaned my kitchen, shut the door as I didn’t want my dog to assist me, and started melting, mixing, stirring, experimenting. And I enjoyed it so much. All the oils and butters I had were already helping me, and my skin looked and felt so much better. But when I tried the final recipe, I knew this was the one! The Hand Butter!
I started using the Hand Butter after every hand wash; after I had done dishes, I washed a dog. And my skin was getting smoother before my eyes!
I even started applying a small amount of Hand Butter before I bathed a dog, and I could feel the smooth, silky barrier on my hands even after I finished bathing.
At the same time, I switched the shampoos in the salon and found two brands that were kinder to our hands: Wildwash and For All Dog Kind.
For years I didn’t connect how constantly bathing and drying dogs in the salon, using chalk when hand stripping, etc. was causing the harshness on my skin, and I just thought that it was part of the love for my job. But I think deep down inside, I knew this was not OK and that there must be a solution.
I also used to get dog hair stuck under my nail cuticles, causing inflammation and pain; it stuck into the skin on my elbows, between my fingers … it was very uncomfortable and sore.
This all stopped once I started using the Hand Butter. When my skin was dry and cracked, it was like an open gate for dog hair to come in. And they did. Once my skin, including the cuticles, was moisturised, supple, and elastic, it didn’t let any hair in. When the skin has its elasticity, the hair kind of bounces off instead of burying into the skin. That’s my explanation anyway.
Do you have a problem with dry, cracked hands, like I used to?
Jitka xx