Magnolia Noble’s Sound Advice on Ladies’ Hand Care!

photo by ana traina

Men and women have always looked at little girl’s hands. There is something about soft, innocent, white, dainty hands that they find absolutely alluring. Through the years they have rhapsodized over them in poetry and prose, comparing them to fluttering white doves and lilies, and trembled at their downy touch. “Pale hands I loved beside the Shalimar, Where are you now? Who lies beneath your spell?” - Laurence Hope (pseudonym of Adela Florence Nicolson), Kashmiri Song - 


You must know that your hands are always in the hot glare of the limelight. O, you may hide them now and then, in an occasional pocket or two or cloak them with gloves, but sooner or later they unavoidably have to come out in society, naked for all to see, and dare I say, touch. 


O excuse me, I haven’t properly introduced myself, how rude of me! I’m Magnolia Noble, bringing the Ladies of Zingertales some very exciting and sound advice from across the pond and a long time ago. 


Now, if your hands are in woefully bad shape, you could try a few of my tricky tricks! 


Here is a very simple sleight of hand that I believe works quite nicely; Equal parts of glycerine and rose water makes a fragrantly delicious hand balm. 


Or


Pure lanolin (the wondrous old mutton tallow of our grandmothers’ day) is also a miracle worker and would be better used by women whose skins don’t react well to glycerine.


Here is one of my absolute favorite old fashioned recipes for keeping hand O so downy and lily white:


1/2 pound oatmeal
1 quart warm water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon rose water
1 teaspoon glycerine
1 teaspoon diluted ammonia (optional)


Now, you must remember to soak the oatmeal over night in the warmest of water. Strain and add to the liquid all the other ingredients. Recommended usage: 3 times a day or perhaps just a little bit more, if time permits.


O just one other remedy comes to mind for the red and O so rough dishwashing hands as winter is soonishly approaching.
Soak in a mixture of honey and orange juice.


Or 


You could try bathing them in a mixture of equal parts of cocoa butter, lanolin, and almond butter.


A Bit of Odd and End: The legend of Anne Boleyn always includes a sixth finger. The argument continues whether or not she really had an extra finger on one of her hands. Ah yes, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!