Paraffin Wax Treatment for Hands and Feet
Paraffin hand and foot treatments are used in spas and salons to lock in moisture. The wax is warm and soothing and your hands and feet will be left feeling soft and supple. If you are using wax for both hands and feet, double the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 block paraffin wax (about 4 oz), you can find this in the canning sections of your local grocery store.
- an ounce of oil
- 20 drops of essential oil… lavender is rather nice
- a few drops of olive oil or coconut oil (you will use this to coat your hands)
- a casserole dish, greased with oil
- plastic sandwich bags
Preparation:
The following directions are for a hand treatment, you can also use this treatment on the feet.Melt the paraffin, the ounce of oil, the scented oil in a double boiler. (The double boiler is necessary for safety purposes).
Very carefully pour the wax into the dish and wait until a skin has formed on the top of the wax. When this happens, the temperature should be about right for submerging your hands. Test the wax on your wrist to ensure the temperature is not too hot.
Prepare hands by washing them. Smooth the olive oil or coconut oil (I prefer coconut oil because it smells better) on your hands.
Dip each hand into the wax repeatedly until you have several layers of wax built up.
Have someone help you put on the sandwich bags onto each hand and then relax for about 30 minutes. You can also wrap hands in Saran wrap.
For added benefit, place a bath towel over your hands as you wait. (This is a perfect time to watch a half hour of TV.)
To remove wax, simply peel it off starting at the wrist. The wax should come off in large sections. Give yourself a little hand massage and you are done.
