Give your hands some TLC. Just because you like to get your hands dirty, doesn’t mean you want them to stay dirty. This hand scrub will combat the perma-dirt that any keen gardener is familiar with.

Homemade gardener's hand scrub

Makes 300-350g scrub

60g coconut oil, melted
60ml liquid castile soap
225g sugar
10 drops rosemary essential oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil
5 drops tea tree essential oil

1 In a medium bowl, combine the coconut oil, castile soap and sugar. Let the mixture cool, then stir vigorously with a spoon. This will “whip” the oil for a pourable but creamy texture.
2 Stir in the essential oils then scrape the scrub into a clean jam jar. The hand scrub will last six months, though the scent may fade. If the scrub begins to separate, just give it a good stir.

To use: Wet hands, spoon a generous dollop of scrub into your palms. Scrub away, paying particular attention to the sides of the fingers and crease lines where dirt likes to stick. Rinse.

Extract from The Hands-On Home: A Seasonal Guide to Cooking, Preserving, and Natural Homekeeping by Erica Strauss (Sasquatch Books). Photography by Charity Burggraaf