Last night I was cooking some root vegetables. The recipe called for a mix of potatoes, carrots, and turnips to first be tossed in oil. The next step was to coat the baking dish with oil as well. I would have once used a paper towel for this job, but we’ve sworn them off as one small way to create less trash. So I drizzled a little olive oil in the pan and used my fingers to spread it about. Knowing I’d have to wash my poor, cracked hands yet again, I proceeded to rub the remaining oil all over my abused metacarpal epidermis. I then washed a bowl I’d used for cooking and set it in the drainer.
Not only did the oil help to ease the burden of repetitive hand washing while cooking, the act of washing a dish to remove the excess oil reduced the number of times I’d need to plunge my hands in hot, soapy water. It also reduced the amount of water I used. It’s not a big thing, but little things add up, right?
Try this oil technique any time! When your hands start to suffer and your cringing at the idea of having to scrub them down with soap and hot water one more time, try applying some oil before washing. I use regular cooking oils like olive, grape seed, or safflower. But my favorite is coconut oil. I even keep a little jar in the bathroom for use as a thick, protective body lotion. At room temperature it is solid but as soon as you put a little bit in your hands it quickly becomes liquid and smooths over the skin.
Lotions with perfumes and chemicals actually sting and hurt when I apply them to chapped hands. But not so coconut oil! It’s like a fancy, spa concoction.
And not too shabby for cooking either. Coconut oil, you’re the best!