£1.50 beauty secret of my £5m hands
A WOMAN whose hands are worth £5million and have starred in TV adverts for some of the world’s top brands has revealed her beauty secret – a £1.50 pot of almond oil.
Gemma Howorth’s hands have doubled in photo-shoots for supermodels Kate Moss, 37, and Lily Cole, 23, and been used in adverts for Fairy Liquid.
Her flawless hands, with long blemish-free fingers and shapely pink nails, are so lucrative they are insured for £5million with Lloyd’s of London.
Gemma, 27, can earn from £100- an-hour to £800 for an average day’s work and a staggering £2,500 a day for better paid assignments.
But despite their high value, when it comes to keeping her hands in tip-top condition Gemma shuns the expensive creams she receives regularly in the post from manufacturers.
Instead, Gemma – whose hands have featured in more than 250 TV advertising campaigns and billboards across the world – said her “secret weapon” is lashings of almond oil.
She said: “I have tested hundreds of products and always go back to my almond oil.
Even opening the fridge door could break a nail
“It really nourishes and you don’t need separate hand creams and cuticle oils – almond oil gives you the lot.
“And you can get it behind the pharmacy counter at Boots for about £1.50 for a 50ml pot.” Gemma, of Chelsea, west London, admitted that looking after her hands is a full-time job.
She moisturises at least 30 times a day and says she uses precautions which can make her appear like something of “a lunatic” to those looking on.
She said: “I sunbathe with gloves on. I forgot the gloves once and even with high-factor sun cream, I noticed tiny wrinkles developing on my hands.
“After 10 years in this job, it is an ingrained habit to think before I do things. Even opening the fridge door could break a nail.
“Rummaging in your handbag is potentially lethal.
“You have to open it carefully, so you don’t get a paper cut.”
Gemma also revealed that while she may be happy to advertise washing-up liquid, doing the dishes at home is a definite “no-no”.