Assuming you are machine piecing, would wearing a thin pair of gloves help reduce the cracking and irritation?
I always wash my fabric as soon as it comes in my home - chemical sensitivities. Nonetheless, in the winter, I have cracks in the pads of my thumbs, and fingers, and, yes, those cracks HURT. I think the development of the cracks has a lot to do with how much lower the humidity is in winter.