My hands are beat. They're already dry and cracking and it's not even October! They are terribly abused with all I do. I've tried so many different things, but nothing seems to work. Before I call a dermatologist, I thought I'd check in here for ideas.

Help.

For splits, the only thing that works is a Nexcare-Skin Crack Care. Wal-Mart used to carry it, then they stopped. I had to order a bunch from Canada last year. ***I just checked and Walgreens has it now!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

I always use Nivea, but my DH swears by Eurceryln (sp?). But neither of us are outside a lot like you are, so I don't know how heavy duty they actually are.
Vaseline at night with cotton gloves over them?
I hope you find something that really works for you soon, I feel for you!

Aveeno. I have Eczema and this is the best for me.

My hands crack and bleed every winter, they hurt terribly, had tried everything. Last winter I tried Rex Eme Cream and it worked. Didn't like that it left my hands sorta greasy, but that was ok if it worked. On the expensive side. This summer I learned about "Mane 'n Tail Hoofmaker" Hand & Nail Therapy. This stuff is amazing, love it. Not greasy, great smell and it leaves yours hands feeling wonderful. Now I can shake hands at church :D Is made by Straight Arrow Products in PA. www.manetail.com Very reasonably priced and I get it at our local feed store :lol:

I have that problem, too...with the low humidity and cold here. I use Gold Bond hand lotion....works VERY well. You definately want to avoid those with alcohol in them.

I also use the Gold Bond and it works great.

Most of all, make sure your hands are clean, then while they are still moist after a shower, dishes, etc. put on moisturizer then. It seals in the moisture. As a nurse and washing my hands 100's of times a day, I can say that i don't have a favorite brand, just often, and especially after washing to seal it all.

Sue, I use the same thing for my hands and use Bag Balm for my feet when they are really bad.

I've tried a few of these--but I usually only apply the stuff at bedtime because I don't like getting it on students' papers...hay...fabric... but maybe I'll need to find something not so greasy and apply more often--as saravincent suggests. I bet as a nurse you have the same troubles!! I wash my hands constantly--at school and home. Hmm... as soon as I get home, I'm going to make a list and start searching.

Thanks everyone!!

I swear by Gold Bond, too. It tends to make you smell a bit like an old lady so I put off using it until I can't stand it anymore. Then I use it and presto! No more cracked hands. And I'm a big hit at the nursing home when I visit Grandpa! :?

I too, have this problem so will be checking out all the suggestions you gals said. Thanks Marge

In the winter my hands crack and bleed a lot especially around the nails and on the finger pads. It didn't matter what lotion I used and I have tried them all. The one thing that has worked wonders for me (on my dermatologist's suggestion) is at night I slather on plain old vaseline and then those cheap white gloves you get at the pharmacy. You can also get those gloves at Bath and Body Works (and they last longer), but they are much more expensive. My husband says it is like sleeping with a mime :lol: but my hands are so smooth and crack free. I also do the same for my feet, slather on the vaseline and then some socks, keeps me warm as well and my feet are so soft. Usually at some point during the night I take them off, but the vaseline is already absorbed so it is not a problem. I just wash the gloves in a lingerie bag.

Crisco solid shortening will soften great. Massage it into your hands then massage with a teaspoon of sugar, wash off with any non soap cleanser and warm water. This is an old beauty shop recipe.

My father uses Udderly Smooth, and he has gold bond too.
He has severe eczema. used to be on prescription creams with hydrocortizone, and they barely did anything. It's not as bad anymore, but he works as a mechanic and got all kinds of gunk on his hands at work. sometimes during the winter he would sleep with cream on his hands and latex gloves over them, and at work he would get cotton gloves and cut the tips off the fingers for grip, and put tons of cream under. it was awful, he couldn't even close his fists without cracking his skin and bleeding.

BEE BAR! :) I have not had cracked or bleeding hands after finding this stuff a few years back. It has kept my eczema to a minimum so much so that my dermatologist wanted to know what it is, and actually agreed that it seems to work as well as the expensive prescriptions.

It is a bar, made with bee's wax and other natural skin softening ingredients. The bee's wax makes it resistent to washing off immediately like lotions do, so the soothing protection lasts for hours. Anyone with eczema knows that getting your hands wet only makes it worse, however Bee Bar protects my hands from water pretty well.

Simply clasp the bee bar in your hands and rub hands together like a bar of soap. The bar warms in your hands enough to apply to your hands. It keeps them soft and coated, and protected for hours. The bar doesn't dry out and lasts a long time.

I'm sure there must be other brands that may work, however just in case you'd like to try Bee Bar, this is what I'm using:

http://www.honeyhousenaturals.com/products.htm

ok, I've resisted long enough...so many products out there, that sound like they work really well...
just one question: "Do you have a puppet?"
(only those that have seen Jeff Dunham's show on comedy channel, will really GET this! :wink: ) :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

QuiltnCrazy, I watch, but isn't that Jef-f Dun Ham? :lol:

Edited to say: My apologies, didn't mean to hijack.

I use Bagbam for hands and feet, works really well....

I use Neutrogena hand cream. Works great for dry hands. Just don't get your hands wet. It turns a but slimy, when wet. But really heals cracked dried hands. I use it at night, when my hands get real bad.

I use to do nails for a living...the best secret is when doing dishes...put on hand cream...put on gloves and the heat from the dish water will really put your hand cream to work....:) :D

Maribeth, it depends on whether your asking Jeff or the puppet! :lol:

I think when it gets a little cooler, I will try the vaseline and socks. I'm sure my hubby would appreciate a softer foot, the next time my toenails slice into his shin! :mrgreen:

Karla, up here in Maine I have bought stuff that lobstermen use - don't know the name off hand, but I would be glad to research it and send you some. Let me know.

found the website ---

http://www.lbalm.com/Products-Healing_Balms.html

Aww beachlady--you are so kind... let me try some of these other ideas... and I'll let you know. THANK YOU!!

Two years ago, a student gave me a huge bottle of Jergens for school. I'm going to try putting it on more often first... and go from there.

Ooo--that looks easy--a stick!! Definitely a possibility!! Thanks for the link!

athomesewing--that bee stuff looks good too!! Justin's girl and my daughter could use one of those for Christmas!! Oh-and I'll get one for me, too! :D
Do you recommend the vanilla or natural?

I just ordered three of the bee bars...one for me, Rachel, and Jenny. They suffer with dryness, too. I'll start with that, then go to the Lobstermen stuff next. :wink:

Even BEFORE the skin on my hands, especially around my nails, was fried by chemo, the chemo nurses recommended that I buy Shea Butter to be prepared. It really worked, and it didn't feel greasy. DH found it at CVS - if you don't have CVS - I think a drugstore - which woud be cheaper than a health food store.

It smells good, too. Kind of like the cocoa butter we used to spread on ourselves to get a good suntan before we found out we shouldn't be doing that!

I'm going to use it again this winter when I'm in AZ, because my hands dry up there every year. Regular hand lotion just doesn't do the job.

I prefer the scented, but that's just a personal preference. I've had mine for so long now, I'm not sure what the scent was called. At the time I bought them, they offered only two, unscented and "regular". The scented one I have has a very nice subtle scent. I've used the unscented too, but enjoy the scented variety more. I see that they have more scents now.

I hope that you'll love these as much as I do! :)

I should have mentioned that I've even though I used the Shea Butter all last winter, I only used about 10% of the little jar DH bought - a little goes a long, long way.

The best that I have found is from Avon Planet Spa African Shea butter hand & cuticle cream :lol:

I like Badger Balm the best. I also use Oregon Soap Company's Sunflower Suds foaming hand soap, which has made a HUGE difference just on its own.

Should always use Cream and not lotion,lotion has alcohol in it.this might sound strange but I have heard it works rub your hands with olive oil at nite before bed and wear gloves.

DH uses Jergen's Ultra healing for cracked skin.

I use extra strength intensive cream from Avon, its in a jar like cold cream and it soaks in real good and works fast. I also put it on my feet lavishly and put on special socks from the dollar store before bed each nite, feet are much better and no cracking.

Renew by Melaleuca is my favorite - nongreasy, absorbs well, does the job.

Bag Balm---can't beat it.

I use the Udder Cream for feet on my hands. You know how bad mine got the last two winters with all the bathing and water I was in all day for Roy. It made it super easy at night to work into my feet after shower and hands at the same time. :wink:

I have found that the Green Tin found in many quilt shops and also Drug Stores, called Bag Balm is the best there is for healing cracked skin on hands, and feet.

Love it would not be without it ever. Used it for many years and have found nothing better so far.

Teri

The best I ever found is Neutrogena & Sally Hansen Apricot cuticle cream. Use to work in flower shop & my hands very always dry & fingers would split. Doctor told me to glue split with super glue. It forms a shield over split & holds it together till it heals in a few days. Just be careful you don't glue fingers together. Had a friend that was an army medic tell me that super glue is what they used in the field for wounds till they got back to hospital. Hoofmaker is great but it makes your finger tips tough (not dry) as a boot. Really thickens the skin. I feel for you. You are where it gets awful cold, I would die there. My skin starts getting bad when the leaves start turning. I know weird.

My family also suffers from eczema, especially on our hands. My daughter's dermatologist recommended using Ceravae, found at
Walgreens or Rite-aid. I absolutely love using Neutrogena hand cream
for every day use. It's the best thing I've found out there by far!!!