I am bothered by dry, cracked areas around my thumbs when I handle material and do needlework. I know I need to use lotion to help prevent this from happening.But what do you recommend when it does happen?
I hope it is ok to post here....related to quilting. (grin)

I use a balm called Truckers Friend. You can buy it at truck stops and it works quickly and very well. Cheap, too.

There was a great thread about this not too long ago. Go to search at the top of the page and put in lotions.

I use surgeons secret..QVC, i believe they sell it in stores now.

I use baby lotion most of time but when they get really bad (cracked till they bleed) I use AmLactin....its kindy pricy but works very well and last a long time.

I also use Surgeon's Skin Secret, it's a balm so I like to apply it at night, it also works really well for dry cracked heels. During the day I like to use Gold Bond and Suave Hand Lotion with oatmeal. My son's dermatologist recommended AmLactin, but it contains lactic acid (I believe)so it stings! when applied to cracked skin and it is pricey.

It may sound odd, but I put superglue right over the cracks in my hands. It's just a little tad, enough to cover up the crack. It helps it heal soooo much faster! Within 24 hours for me. Plus, it helps them to not hurt so much. I also use Curel Natural Healing lotion. It has a nice weight and a nice, subtle smell.

Bag Balm is suppose to be really good for this, I have some but have yet to try it for that. My hands get soo dry when I work alot because I work at a hospital and I am constantly washing my hands, my fingers will crack and peel all the way down to my knuckles.

I like utter cream from hancock. It is used for cows teets. Not greasy at all, only takes a pea sized, and you can handle fabric right away too.

I use something called Creamy Petroleum Jelly by Personal Care. It comes in a 4.5 oz tube and is sold at the Dollar Store for just $1. I have a tube of it in every room of my house. It is not greasy and absorbs quickly. I even use it on my face. I have chronic dry skin and an autoimmune disease that makes my skin extremely sensative. It is usually in the section of the store where they sell the baby products. I use it on my hands even when I am handquilting. I have never had a problem with it leaving a stain.

Doctors Without Borders order Bag Balm by the cases full. It's the best treatment for severely dry and cracked skin. In the desert countries where most of the people go barefoot their feet are in very bad condition. It's hard to find now that WalMart quit selling it and went to a different brand. Many quilt shops sell it, it heals the pricked fingers from handquilting.

I like Gold Bond Restoring in the white bottle. But on my cuticles and dry heels I use some stuff called Blue Goo, I get it at Walmart where the foot stuff is. I was pet sitting for a friend and she had a large can of Bag Balm sitting on her desk, so I helped my self to a large dab and put it on my always dry elbows. Both elbows swelled up, got very red and sore, and the right one actually cracked open. So it's not good for everone.

Bag Balm is carbolic, so you may be allergic to that. Better tell you Dr. you may be allergic to those ingredients. :thumbup:

I try to keep lotion on but if I get a real bad split I use New Skin. It puts a protective coating over it and takes the hurt away while healing the split. Sometimes I use 2 or 3 applications. Works for me!

There are so many choices, but whichever you use during the day, be sure to use a heavier one at night (good old Vaseline works wonders) and put on a pair of white cotton gloves. Aquaphor is extremely good, pricey, but it heals. It's great on cracked, dry heels. Again, use at night and put on white cotton socks.

There are a lot of good ones out there, I get cracks where the nail corner is in line with my nail. just got a crack healed acouple weeks ago. They are very painful as we all know. BagBalm can be gotten at most feed and animal supply stores. It is some wonderful stuff. But the one I depend on is Corn Huskers you can get it most anywhere. During the day I put a drop in the crack and then a drop on a bandaid. Night time to. No greasy residue. wonderful for hands and feet.
BillsBonBon

I use this too, after my husband discovered it. He washes cars at a Dealership and his hands were like sandpaper. Now they're soft. I get the cracks around my fingertips too, and use crazy glue to seal them and then put on the creamy petroleum jelly as often as I can. I use latex gloves, swim 4 days a week and handle fabric. Plus our part of the country is very dry in the wintertime. Many strikes against my hands.

Bag balm is on the yahoo home page today. It was actually made for the cows, but others have been using it for everything else.

Being a nurse I wash my hands..ALOT! So they get really sore, even more in the winter. I like the Gold Bond Healing. Can get it at Wal Mart and not to pricey.

I too use Bag Balm. Put it on at night on the heavy side and put each hand into a plastic bag and cover your hands with a hot pack. I use one I put in the microwave.
Try this and you not believe how soft your hands are.

I buy mine at Costco.

I use Neosporin or another triple antibiotic ointment for cracks on my hands - I love the heavy thick pink moisturizer from Mary Kay cosmetics for my dry skin.

I use the Eucerin cream that comes in a jar and is labeled for really dry skin. I slather it on at night--my hands and feet. It helps so much. My skin usually cracks and bleeds in the winter and it hasn't this year because I have been using this cream.

I also have this problem. I hate lotion. When My thumbs split from the needle pokes and dry skin I use Liquid Skin. I think it helps. I try to remember to put lotion on but hate the feeling.

Kyia

Mary Kay has a "Satin Hands" set that I love. It has the extra emollient night cream (the thick pink stuff mentioned above), hand scrub and their hand cream. When you use the whole set, your hands feel wonderful and it really does help with dry hands. Expensive, but nice stuff.

I use bag balm. It works great for me.

Purplemen....what are you doing "hanging around truck stops"....I have been suspicious of you for a long time...NOW I have proof ROFL :)

Margie

:lol: :lol: :lol:

It is so funny this came up, I just read about bag balm,it was made for cows teets but the farmers wives got jeolous of their husbands smooth hands,while theres were cracking,It is made with only two ingredients,lanolin and petrolium based something,I forgot what it was called,It is made in vermont by a small company it only has very few empoyees.

At a quilt show in OKC I purchased a hand product with shea butter in it and it has helped with my dry hands while quilting.

My hands get so abused by gardening and chlorine.... I use Burts bees Hand salve. It is best used at night and then put some gloves on. It can be oily, so don't use it before you quilt. I do, however, rub some on before I garden, and it helps keep my hands from so much abuse! My husband doesnt like the smell..... hmmmmm.....that could be used to my advangage at certain times...LOL

Hi! Just joined. LOL at all the wonderful photos you've put with your names - littlehud's cat at work and oldswimmer's two dogs at rest and all the quiltwork, of course. Wow!

I noticed a vast improvement in dry skin on my hands while applying Aveeno Baby moisture cream to little butts. So I keep a tube near the sink, sewing area, and laundry.

I use Super Glue when I forget the Anveeno and my fingers start cracking again. Store the tube pin-end down once opened in the original container with the red-cap end up. Not hard if you think about it, keeps the tube from drying out.

Jois

when my skin cracks around my cuticles, I protect them with "new skin" found in the drug stores. This year, I have found that maintenance is the best. I moisturize every day 3-4 times all year round, I havent had a cracked cuticle yet.

I like a cream our quilt shop had calle "Sew Help me". No residue, and softens nicely.

Someone on the last thread on this said to try Keeffe's Working Hands from either Lowe's or Home Depot. It does not have any oil in it and it works great. I do a lot of applique so my hands are always on fabric and this seems to work well for me. I have tried so many but I like this the best. It works in nicely and takes just a little. I also resort to superglue on any cracks or splits as it does help heal a lot faster but then I follow up with the Keeffe's. I could only find it at Lowe's, comes in a small green flat jar.

Order Bag Balm online through animal supply houses. Many pet stores carry it also.

I just bought some and it IS GREAT! But the name is actually O'Keefe's Working Hands. I found it at Harbor Freight Tools. Our Home Depot didn't have it.

There's a product ranchers use called (I think) Udder Cream, and it's great!

for all you Canadian quilters- I use a Blistex product called GLYSOMED hand cream - it is Glycerene, silicone and chamomile (comes unsented too!) (( and NOT greasy) It says it is made in the U.S. but I can only find it in Canada. it is sold in lots of stores there. Has a whole line of hand,,foot, face and body lotions. Maybe some of you computer sleuths can find it in the states.. let us know!!!

If you only have one or two splits try chapstick. Put it on thick and often. I helped me many times on paper cuts so it might work for dry skin as well.

Howard

i use this stuff too...i threw all the pricy stuff out cause the creamy vaseline works better than any of them. and so much cheaper!!