Dry skin caused by quilting?
 

Hello all... it seems that when I've been hand quilting my fingertips get so very dry... Am I alone? And what wonderful formula do you use to combat this? I don't often get to hand quilt, but am trying to finish a project and have noticed my fingertips are so SO dry! I know winter is partly to blame, but it seems that handling the fabric as much as I have has had an increased effect on the dryness. Help???

There is a new product out there called Vaseline Spray and Go. I saw it advertised and bought it. You spray it on your hands and rub it in. It is not greasy and disappears right in. I put it on after I wash my hands during the day and just before I go to bed at night an it has worked wonders. They do have nice tinted one for your legs in the summer and it doesn't wear off all day but washes right off with soap and water. I keep the a container of the untinted one in my quilting room, in the kitchen, and in the bathroom. Wash hands, put it on....love it!!! It works wonders on my hands. I was truly surprised. My hands were really looking terrible.

Yes I have the same problem during the whole time I'm sewing due to the amount of spray starch I use. I use a product from Bath and Body Works called "Look Ma New Hands" it only takes a very small amount and you do need to give it time to absorb. My fingers are the worst when I'm sewing on binding. Also there's a product called Udder Cream that works wonders. It can be found in drugstores and Walmart.

I have an old book on quilting which was written by a lady doctor who quilts, Susan Delaney Mech, M.D. Her formula is equal parts A&D ointment, Bacitracin Ointment, and cuticle cream. I was miserable last winter trying to finish a quilt. My thumbs cracked and bled. Tried this every night before bed and each morning when I finished my bath. It has been great! Smells yukky, but not for long. by the way, the title of the book is RX for Quilters.

If I don't use a lotion a couple times a day, my fingers would be bleeding. I discovered Nivea lotion last summer & it is working great. It has vitamin E in it and is not greasy at all. I use my hands a lot with gardening, cleaning, quilting, etc., so I'm using lotion year round.

The best hand cream I've found over the years is Johnson's Baby Lotion. I use it year round. Unfortunately not even it does much good on my fingers when hand quilting. Been doing about 4-8 hrs/day of that for the last few weeks trying to get this baby quilt finished (it's a big baby quilt!) so my fingers are just a breaking, calloused mess at the moment. I'm closing in on the finish so not too much longer and then I can give my poor fingers a break.

im in the same boat... Lotion lotion lotion is all i can suggest.. Mine crack and bleed.. i swear the fabric just rips the moisture out of my hands in a matter of seconds- its like it knows !!!

The dr. I worked for swears by petroleum jelly. She puts it on hands and feet every night before bed. She's muslim and their feet are always in someone's face when they pray. She says a lot of women comment on her feet all year long. I have tried but I can't remember to put it on before bed then won't get back out when/if I do remember.lol

I can't stand anything on my hands. I have tried many lotions and can always feel a residue. I am going to try the Vasaline Spray and Go, if I can find it. I have dry hands and find just working with fabrics suck the moisture out of my hands.
I have a tendency to grow callouses on my feet, probably because I wear socks all the time, except in hot weather. My Husband has very dry hands in the winter from doing dishes and has very dry itchy legs, I buy him Lubriderm for very dry skin and it works.

I use Bag Balm for severe dry skin, it heals. It is what the Drs Without Borders give to the people of desert climates for severe cracked heels. For every day I use lotion made for diabetics. I'm not diabetic but the lotion is great for preventing dry skin. For my face I use Rexaline.

Working with paper will also dry out your hands. Many years ago a dermatologist recommended Eucerin to me for my cracked bleeding hands. At that time the product was not well known and my drugstore had to order it for me. Now you can buy it in WalMart and all drugstores. There are no dyes or perfumes in it--nothing to irritate or be allergic to. It is an emulsion of water, waxes and oils, including petroleum jelly. It is very greasy (think Crisco, lol!) but it seals the moisture in so it can't evaporate out. The doctor recommended applying it over just washed wet hands, then blotting off excess water with a paper towel. Use it nightly at bedtime. You can wear old cotton socks on your hands like mittens if you like to protect your sheets (very sexy!). Because it's greasy, you can't use it while you work, but if you use it at least nightly (maybe through the day if necessary), your hands won't need any kind of lotion while you quilt, and they won't itch or crack and bleed. It also helps to drink lots of water daily so your hands are not dehydrated to begin with.

I like Neutrogena Hand cream (the cream, not the lotion, they have both). It soaks in well and leaves your hands with a nice grippy feel. I play cards a lot and I started using it because my hands were so dry I couldn't handle the cards. It works well with fabric too. I also use surgical gloves. You can get them practically anywhere now. The work very well in handling fabrics, in fact, they're my "go-to" now, I use them all the time.

I use Dr. Scholl's over nite foot cream on my feet. I'm diabetic so I have really dry skin. I use it on my hands and elbows too. Anything that has eura in good for dry skin. You can find lotion on the internet with more eura in it than dr. scholls.

I sew early every morning, and then work with paper and wood all day. My hands stay dry. I use a sugar scrub every night and then massage my hands with "Working Hands". I think it's a miracle product. The only way I my fingers don't split every winter is because of this stuff. I also use it in the morning before I leave the house, but can't use it at work or I might leave a smudge on someone's artwork. But a good scrub will work wonders by itself.

Yes, hand quilting sure does dry your hands out...especially flannel! I finished 2 quilts made from DH's old flannel shirts last year and it'll be a long time before I hand quilt another one. I recently found Lavishea Lotion Bar at a local quilt shop. It comes in a tin and is a round waxy-like bar that you rub on your hands. It comes in some lovely light scents - I don't like the overwhelming aromas. I got the Pear scent. It absorbs nicely and isn't overly "greasy". A little pricey @ around $9 for a 1.25 oz bar but lasts quite awhile. As mentioned earlier in the post, Bag Balm is a very good product too.

Bag Balm is the best product I've used for dry hands. My hands would get severely dry and crack and bleed during the winter when I was still working. It is greasy and takes a while to soak in though. Better to use it at night before bed. You're not going to want to quilt right after using it.
Rodney

It seems like I have been battling dry hands my whole life - I worked in a Medical Science lab and had to constantly wash my hands which could really dry them out - used a product called Prevex - it coats your hands, keeps them moist and protects against external irritants. Although it contains 67% petroleum jelly it leaves no residue after application that will not rub off on what you are working with. I still use it when my hands are chapped and sore and there are no 'grease spots' on any fabric that I am working with.

Paper seems to do the same: drys one's hands. I use any lotion I can find. I had a sample of Thimbleberries lotion. It soaked in very well, but it's very expensive to buy...Some quilt stores offer "Gloves in a Bottle", it too is very good.

I use Lubriderm dye and fragrance free. Often it's the dyes and fragrances that cause add to any extra dryness. I purchased the COACH self adhering bandage. It helps when I'm working on any quilting. It is actually for using like an Ace bandage. But I cut small strips to wrap around my fingers. It's easy to adjust accordingly. Not expensive for the amount you get. 3"x2.2yards. you can make it as comfortable as you want. I have a roll in my bathroom closet and my sewing room. I got it because I'm allergic to the adhesives used in band aids. The thing is it helps to protect the fingers without wearing gloves. It breathes. The fabrics absorb the oils from our hands and that is why our hands dry out so bad. Wintery dry weather just adds to it.

Put lotion on at night. Then put a pair of socks on your hands. Sleep like that. By morning... New hands.

Rub in just plain old crisco( not butter flavor"). It's cheap,odorless,and works great.

Yes, I experience dryness of my hands when I quilt. I found that putting petroleum jelly on my hands with a pair of cotton gloves helps. The spray is something I have not seen but will look for it.

I'm cheap. I just rub in some olive oil and let it soak in overnight. On the show " She's Crafty" they showed putting Crisco on your hands and forearms, covering it with a plastic bag and soaking in hot water (think of a paraffin treatment without the mess).

There are lots of good suggestions here. My 85 year old mother's doc told her to avoid any hand creams/moisturizers that contained cetyl alcohol...or any kind of alcohol. She has been happy with the "Kiss My Face" brand and I like the Udder Cream. No alcohol in either.

Bag Balm is what I use also. You may have to WARE SOCKS AND gloves to bed. Very romantic!!!

I've been doing the Bag Balm with socks and gloves at night for nearly a couple weeks and notice a huge difference.

I always keep a bottle of hand lotion next to my sewing machine. I try to put lotion on my hands at least once an hour. It definitely helps fabric from slipping through my fingers.

I actually developed allergic eczema from all the chemicals, I use gloves and put a prescription cream under bandaids but it helps a lot, flannel and burlap are the worst nous true suckers....

I handle paper all day, wash my hands a LOT at work (work in a dental office at the front counter, so lots of people, sick & well), and have thick flannel sheets on our bed in winter (which draw out moisture), so my hands are very dry. Started using plain old Vaseline on my hands several weeks ago before getting into bed at night, and what a difference!

I use Bag Balm for dry hands and when I have cracks on the tips of my fingers I use super glue.

I use a product called DU'IT Tough Hands. It is made in Australia and can be purchased at chemists & Woolies. It is an intensive repair cream for hard working hands. I found this was the only one that worked for my dry skin and believe me I have tried a lot of creams.

I am a true believer in the Neutrogena Hand Cream in the tube, comes in a white box/blue trim, can be found at WM. It does not take a lot. I put it on every night at bedtime and in the morning my hands are nice and soft, The Norwegian fishermen use it and I also saw it on one of the tv quilting shows, the instructor had a box of it next to her machine.

I've used the Vaseline spray to go and it has kept my hands from cracking in the winter. It is the dyes in fabric and inks in wrapping paper that cause this for me. The Spray to Go is not greasy and really works! I keep cans all aground my house.

I keep a tube of Bath and Body Works Triple Moisture Body Cream by my sewing machine and apply it often while I'm sewing as my hands get really dry. They have marvelous scents and absorb quickly. I go through several tubes a year and buy it when it's on sale - buy one get 2 free, etc.

Glad to know it's not just me that has this problem- none of the ladies in my quilting group complain about their hands being dry and cracking, so I thought it was just me. I can't stand anything on my hands either, I always seem to feel a residue and I want to wash the lotion off because it drives me nuts. My hands dry out and fingers split when handling fabric- no hand quilting just the mere handling of fabric when quilting. I've tried everything it seems, and to no avail. I wash my hands all day long. I have always had this problem with dry hands even before quilting. When I was teaching, I couldn't use chalk unless I had a holder, as that irritated my hands, couldn't use white boards, because allergic to the markers-inhalants. I have allergies to so many things. I wash my hands all the time when I'm cooking, because I can't stand anything on my hands. When I worked in offices, same because of handling paper. It seems that my skin has become more dry since I developed my thyroid problem and had to have tyhroids removed, and I thought it might have become worse due to that, read that that helps to cause dry skin. I am going to try and find the Vaseline spray, and see if that helps. I have recently been using Quench by Oil of Olay, and that doesn't seem to leave a residue, but just rubbing lotion on my hands drives me crazy. Glad to read this thread, now I know I'm not just crazy or paranoid.

You can find the Vaseline Spray and Go at WalMart, it is with the lotions. I like it because it absorbs quickly, I use it everytime I dry my hand in the kitchen..but my thumb still drys out and cracks.. Aquaphor is a good lotion it is almost like vaseline but it it medicated.

What a great thread! I have been working on flannel quilts (doing #4 right now on the frame). My hands are getting very dry and even the nails are splitting. As soon as I apply the hand cream, it helps. Thank you for the posts...especially the ones about flannels. I definitely will look for Vaseline Spray and Go the next time I shop.

dry skin caused by quilting
 

I wash all my fabric to get the chemicals and iron when ready to use with a spray water bottle. I'm a dried up old lady but never have a problem with my hands. Vi