My hands are in bits... Any tips?

[KatnissMellark]

Global pandemic, newborn and a coldsore have combined to result in epic levels of handwashing and anti-baccing (possibly more than is proportionate, but can you be too careful in the circumstances?). I'm making sure to dry thoroughly and using handcream, but still my hands are pretty sore, dry, red and just generally horrible and uncomfortable. Does anyone have any tips or recommendations to keep them in better condition?

I use Sudocrem. My knuckles were very sore. Sudocrem seems to have done the trick and they’re much better.

I can get very sore cracked hands if I don't use either La Rochay possay or O'Keefe's working hands. If I had to pick I'd say O'Keefe's is better as it's thicker the La Rochay is a bit too runny.

Good old Vaseline always does the trick for me, just use sparklingly.

I find most creams make my hands worse. I use E45 with vaseline on top, or even just the vaseline. I put it on when I go to bed and reapply if I wake in the night.

You need O'Keefe's Working Hands handcream. You only need to use a little bit and although it goes a bit gritty as you start rubbing it in, keep rubbing and it will absorb. Doesn't make your hands feel greasy and will sort them out after a few days. I buy the one in a tub, there's one in a tube too but I'm not sure how it differs. More liquid I guess - the tub one is like a balm.

Use bar soap rather than liquid soap. It was a game changer with my awful dry hands which used to get so cracked they would bleed. As long as you are washing them properly then bar soap is just as effective as liquid soap and it doesn’t need to be antibacterial. Also ditch the antibacterial hand gel at home. A proper wash with bar soap periodically is fine if you’re not going out. Remember that your baby needs to be exposed to some germs to help to build his immune system.

Also have a look at your shampoo and shower gel. Some shampoos make my hands a million times worse. I use Beauty Kubes shampoo now and it doesn’t aggravate my hands at all.

I agree, bar soap rather than liquid soap made the biggest difference for me. I also like the blue Aveeno hand cream.

Another one saying ditch the anti bac hand soap. It's unnecessary in terms of you are just washing off germs not killing them, my hands were a mess, red, sore and cracked and since I stopped using that they have been transformed.

Also only use the alcohol hand gel if you are out and have no way of washing your hands with soap and water.

A thick layer of cream with cotton gloves overnight will help to start healing them.

So I agree with the points above re use bar soap, only use hand sanitizer where necessary, use gloves for washing up.

Product recommendations include flexitol for hands.

My hands were literally cracked and bleeding from covid 19 washing and hand sanitizer from multiple hospital appointments. This had gone on for 5 weeks. Misery. Then I started my chemo. My nurse said because the chemo affects my skin regeneration, I need to cream my hands 4-5 times daily. I literally put alarms on my phone and I do this now. It has totally healed up my hands in 10 days. So this is my recommendation.

Another vote for O'Keefe's Working Hands - it's easily the best hand cream I've ever used. My hands were cracked and bleeding and this stuff got them back to normal in about three days. Slather it on before bed!

Sorry, addendum.
Because of using so much, I am slowly trying out different products from old lists on here. Flexitol is good. Hemp handcream is ok. Neutrogena/white Nivea/aqueous cream all seem very similar. Dark Nivea or astral is much thicker but would be ok at night under cotton gloves. I like dermot 100, which is prescribed for eczema but you can get otc from pharmacists I rate this alongside flexitol.

I haven't tried the o'Keefes but it is recommended a lot so on my list to try.

For sensory pleasure I have loved Neal's Yard. Tisserand and Crabtree and Evelyn are out of stock everywhere.

But as I said, the key seems to be proactive regular moisturizing. The nurse said "with any double base cream" so I think just doing it is key. Tbh I don't know what double base cream is exactly but she had been a bit dense when I questioned her about mouthwash brands and types, and it was a painful telephone appointment, so I didn't go there

*dermol

Neutrogenia unscented concentrated hand cream. I suffer from eczema and always have dry hands and this is the only thing that keeps my hands moisturised without flare ups

Starface double base is an emollient prescribed for eczema, ds has used it. You can also buy it in the chemist.
I use the Body Shop hemp hand cream and it is brilliant. Try to put it on when you know you won't wash your hands fo an hour or so e.g before a car journey, before going for a walk, bedtime. Then it has more chance to soak in.

I soaked my hands in washing up liquid and the acetone to remove nail varnish ( not my smartest move) and the skin was peeling off my hands only thing that worked for me was atrixo cream worked really well Fiancé is a landscaper and his hands can get awful he swears by it to

Another vote for Neutrogena unscented concentrated hand cream
Nivea soft isn't too bad either
My skins awful and regularly cracks and bleeds.i find sudacrem makes mine worse..
Bar soaps also do.i have moisturising hand wash
Anytime you know won't have hands in water for a while add a little cream.at night pop on thick layer and gloves

This is a weird one but do your products contain an ingredient called linalool?

This makes my contact dermatitis flare up but since eradicating it from the house DH's hands have been in much better condition, he would have described his hands a lot like yours before.

I had exactly the same problem due to hand washing. I started using rubber gloves when washing up, and those thin latex ones when cleaning, simply to protect my hands, and keep them out of water. At night I used Sudocrem - when they were red and sore - and wore cotton gloves, available in Boots.
That healed them quite quickly, and I now use E45 cream regularly, or Diprobase which is excellent.

I use Dove (bar) soap. My hands were getting raw with all the washing, but with dove they are absolutely fine. You really don't need antibacterial soap, or anything harsh.

Yep another one who's moved away from liquid to bar soap. I also use Aveeno daily moisturising creamy oil lotion but have added a generous squirt of bio oil into it (I buy the Aveeno in the pump bottle) and that's been wonderful not just in what were sore itchy hands but dry skin on my legs and feet as well. You only need about a pea sized amount for your hands. It leaves my skin feeling like silk.

If you are doing washing up by hand, put on some lotion/cream and wear lined rubber gloves. Your skin will feel lovely afterwards.

I agree with other posters about switching to a bar soap. My hands were awful but have been much better since I started using Faith in Nature Lavender bar soap.
I also recommend Aldi hand moisturiser. They do a really rich one in a white and red tube.

Another vote for Aveeno - the green cream one in the pump bottle.

The pump bottle is key as the hard bit is using it often enough - put some on every time you walk past it and every time you've washed your hands. Also put it on at bedtime with cotton gloves.

I find the same as alot of other posters. When I was constantly using liquid soap my hands would bleed. I've changed to a dive bar soap and my hands have cleared right up.

Bar of soap rather than liquid soap. Nipple cream (lanolin) on the hands overnight. The advantage of using nipple cream on your hands is that it's safe for the baby to eat if you are breastfeeding and using your hand to help them latch on.

But my hands are also knackered from pandemic and motherhood. I have to put my while arm in her bathwater to test the temperature as my hands are so toughened by all the washing they are desensitised!

Body shop hemp hand cream is the best for me. Good and thick and greasy!