Contact dermatitis on hands

[cakedup]

I've had this for years now, and although I use lots of prescribed handcream which I'm sure helps, my hands are still in a pretty bad state and I'm embarrassed to get them out!

Just wondering if anyone else has had this and tried something (whether it was a product or a lifestyle change) that really worked.

I've tried steroid handcream before but want to avoid this as it potentially makes it worse. I wear gloves when I wash up/clean the bath.

Admittedly, I rarely use the Dermol handcream the dr prescribed for me to use as a handwash because I just don't feel they clean enough! I feel I need to use antibacterial handwash for when I've been to the loo or scooped the cat litter for example.

Most handwashes are detergent chemicals and chuck out a big blob, which is difficult to rinse off properly. I don't know if proper liquid soap would be better. I just use a plain bar of pure soap and it was much better.

Be sure to dry your hands properly with a soft towel.

Watch out for nasty chemicals in shampoo and things too.

Simple and Dove would be both on my banned list for having SLS in. Dove, I don't care if you are 1/3rd moisturising cream if the other 2/3rds is shit that is toxic to my hands.

I've never changed my diet either. Eventually, once my skin cleared up, I could give up on the moisturising too and just stick to ensuring I used SLS-free wash products at all times and gloves for doing housework.

Have you tried Helan tape? It's a steroid tape that is the only thing that cured my hands when they were at their cracked, sore & flaky worst! You put it on at night - sleep in it and the stuff is magic!

I find using sanex hypo allergenic shower gel & E45 body moisturiser helped.

The main thing is to give up housework

I appreciate I am coming across like an obsessed person here but Sanex gives me the rage. It markets itself as all skin friendly but it has SLS as the second ingredient (after water) in every one of it's showergels.

That is not a skin-friendly product. That's just using advertising guff about 'hypo-allergenic' a phrase which means nothing, while carrying on exactly the same as every other mainstream showergel manufacturer.

I'll go away now and stop ranting

oatlybaristasista never heard of it but a quick search online and I can see it's not easily available. Where did you get yours from? Was it prescribed?

I know what you mean Hulder . It's a con.

Yes Helan tape is prescribed by GP. It is quite expensive & my Dr complained about this, but relented in the end. I was given it by a dermatologist at the hospital originally.

That's interesting about Sanex - it doesn't effect me, but my daughter always complains that it stings her. I might switch to Aveeno now

My husband had this on his hands years ago and dermatologist told him not to use any kind of liquid soap especially the antibacterial soaps as they are aggrivating. We only ever have hard soap in our house now. Shower gels can also be aggrivating to skin as takes more chemicals to make a product liquid than a hard soap. Dove soap seems to be good for him.

@TidyBadger Turmeric is more towards Naturopathy. Its a natural healer. Just try it.

Thank you @bingebiscuiteater if I get a flare up I will give it a go. My hands have been clear for a while now though.
Does it not make your skin orange?