Help my hands! (Please - pic included)

[Whereareallthejellyfish]

I have incredibly dry hands, to the point where they split/crack over the knuckles and I feel like I have tried everything!

I always make sure I dry them properly, they are in and out of water a lot at home as all Mum's hands tend to be, but I always give them a proper dry.

I've tried so many creams/lotions/gloves at night and nothing seems to help

Does anyone have any tried and tested ideas?

I also have very dry skin on my hands. The obvious thing is to use gloves, every time you wash up or do any housework. I know it's a pain taking them on and off all the time but it's the best thing to do.
Use hand cream multiple times a day. I'm currently using a Clarins one, but anything rich.

Def gloves for washing up/ cleaning (and put handcream on before you put the gloves on as the warmth of the hot water will help the cream absorb) and then handcream every time you wash your hands (even just a tiny bit). Also try changing your hand soap as that may be something you are sensitive to/

You need to be very very consistent with creams, a couple of times a day and always overnight.

You could also try an oil

The only thing that's helped mine (which were in a similar state as yours last week) is having surgery followed by recovery time (= no housework, changing nappies, doing things that necessitate a lot of hand washing, etc). After just a couple of days of reduced hand washing and using moisturiser, there was a huge improvement. Almost a week on, my hands are practically baby soft again!

So what this tells me is that I need to reduce the hand washing...

I don't like wearing rubber gloves due to the smell that lingers on the skin afterwards if you don't wash your hands after use(!) but I am considering buying some light cotton gloves that I can wear as an additional barrier between rubber and skin... perhaps that'll work?!

I also tend not to moisturise in between tasks if I know I have a housework heavy few hours, but I'm considering changing that.

Neutrogena Norweigan Formula. I have extremely sensitive skin & this has worked for me for years.

I might be missing something here (brand of moisturiser or brand of rubber gloves?) but don't your hands then end up increasingly 'gunky' with old moisturiser if you use the gloves a lot? Or am I doing something wrong by using my rubber gloves until they spring a leak?! Genuine question, this isn't a 'MN raised eyebrow' type post, I'd love to be able to put moisturiser and gloves on, then take them off afterwards and not feel as though my hands are gunky/rubbery... (I've tried multiple times!)

Lansinoh. Trust me. It’s advertised as nipple cream, ignore that, it’s just lanolin. Put lots on before going to bed and put some cotton groves on.

@Poppins2016 the secret is not using a lot of moisturiser each time. Just like a pea size, quick rub and then gloves on. If you really don't like the feeling, pop cotton gloves on first (from the first aid section in Boots or on Amazon) and then you can wash them occasionally.

Wear gloves when washing up

Moisturise every time you wash your hands

CeraVe cleansers and hand cream are expensive, but good.

Exactly the same issue here, all the bottle washing and hand washing has dried my hands out. I use steroid cream on mine but I'm terrible at keeping up with it, the cold weather hasn't helped either

Aveeno is very good for sore, dry skin. Anything oat based.
The latest skin care thing is to apply a layer of something really occlusive like Vaseline over your normal hand cream just before bed. Wear cotton gloves.

BUT also check it's not a reaction to something. My mum discovered after decades of sore hands that she was allergic to certain perfumes.

Yes to rubber gloves and moisturizer. I recommend buying a couple of pump hand moisturizer bottles and keeping one next to the sink and another one in the bathroom you use most.

Also, quite pricey, but La Roche Posay Lipikar Surgrass is like washing with a moisturizer, so may be an alternative if you know you will not be consistent in moisturizing after hand washing.

O'Keeffe's working hands, my father in law had terrible cracked skin on his hands, I bought him some O'Keeffe's after reading about it on here. The stuff is amazing and I use it myself now.

Do you use rubber gloves when you wash up?

Mine get like this if they come into contact with any cleaning products at all or if I'm staying at a friend's house/hotel where my hands don't like whatever hand soap they have.

O’keeffes Working Hands. It worked miracles for me. Get it on Amazon.

Thank you for all the replies. I don't tend to do a lot of washing up as we have a dishwasher but I do admit I don't use rubber gloves when I do get my hands wet, nor do I wear them for cleaning. I don't really like them but I suppose I will have to suck it up!

Thank you for the tips around the pump bottles near the places your hands get wet and to only put a small amount on before the rubber gloves

I will give all the tips a go 😊

Atrixo hand cream is really good. My hands are the same as yours and I find it really effective.

This hand cream is the best one I have found by a mile. My hands were exactly like yours but this did really help. Obviously nothing is a magic answer and you do need to remember to apply it etc but it was much more effective than other ones I tried, even more expensive ones. I keep lots of bottles all around the house so it is easily accessible and I see it so it reminds me! I hate wearing gloves for cleaning/washing up but I do accept that they help.

Big yes to ruber gloves. With cotton glove inners if you need.
the other one is stop using liquid soap and switch to plain bar soap, also avoid anti bac hand gel - again, just wash with plain soap.

I have exactly this.

• it happens when the temp drops below 6c
• I don’t do washing up
• I only use Body Shop or Faith In Nature hand soap in my house, if I do that and then have to use harsher ones other places it’s enough to keep it at bay
• Aveeno moisturising lotion overnight

and those things together have solved it!

My hands go like that if I don't use aveeno hand cream or nivea soft (nothing else seems to work) several times a day a especially before bed. I sometimes use apricot face scrub on them before putting the cream on (but maybe don't do that if they're bleeding)

Wooly gloves when it's cold too

Gloves and this lavender cream www.gingerlyeco.com/our-tiny-bees-hand-balm , seems to stop the cuts getting infected.

The Body Shop hemp cream is good, or something more like Cetraben. I also love l'Occitane creams.

O’keefes -sold in boots, supermarkets..loads of places. I’m washing my hands all day and I’ve ended up with deep splits in my thumbs. I just put this on repeatedly and they are healed in no time.

www.amazon.co.uk/OKeeffes-Working-Hands-Hand-Cream/dp/B00121UVU0/ref=asc_df_B00121UVU0/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=226592631289&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5719498533413399550&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045255&hvtargid=pla-318773778919&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

My hands are awful in the winter.

Do you use liquid soap? Switching to bar soap has really helped me. As has wearing rubber gloves when using any sort of cleaning product.