Really awful dry skin on my hands - recommendations?

[spilttheteaagain]

I'm 24 and DH describes me as having the hands of a 90 year old... they maybe aren't quite that bad but they are like sandpaper, terribly wrinkled and sore .

I've used E45 by the bucketload in the past and every so often get prescribed steroid creams (betnovate??) to clear up really sore/irritated skin. Currently using Doublebase (a paraffin based cream) which is also a POM, but nothing seems to sort me out and actually make the skin on my hands feel like the rest of my skin iyswim

Anyone found any cream or treatment that's worked for really dry chapped hands?

i love neutrogena hand cream - is more like vaseline bu not greasy and makes hands lovely. my hands split in between my fingers where i wear rings if too cold but tis sorts em right out

plus, i've just got over a horrid cold and had that attractive dry peely nose thing going on - dab of this cream sorted that out as well

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula, every day before leaving the house and putting gloves on.

I find that applying a really thick, greasy cream at night and wearing cotton gloves really helps my hands in one night.

As for creams, I currently have a gorgeous aloe vera lavendar massage cream which I am using as hand cream. It's from Forever Living, and it works really well.

Agree with HinnyPet, Norwegian formula handcream is splendid

i use the body shop hemp hand protector, it is ££ but well worth it IMHO. It is the only thing i can use, including prescription stuff.

I love the smell to but it is like marmite-you either love it or hate it.

For real heavy duty treatment I have some Lansinoh left over from breastfeeding, stick some of that on my hands with gloves overnight every now and then makes a big diference. So does Flexitol heel crack cream. For every day, I agree with Neutrogena.

thats the stuff! knew it was something scandinvian

Fab, thanks for all replies. Sounds like Neutrogena is a popular bet so I'll give that a go.

Is Lansinoh an over the counter one as well?

Aveeno Cream, not the hand cream IME is great. Boots stock it.

this is the most amazing cream I have ever used
I have had eczema on my hands for the last 35 years on and off. it has left me with dreadful skin thin and easily chapped and dry.

I bought some of this as it was on special offer and I thought I would try it.
My hands have HONESTLY never been so smooth and calm they don't chap so easily.

I know this sounds like an advert - in fact I love it so much I would go on an advert

...the link's not working...what's it called?

ps... I can't use the same range body lotion, it has different ingredients.

DH has had real problems with his hands this winter - they dried out and cracked and were very painful.
He has found using Dermashield everyday and moisturising with Burt's Bees almond hand cream every night has healed them.
He does need to use the Dermashield everyday or they regress

If you want to indulge, then L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter is the business... it is the only thing that works on my elephant hide hands.

garnier hand repair with maple sap will try to find another link

Garnier Hydralock is good but stinky.
The Flexitol one is good but even more stinky.

Ooh GreySkull that does sound good!

I feel an expensive trip to Boots coming on as I test out several of these suggestions. Tbh my hands are sore enough that for once I don't think I'll even bat an eyelid at the cost

A really, really thick layer of aqueous cream, then cotton gloves every night works absolute miracles. For more effect, soaking your hands in warm water, then rubbing in avocado oil, then slapping on the aqueous cream can turn my hands around from splitting to soft overnight

CMOT that's interesting about using oils. I had wondered about baby oil or olive oil or something like that. My mum swears by baby oil for sorting out dry skin on legs after shaving.

I second aquaeous cream. I slap loads on when mine get really bad before bed and they are great the next day

I don't like baby oil, as the mineral oil just sits on your skin (but does lock the water in), wheras avocado oil really nourishes.

My mum has totally minging eczema, so I've grown up with how to manage ultra dry skin with minimal product as she is sensitive to a lot of things found in hand creams

You can use aqueous cream as a hand wash as well, which might help you.

Neutrogena is the only one that works for me. Without it my hands will crack and bleed - with it (I put it on at bedtime and sometimes wear cotton gloves from Boots on top to intensify the effect) my hands are very soft.

Lansinoh is over the counter, it is for cracked nipples (it's 100% lanolin). So it is with the baby stuff rather than the handcreams. Might not find it in smaller branches of Boots but is on their website, I got mine in Mothercare. You have to warm the tube up in this weather!

Another vote for L'occitaine Shea Butter if you can stretch to that, it's my absolute favourite.