Extremely dry hands

[CJ2010]

Have tried most hand creams but they dont seem to make much difference. I'm in my late twenties and my hands are worse than my Nan's! They are so dry and then the skin cracks and bleeds. The skin is really wrinkly and parched.

I wear gloves when doing the washing up, so I am trying to prevent more damage and I don't sunbathe.

What can I do? Please help!

see doctor and use prescribed steroid cream. I had exactly the same, now use that when it's really bad and a good hand cream rest of time. Doc said to slather on cream and wear cotton gloves at night too

CJ2010. My hand used to be like this. I had heard that the hemp hand cream from the body shop was very good...but had ignored this as I haven't used Body Shop stuff since I was a student.
This winter I was desperate! I could barely bend my fingers. I had been using Clarins and Estee Lauder.
Bought some of the Body Shop Hemp handcream,and now have some in my car,by my bed,in the kitchen...my hands have never felt so soft and healthy!
Maybe you have tried it unsuccessfully,if not really recommend it.

have you tried weleda skin food?
I have very dry skin on my hands as well as eczema. I put it on thickly mornings and nights and it works well for me.

Agree about talking to doctor - late 20s sounds young to be having this. Maybe you're allergic to something? Try not using liquid soaps - go back to bars of soap, that can help. I love the Body SHop Hemp hand protector - v good for cracked fingers (for avoiding them). Also maybe look at your diet - are you on a really low fat diet? Maybe you need more good fats?

Agree with not using liquid soaps, anti-bac is especially bad for me. Waitrose baby bottom butter is fantastic.

I get this at times, exacerbated by chewing the skin around my nails. I hate greasy creams though so I use a blob of Olay beauty fluid several times a day and that's helped enormously. If they're really badly cracked then diprobase is fab.

I really like Lush's Lemony Flutter which is described as a cuticle butter, but I slather it all over my hands at night and it's made a big difference.

I've had this too and definitely agree about the hand detergents (especially anti-bacterial ones). I cured mine by using aqueous cream (cheaper version of E45, get it in huge tubs from chemists) to wash my hands. You use a large blob like soap and then wash it off. It's designed to be used as a soap substitute that's what you use if you have bad eczema and it does get your hands really clean. It also really cures cracking and dryness.

use gloves all you can. I found rubbing in a little olive oil good when my hands got bad during the winter, because it doesn't irritate (me, at least!).

Also, if you have a pal in the U.S., and can stop laughing long enough to ask for it, this is the bizz

crack creme (no kidding!)

Lush helping hands / vaseline / Body shop hemp / clarins hand cream.

L'Occitane Shea Butter is excellent. Everything else irritates my hands.

Avoid liquid soap
Use gloves/surcare washing up liquid
moisturise every time you get your hands wet {I use Aveeno, prescribed)
get cream prescribed by dr (I get fucidin h, when skin is cracking/blistered)
Cream with cotton gloves overnight is good as is Lansinoh on open cracks.

Thnaks for all your messages, I am guilty of using anti bac liquid soaps! I didn't realise they could cause dryness.

I'll give the Body SHop Hemp handcream a go, haven't tried that. Some of you have suggested going to see the doctor, do you think it could be a skin condition? I only get this dryness on my hands.

I have been using Aveeno, which does help but it's so expensive.

You can now sometimes get aqueous in a pump dispenser, which is much more convenient for keeping by the sink.

Also look at creams containing urea, such as Eucerin and Garnier Hydralock.

yes could be eczema, I mainly get it on my hands.
it's a case of trial and error, you have to find what works for you.
I have discovered that my hands get worse if I use moisturisers with petroleum or silicone (dimethicone). I use weleda skin food mornings and nights an weleda almond soothing facial cream during the day.
my hands are still more wrinkly than the rest of my skin, but at least they don't itch and I don't have outbreak very often.

My hands frequently get to that state - bleeding knuckles and joints through overwashing (esp during the potty-training years).

I use Aveeno hand cream and have just swapped to soap bars. I'd love to use Kiehl's ultimate salve but can't afford it anymore. It sorted mine out really quickly.