Dry hands

[skorpion]

My hands are awfully dry, I mean rough, crackling skin. It actually split twice on my right thumb, just at the nail. I have used tonnes of creams, they all work for about three minutes at a time. I have small children so wash my hands constantly, but this is ridiculous. Does anybody know of a remedy, please?

The only remedy is to stop washing your hands so much. Easier said than done, I know.

It sounds like hand eczema. Try replacing all your soaps, shower gels and shamposs with Sodium Lauryl Sulphate free ones and make sure you wear gloves to wash any dishes by hand. I use simple derma as a hand cream 3-4 times a day and this keeps my hands relatively crack free most of the time.
My sympathies though, because it's miserable when it's bad.

wash your hands with aqueous cream - it is nice and cheap and fine for washing with (my friend had an awful skin condition and used it instead of shower gel and it made a huge difference). Use hand cream everytime you wash your hands - buy ones with pumps and put them by every sink so you don't have an excuse. Then at night massage some oil into your hands before putting on hand cream in a thicker layer - top with cotton gloves and go to sleep! Your hands will improve dramatically in a matter of days (and feel more comfortable immediately).

I have this and was using Norweigan hand cream, which was ok.

But my Mum gave me a tube of Nivea Q10 age defy hand cream (I think it's called) and it's great. My hands are really soft and have healed nicely (I had cracks across the middle joints of every finger before).

Exactly the same here until I started using plain olive oil, and now my hands are soft and smooth, with none of that horrible stinging or greasy residue you get with normal handcreams. Try rubbing a few drops in after every hand wash - wish I'd discovered this years ago.

I'm also using it on my face (oil cleansing method) following recommendations on these boards and that also works a treat.

I now use solid olive oil soap from the health food shop and nelsons calendular cream or aveeno handcream. Also using rubber gloves for cleaning and washing up.

Has really made a difference.

I know just what you mean about those little splits at the side of your nail,

I have special lotion from the dermatologist but washing hands less helps a lot (difficult with small children, I know). And using SLS-free soaps and NEVER liquid soap. Strangely, I can use Soap and Glory stuff with no problem, I don't know why because I usually react very badly to anything.

Can anyone recommend any SOS free hand soap?

SLS I mean (damn iPad argggggg)

same here, bought some aveeno recently and that seems to work well , also the neutrogena hand cream

I use the so surge brand from Waitrose.

Neutrogena is fab. I have also found Gloves in a Bottle. It acts as a barrier so your hands don't dry out more. It needs to dry but then you can put hand cream on top. Also body shop hemp range good. Oil and cream.

Cheap and effective - and you most likely have it in your home - vaseline. A big pot for £1 from PoundLand. I keep a pot by my sinks and a pot by my bed, great for hands, elbows, knees, feet ...... It worth a try.

E45 cream. Use through day, but smother hands at night before bed. Great for dry feet too!

Mindy's Vaseline too.

Have to say Nivea products are great.

I saw an interview with a hand model on BBC Breakfast recently and she said she had tried every hand cream known to man and in her opinion, the best thing to use on your hands and nails is Almond oil!

Try Flexitol hand balm - it doesn't smell very nice (at all) but it is AMAZING! My hands were wrecked as with twins in nappies I was washing them constantly but within seconds of applying your hands are just so supple and normal again! It's about £5 in Boots, you only need a little bit twice a day so it lasts quite a long time, I had tried a lot of hand creams too but am a total convert!

Sorry for no reples - been away. Thanks for great advice!

I tried my leftover lansinoh in desperation a couple of nights ago and it was great. But way too expensive to become a routine. So thanks again for the tips.

I have same problem and use hand cream twenty times a day, currently using CCS foot cream (similar to flexitol I think). Its cheap and I've seen it in Boots.

Skorpion, I use lansinoh on my cuticles and a little goes a long way. Also use as a lip balm overnight

I was going to suggest Lansinoh overnight...a little goes a very long way and it sorted my hands out in no time when I was in a similar situation.

I use Scholl Deep Moisturising Cream on my v dry hands and it's great - they were splitting and looked very old and wrinkly. It's only about £2-3, from the footcare section in supermarkets etc, and has urea in which is also the ingredient in Flexitol (although Flexitol has the most hence it is so effective at moisturising). Also, swapping your washing up gloves for the latex-free 'sensitive' version might help.