Hand care advice

[Broccolirevolution]

Can anyone help me sort out my hands? They are sunddenly a horrible mess and they are a focus point at work so people are looking at them all day (and probably being disgusted)
I have horrible dry skin on my hands - especially my thumbs.
My fingernails grow easily and are strong. I file them short and use Polish but suddenly the sides and cuticle areas are looking rough.
I will go for a manicure to sort them out but what can I do at home to keep them in better condition?
I'd love all product and care advice please.

The Body Shop hemp handcream sorted out my "witch's hands" as my dcs called them 😀

I love hand cream, let me tell you what I am currently using. William Morris or Morris &Co shea butter hand cream. Smells great and leaves you with silky hands. I've only hand it since christmas and will def repurchase.
Crabtree & Evelyn gardeners hand therapy is another of my favourites.

Thanks! I'm laughing at 'witches hands'. Looking at mine, I think I have 'farmers hands' they look like I've been out toiling in all weather. I haven't.

My hands used to literally crack open. I use a layer of Aveeno followed by a layer of Body Shop Hemp, which acts to seal it in. It has changed them beyond recognition after years of misery.

Also DH bought me a tub of O'Keeffe's Working Hands hand cream after a colleague recommended it to him and it's also very good.

I haven't seen it before so not sure where you'd buy it. Amazon maybe?

File the side wall of your nail, this can help prevent rag nails. Also gently push back cuticles when you are out of the shower, ideally with another nail. Be careful not to rip them and keep them in one piece as again it can lead to them looking awful!!

Getting a manicure is a good start - they will sort out your cuticles. I go for a manicure about once a month to keep everything in good order, then file my nails myself every 2-3 days. I just cannot sort out my own cuticles though!

Handcream every time you wash your hands if possible, but minimum 3 times a day. I love Vaseline Intensive Care (the white tube). A cuticle oil might be useful - I use CND Solar Oil. Wear rubber gloves during washing up or any other cleaning jobs

O'Keefe's working hand cream. Is only available on Amazon, but is amazing stuff. Well worth it.

That's great, thanks everyone for taking the time to offer advice.
Looks like a manicure, cuticle oil and some O'keefes for me.

I dont think many people do it anymore but don't let anyone cut your cuticles! Good luck OP :)

Definitely aveeno - I also bought some regular almond oil to rub in my cuticle (I get those hangnails) and it's made my nails much more presentation.

I always use a moisturiser after washing my hands and gloves for either indoor or outdoor extreme temperature so hot water or frosty morning.
I believe the cuticle is the thin layer on your nail, not the piece of skin that grows along it. Common mistake apparently.

Sometimes the skin around the tip of my thumbs crack and I also pick my cuticles along with dry hands (attractive) and the only cream that helps is Aveeno. I also rub in Burts Bees lemon cuticle cream to try and stop my picking.

Ah sorry, by cuticle I mean the skin around the nails

I agree do not let anyone cut the hard pulley bit around your nails, I had a pedicure once and I was butchered, my toes were bleeding all over the shop and then my toe nails grew and were white and bumpy and flakey, I will never again have a pedicure. It was so painful I had to Sudo cream my toes for days! Aveeno is amazing stuff. And nail oil too.

Carry a tube of L'Occitane shea hand cream and apply often. Get a good cuticle remover - I like Marvala and use when you file your nails. Push cuticles back at this time, too. I like the Wah London cuticle pusher. Apply CND Cuticle Eraser or oil before bed every night. Check out tutorials on YouTube, too.

maud I got some of that William Morris handcream for Christmas too, it's gorgeous isn't it?

OP, almond oil rubbed around your cuticles at night will help. And I have handcream by every basin in the house, and a small one in my handbag, so I apply it EVERY time I wash my hands, and I use rubber gloves whenever I'm doing washing up or bathroom cleaning.

Bluebell it's heaven. Did you get the trilogy tin too? The smell makes me nostalgic.

Maud yes i did. It's such a pretty tin too (once I'd got the b*y label off!), it matches my bedroom so I'm trying to think of something to use it for.

I get weird little dry patches on the sides of my index fingers which crack. I use a foot moisturisers with urea, worn with corn gloves overnight. Sorts it right out

Mmmm, delicious corn gloves

Cotton, obviously

I haven't managed to get the label off either. It's found a job on my desk though.

Thanks again - buying a few hand creams and putting them in different places sounds like a great idea. I'll do that for sure.

For the skin around the nails use a nail oil twice a day.

I was sceptical until I used it.

I'm another one that has a tube of hand cream everywhere, in my car, bag, every sink, by the bed, in the key drawer. So it's more frequency rather than specific product, I own all sorts of brands.

Rub oil into cuticles at night, that really helps.