skin cream for flaky, cracked skin on hands

[BrizzleDrizzle]

What skin creams do you all use? I've tried E45 and Aveeno but it's like my skin is on fire when I use it. I can't wear any gloves or put my hands in my pockets because it's so sore.

Any recommendations please? I religiously avoid scratching it but despite that my skin keeps cracking and bleeding - it's not a good look.

Poor you, that sounds awful. I wonder if you'd be better off using some cortisone cream to heal your hands before you put any moisturising creams on them. It sounds like some kind of dermatitis.

Just for perspective I wash my hands a lot, cooking etc, and in the winter I get very dry hands - my fingertips get scratchy like sandpaper - but they never get so bad I can't wear gloves.

My only other thought is that some Vaseline or barrier cream (like nappy cream) might help protect them and it isn't likely to sting.

My uncle has just had really badly cracked sore hands as a side-effect of chemo. The hospital recommended he got a cream with urea in, like Flexitol or similar. It has really helped so might be worth a try

Failing that Neutrogena hand cream is supposed to have been developed initially for use on trawlers so might help

I use the hemp hand cream from the body shop or boots no 7 protect and perfect. I suffer from the same and think these are the most effective

thanks, it is pretty uncomfortable as it stings all the time. I've got some vaseline in so I'll try that for now and see how it goes.

O'Keeffe's Working Hands!

You can buy it on Amazon. It is amazing. I have painful dry red angry itchy hands from cold weather and washing them a lot at work, and slathering this on at night has worked wonders.

I’m allergic to E45. Try La Roche Posay Lipikar.

I would try the Vaseline... the neutorgina recommended is good it's very thick and rich, I have also used the hemp one from body shop which is brilliant... (I'm obsessive with hand moisturising I've tried quite a few) what is it that's making your skin so dry do you know?

I'm assuming it's the cold as it's suddenly got cold. I got it last winter but nowhere near like this as I've got unsightly scabs where it's been bleeding. I do quite a lot of washing up but I can't wear rubber gloves as the stuff on the inside of them irritates my skin.

I have dermatitis and I feel your pain! Your doctor can prescribe a steroid ointment to help reduce the flare up (you can buy a low dose one over the counter). I use Zeroderm (you can buy over the counter) and Child's Farm moisturiser. With washing up I put on cotton gloves then the rubber gloves and moisturise straight over I have finished.

When my hands (or elbows) get really bad I use a good dollop of cracked heel cream - Scholl do one but Boots have their own version which is cheaper. It’s very sticky but the results are amazing (and quick)

I have the exact same problem and a week ago my hands were cracked, splitting, bleeding and so very painful like you describe. I read on another thread here to try cracked heel foot cream. I got the neutrogena Norwegian formula one. The difference in a week is unbelievable. My hands are almost normal, no cuts or pain at all and the redness is fading. I've also tried much harder to wear gloves outside at all times. This is the cream http://www.neutrogena.co.uk/product/other/norwegian-formula-cracked-heel-foot-cream

I get this problem and the only going that solves it is using hand-wash without sodium laureate sulphate (it's the foaming agent). You should find some in your health soap, in liquid or soap bar form. It clears within a couple of days.

When it was really bad any cream or even plain oil (olive, rose etc) would be agony. The only thing I could tolerate was e45 cream with urea in it . This year I don't need any cream as I'm on top of things with the correct hand-wash. I have also ditched the antibacterial hand-wash after reading on here that at best it is ineffective.

Oof, I get this, sympathies. This is what I'm doing :
Wash your hands less
Gentle washing up liquid, cleaning products, and hand wash. I love Method.
Little and often with hand cream, not slathering once a day means you're less likely to get that bad reaction. E45 never worked for me, nor did anything too oily/ greasy, like it overwhelms the skin. Chemistry or Mixa do it for me, if you want recommendations. Cover hands with fabric gloves while it sinks in - I have random clarinet gloves but mean the ones you get in a spa or posh hand cream set, you can get them in Boots. And yes, always wear gloves (the normal kind) outside in winter. I used to have to take ibuprofen until I cracked all this. Hope you find things that help.

I get this.

You can get stuff from the doctors that works but I've found putting a thick layer of Vaseline on over night and in the morning works well. And gloves outside.

Lidl sell a brilliant heavy duty hand cream. I think it’s called hand rescue, or something similar. It’s like a creamy Vaseline

Assuming it's not something you should see your GP about, I second or third the suggestion about a cream with urea in it. Flexitol is my go-to cream - the one for heels as the urea concentration is higher, and I mix in a little normal hand cream. Maybe you should use it 'straight' to start with...?
Slather it on before you go to bed, and slip on some cotton gloves if you want to. You'll wake up with much much better skin!

Oh, and take a good multi vit. I think it's the vitamin B that helps with skin.

Mum had really bad dermatitis and the only hand cream she liked was Atrixo - the one in the green pot which she said was a barrier cream. My aunt uses it religiously and then puts cotton gloves on in bed!

Try this

Through the winter I have to plaster my hands in Neutrogena Norwegian Formula every night before I go to sleep or they crack and bleed. It was on 2 for £5 in Tesco last time I looked.

I've just bought the eucerin hand cream because my hands are so dry, cracked and sore! It has 5% urea in it. I've only put it on once today (only got it this afternoon) and it didn't sting like all the others but only time will tell if it is effective

Before bed, try smothering your hands in the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula then putting cotton gloves (a quid from Amazon on top to sleep in. It works for me.

Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream is too greasy to use in the day, but works a treat for me when left on overnight.

Another vote for eucerin. I react to pretty much every other hand cream I've tried. It sorts out my red, raw, cracked hands a treat and isn't greasy. It has the urea recommended by several pp up thread. www.boots.com/eucerin-dry-skin-intensive-hand-cream-75ml-10222928?cm_mmc=bmm--Google+Boots+PLAs--BAU--C=%28GB%3AWhoop%21%29+Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Beauty+-+Mobile%28GB%3AWhoop%21%29+Eucerin&gclid=CjwKCAiA3o7RBRBfEiwAZMtSCU7UKnsrbkHtYvfw63A7g97bVLsGyafQoHRRH2Z4RySm_t9TPSnoQBoCmN8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Neutropenia definitely. My hands were sore with red,raised bumps and cuts on the backs that itched and swelled up. I tried everything. It was the only thing that worked.

Neutrogena..