OK so my hands are cracked and sore - what's the best hand cream out there

[JolieGirl]

My hands are chapped really badly. The constant washing of bottles, baths, cleaning up after children plus the central heating on more than usual and the cold weather have meant they have never been so bad! Normally a liberal cating of Neutrogena or any Molten Brown handcream does the job, but not any more! Any top tips - please please please

Meant coating obv not cating

there is a swedish formula i have, and have also read about here.
oh and i had somethign from body shop once,

rubber gloves are required to start with. Clarins hand cream is actually very good

molton brown isn't cutting it for me either - am off tomorrow to get body shop hemp hand cream - i don't like the smell but its very good.

hemp hand cream, at night, wearing cotton gloves

daytime clarins or dove

that's it hemp cream from body shop,
does smell funny though

i don't know if its just me but i seem to build up an immunity to hand creams and have to regularly switch - will also get some clarins tomorrow for daytime.

marvellous, know if you can buy the hemp cream online?

hehe that was rather lazy of me - body shop do have a website, hurrah, will try asap. thanks ladies!

Aveeno cream. You get it at Boots. It's surprisingly good.

I alo second any hand cream and cotton gloves overnight. Not very sexy but works very well!

Cotton gloves overnight really help... L'Occitance En Provence shea butter hand cream is great. Its expensive but lasts ages

If they are really bad, try the cracked heel cream overnight.

I'm sitting here spreading waitrose bum butter liberally over the keyboard

I'm with tillyscoutsmum on the L'Occitane shea butter.

Nappy rash cream has done wonders for mine - Sudocream or Tesco's own.

Also, HC45 which is a hydrocortisone and you can but ovet the counter.

Neutrogena is very good.

Definitely Body Shop hemp cream. It is the absolute best

Over the counter cortisone cream for the cracks then hemp for the maintenance. Far better than Molton Brown and a lot cheaper.

Ooh yes that neutrogena concentrated one with a red top. Its a bit more like a gel. Tis dead good.

Ditto the hemp body shop one and wearing cotton gloves. Am using 'sanctuary' kit at mo that I got for christmas which seems to be working v nicely

I have been using L'Occitance En Provence shea butter hand cream but have run out so am now using the Hemp cream from Body Shop which is definately better IMO.

I had to see a Dermatologist and after some strong steroid ointments was told:

only use Dove unscented soap, NOTHING else
Use Aquaphor or Vaseline, NOTHING else

I still have cracked hands

Neutrogena concentrated stuff (red top), definitely. This is from someone whose hands are often cracked so much that they seriously look as though I have been thumping brick walls - until I get my act together and start using the cream regularly.

..except that isn't working for you, according to your OP. Gloves for all household tasks and frequent (as in every time you wash your hands) small applications.

..and if you use Biotex or biological detergents, stop - I finally worked out that is what really does for my hands.

Buy a large tub of Boots aqueous cream and slap it on at night - with cotton gloves if you have them or else without and wait til it absorbs in. It is really cheap, contains no perfume that will irritate chapped skin and does the trick brilliantly. Use it in the same way for your feet too!
For added luxury, I use clarins hand and nail cream during the day as it smells fabulous.
Wear rubber gloves for household chores or the latex ones if you find them easier and apply handcream after handwashing - keep a little tube near the basin so you don't forget.

E45. Slap it on, pull on your rubber gloves and do the dishes. Works a treat.

Thank you all so much! I ordered the hemp cream from Body Shop's website yesterday - £5.00 and free delivery btw and it arrived this morning and I have been slathering it on constantly and do you know what it is bloody BRILLIANT!!! Just thought you'd like to know that a) I appreciate your superb advice and b) that the body shop's online service is fab....