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Original poster

My hands are so dry

27 replies

mistletoeandjuan · 10/12/2009 08:20

What can I use? I've tried so many moisturisers -vaseline intensive care, the Norwegian one, body shop hemp, l'occitane, tesco value etc etc. but the longest they work for is about half an hour, then hands are back to horrible dry cracking state they were before.

Any miracle products? Or do I really have to wear rubber gloves when I'm washing up (I hate them!)

OP posts:
hohoholepew · 10/12/2009 08:22

There is a free handcream with Marie Claire at the moment (Crabtree ans Evelyn?) I've found it pretty good.

hohoholepew · 10/12/2009 08:23

And yes to rubber gloves

GoldenSnitch · 10/12/2009 08:29

Before bed, coat your hands in a really thick coat of Vaseline then put on cotton gloves.

The warmth of the bed will help the Vaseline soak in and by the morning you should have wonderfully soft hands.

Also works will with thick emollient creams like E45 or Diprobase...

And buy a dishwasher

Original poster
mistletoeandjuan · 10/12/2009 10:14

Thanks - that's a good idea re the vaseline and gloves - I'm sure it will add to my general nighttime attractiveness as well! DH already despairs of my comfy pajamas

I have got a dishwasher (thank goodness) - it's just DD's bottles & expressing stuff that I do by hand and it's too fiddly with gloves (plus I hate them - did I mention that? )

OP posts:
Bucharest · 10/12/2009 10:15

Tisserand essential oil rich is wonderful, smells fabulous and really really works.

shootfromthehip · 10/12/2009 10:20

The Aldi handcreams are great, particularly the anti aging one. They are also about £2 which makes them appeal even more. I have never bought a better handcream despite paying out loads for them. Give it a try.

motherbeyond · 10/12/2009 10:26

you should also check with your g.p..since dd was born 3 years ago,my hands have been awful.dry cracked and sometimes bleeding.been to docs and every time they've said it's excema and given me cream.which works for a while (like you say op) but then return to dreadful state. went to see a different dr,who took one look and said :

"oh,you've got a fungal infection (attractive) do you wash your hands a lot ?"
me: yes, am a bit ott about clean hands since lo's arrived"
he told me he gets loads of hairdressers coming in with it because they have their hands in water a lot.
he prescribed me some cannisten (spelling?) and for the first time in 3 years,i have normal hands!
but if its just dry hands,then the gloves,and crabtree and evelyn are good treatments.you can also have a paraffin wax hand treatment in beauty salons (had tried everything before found the answer!)
it's rather lovely,they exfoliate your hands,then paint them with warm melted wax,then put them into heated mittens for 20 mins or so,then wash and moisturise....mmmm

sh77 · 10/12/2009 11:17

Body Shop hemp cream is the best.

abitchilly · 10/12/2009 11:55

a good barrier cream

GentleOtter · 10/12/2009 12:11

As old fashioned as the hills but try rubbing Snowfire in to them at night. It takes ages to absorb into the skin but is very good. Excellent for hacks and chilblains.

Original poster
mistletoeandjuan · 11/12/2009 14:29

Ooh - lots of options to try -am a bit at the thought that it might be a fungal infection. I'll try some of the suggestions first and see if there's any improvement. If not I suppose I'll have to brave the GPs.

That Tisserand one looks lovely. I love the smell of lavender [old lady emoticon] and DH loves any excuse to go to Aldi so I'll ask him to pick some of that up too!

Thank you for all your suggestions.

OP posts:
MakemineaGandT · 11/12/2009 14:34

that's really interesting motherbeyond - I have the exact same thing - my hands have been terrible for 2 years now. My Dr said excema too, but the cream isn't making any difference. Will try to get some of your canesten or whatever it is! How long did it take to do the trick?

hazeyjane · 11/12/2009 14:44

I have eczema on my hands which can go blistered and cracked and infected (lovely!)if I don't follow this routine:

Wash hands using aqueous cream.

Make sure all soaps are glycerin bar soaps (liquid soaps are very drying)

Apply whatever moisturiser you choose often and plentifully (I find Aveeno good)

Use gloves when washing up. Although i have found that this is not so important if I use Surcare or Waitrose sensitive washing up liquid.

When things get bad (mine are worse in extreme heat and cold), I mix a little fucidin h (prescribed) with moisturiser and use on bad parts.

Avoid antibacterial gels as much as possible (there is a foaming one called No Germs which is not too bad)

nearlybeans · 12/12/2009 00:26

Use Ecover washing up liquid.

Try Dr Hauschka handcream. It is brilliant - incredibly soothing.

oobs · 12/12/2009 16:06

i found a miracle product once but i can't remember what it was called! they sold it in shopping centres on those stalls in the centre of the walkways. dead sea something or other. it was a tub of stuff that you rubbed into your hands with some warm water. follow that up with their hand cream and if it wasn't for the dried blood you'd have never known i'd ever had dry hands. gonna try and track that down!
and yes yes of course you need gloves when washing up! i always hated em till i discovered they came in size small. doh.

displayuntiltwelfthnight · 12/12/2009 16:08

Aveeno handcream is good and if you apply it thickly andf then put cotton gloves on overnight, it makes a massive difference to the state of your hands.

Slimcognito · 12/12/2009 16:14

I have terribly dry hands, they tend crack and bleed in winter.

The best handcream I have found (And I have tried loads inc all ones mentioned on here so far apart from Tisserand and Aldi) is the Crabtree and Evelyn Gardeners one.

It feels greasy when you put it on but it rubs in eventually and stops feeling greasy...it softens, protects and moisturises and it lasts more to the point - put on last thing at night and your hands will still be OK in the morning. I also noticed a cumulative effect - no more split knuckles or thumbs.

oobs · 12/12/2009 16:21

right that product i was on about was by sea spa and was their energising salt scrub followed by their hand cream. and although the thought of scrubbing dry hands may sound bizarre, do it gently and this stuff really worked.

alas their website only goes up to 2006 maybe they have stopped selling

oobs · 12/12/2009 16:24

ooh quite pricey too :S

Original poster
mistletoeandjuan · 12/12/2009 19:12

oobs - I remember having a try of that when I was shopping once. It must have been about 10 years ago though.

OP posts:
Montifer · 13/12/2009 00:05

I like Elizabeth Arden hand cream and second the hand cream under cotton gloves overnight trick.

I also find a good slathering of DS Epaderm (eczema cream) before bed works wonders.

tillytips · 13/12/2009 20:52

I have the same problem, i have really bad reynauds syndrome and as a result my hands go through stages of being pure white, purple, pink and then bright red, this plays havoc with my skin and i can't find any creams that work I paid £15.00 for the last one. Useless!!

suiledonne · 13/12/2009 21:03

I was having the same problem. I tried several creams including Epaderm and Aveeno but the thing that really made the difference was this

uk.loccitane.com/FO/Catalog/Product.aspx?prod=01MH075K8

It is expensive and it is a face mask but I had a sample size and I was desperate for something to soothe my dry hands so I used it. There was a noticable difference straight away, fragrance free and soaked in quickly too.

Highly recommend it.

Montifer · 13/12/2009 23:56

That L'Occitane stuff looks great for hands and face.
Is it completely fragrance free?

suiledonne · 14/12/2009 09:10

Yes. Totally fragrance free.

I think it would last quite a while too. I have a samll 15ml tube and have used it on my hands and face several times and still some left.