HANDS

[PRINCESSTUCK]

My hands are so dry! I know when I used to work in a sewing plant I bought glyrcin and it helped with my hands can you still get it at the drug store? Does anyone's else's hand get dry and cracked and if so what do you use that will help? Also my day job I am in water a lot and I know that does not help matters none but I will try anything.

[Guest Linda S]

My hands are a real mess. I've tried lots of lotions and creams, but nothing really seems to work well. I have even resorted to slathering them with bag balm and wearing gloves to bed. The most effective thing I've found so far is either Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula Hand Cream or Curel's Advanced Healing. I'm one of those people who hates lotions, but I've been using it because my hands are terrible.

Linda

[coverlea]

I'd love an answer to dry hands too.. :-( I've also tried every thing, nothing seems to last for long..

Michelle

[brunerwoman]

i have an answer for dry hands (or feet). go to the baby aisle at your local grocery or drug store. look for Johnson's baby oil GEL. it makes sandpaper feet feel as soft as a baby's butt. will work for hands, too. i love it. a little dab will do ya.

shirley

[Bonnie]

When living on the ranch and milking cows we had to use a special wash on the cows that cleaned the tit area and it was murder on them as well as on our hands....we lived with Bag Balm and it was a great product not only for the girls, but our hands as well.

But there were times that even that didn't help so we would turn to a product called "Corn Hushers" it is really sticky and not so nice to use, but within just a few days of going to bed with gloves on all cracks will be gone. Its great for callus feet also.

[Mary Beth]

My mom has a terrible time with her hands. She used a very good products call Wool Wax Cream. I have dry hands too so I tried it, I liked it. However, you can't buy it around here, you have to order it over the internet, I guess I order all of my quilting supplies, so why not that stuff....hum...I think a light bulb just went off:)

[FrammaJoy]

Try treating it from the inside. Vitamin E and Cod Liver Oil (not too much) work great for me. Drink lots of water. I do use some lotion, but my hands are just a little dry, mostly my cuticles. Cuticle oil works great there. Just wish it would last longer.

Hugs, Joy

[mountainmanda]

When I met Myrna in August she repeated a phrase to me on SEVERAL occasions-REMEMBER TO TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF. I bring my haggered hands to my good friend who happens to also be a manicurist. Every other week I sit for one hour and let someone else do the work for once. The lotion she uses is made by Solar Nail and the effects last for the two weeks that are in between my rebase for my nails. Something we did last winter was a parafin wax dip for the hands. It works wonders and is a great way to relax for a few minutes.

[Robin W]

many lotions have a lanolin base, due to a wool allergy i can't use these. the only product i can use that my dermatolagist recommended is a lotion called "Complex 15". It is not prescription, but I do have to ask the pharmacy to order it for me. it has worked better for me than all of the other products mentioned. Good Luck. Robin

[quiltaholi_518]

I rub a dab of Vaseline on my hands and feet right before bed. I think it's sweel. I have even used it on my face in the dead of winter. If it's good enough for a baby's butt, why not my face???

[dancingstitcher]

Vaseline does work fairly well, as does the baby gel, Neutrogena Norwegian Formula, Corn Huskers, and several other products with lanolin, cocoa butter, and tea tree oil. Corn Huskers has an odor that made my eyes redden so I had to stop using it. Tree tree gives off a sharp odor that hurts my eyes too. Try changing soaps to something less drying, even your shampoo "Bed Head". Drinking water was a very good suggestion. My daughter turned me on to www.InfiniteAloe.com which is a good multipurpose body lotion in a jar. There are several types of aloe and some work better than others. Lately I've included Doctor Burt's Herbal Defense Ointment with Zinc Oxide with the best results and you can get some at www.burtsbees.com or write to PO Box 13489, Durham, NC 27709. It even worked on a bee sting. The biggest help was getting one of those dishwashing wands with the sponge on the end. Bet you thought when I said wand that there was a fairy involved.

Vicki:Dhttp://www.apqs.com/quiltboard/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[qfairy]

Never fear girls and guys have perfect solution to dry hands and allergy's too. Is like invisible gloves in a bottle. Got it at a quilt shop in town. Is called "Gloves in a Bottle". little goes long ways. keep rubbing it in then let dry, no greasy feeling and doesn't get on fabric and works for those that are allergic to other things. I use it when I work with my black light powder. My husband is a machanic and has really bad dry cracked skin in the winter months and this is the only thing that works for him. you can find it online at : www.glovesinabottle.com

Hope this helps:)

[Guest Linda S]

Well, I had my appointment with my allergist this morning and asked about my poor hands. She said the biggest enemy for your dry hands is soap! Of course, in order to clean your hands properly, you have to use soap. So, she said, right after you wash your hands, you must immediately put some lotion or hand cream on. If you wait too long, your hands will be too dry to absorb the moisture.

Joy - be careful with the supplements. Research is now showing that many of these things can be more of a harm than help.

Linda

[tusistas]

One of the things I've had to learn to do was to wash my hands in warm (not hot) water. Stopped the itching and cracking. I also changed to making my own soap with Aloe and Vit E. Make a huge difference. Also found out that my thyroid prescription was not enough and my doctor upped that a bit. That also made a difference. So I'm not sure what has been the true reason for my hands being soft and no longer dry.

Love Bag Balm (especially for feet).

Use Shea Butter, too. But it is greasy.

Have been known to use Udder Cream and that's nice.

Hope something helps you soon!

[katie.mac]

I make my own soap too. My DH and I have noticed a huge difference in how nice our skin is. For hands and feet, we used to use Bag Balm which is made right here in Vermont but a couple of years ago I switched over to Udder cream which is really sold in a tube like hand cream. I like that product the best. Their web addy is www.uddercream.com

Katie

http://community.webshots.com/user/katiemcgraw

[TheNiftyStitcher]

I have used udder cream for many years. Used to do ceramics all the time and that was really rough on the hands. Used udder cream 2 or 3 times each day and they became smooth as silk. Not greasy on the skin like most creams. They use it on milk cows during the winter that is how it got its name. Easy enough to find, it is in a white container with black spots. Jessie (Crafttlady)

[PRINCESSTUCK]

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR REPLY. I WILL TRY SOME OF THESE

I AM A CAFETERIA MANAGER AND WASH MY HANDS OFTEN AND WE ALSO USE DAWN DEGREASER AND THAT WILL KILL YOUR HANDS NOT TO MENTION HANDLING BOXES AND THE FREEZER:mad: IT WILL BE NITE TIME DOINGS TO GET THESE HANDS TO EVER LOOK LIKE HANDS

[annlittle1]

I think I've tried everything for dry hands. I inherited my father's skin evidently. His hands would crack and split wide open. Mine do the same thing if I don't keep a really good moisturizer on them. I've tried so many different things over the years. Most of them have already been mentioned. I've found that the best thing to do is to make a habit of putting a really good moisturizer on them everytime (emphasis on "everytime") they get wet. I use either Eucerin Dry Skin Therapy or Jergens Ultra-Healing Dry Skin Therapy. Eucerin is a bit stickier than the Jergens. The only dish soap I've found I can use is Palmolive. I love the way Dawn cleans, but my hands peel until they are raw if I use it. Anything stronger than Palmolive requires gloves.

Phyllis Hughes

Oklahoma City

[quiltmonkey]

Where I live in interior Alaska, it is a VERY dry environment. I am constantly lathering on lotion. I've tried lots of lotions and the stuff that Avon makes in the tube is something I really like and it's not greasy, goes on smooth and really helps.

Most important of all... One thing that I really try to do to keep skin from drying out is DRINK LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER!! That is probably the best advice I can give you. Water. Drink it. It helps dry skin.

Shana

[Juju]

Originally posted by Mary Beth

My mom has a terrible time with her hands. She used a very good products call Wool Wax Cream. I have dry hands too so I tried it, I liked it. However, you can't buy it around here, you have to order it over the internet, I guess I order all of my quilting supplies, so why not that stuff....hum...I think a light bulb just went off:)

Could you post the web site? I googled it and came up with every thing but that.

Juju

[onesewise]

I'm with Shana...I keep an Avon product I've loved for many years in my sewing area.."Avon Moisture Therapy". I was a Produce Mngr. and what with the cold,boxes,crates,water,dirt this product helped...I have very dry skin and still use it...it's in a blue and white container. I don't know anyone who sells it now, but I used to buy 10 at a time so I still have some!Elaine

[Mary Beth]

Okay, I Googled and these sites all came up. You might want to try again the product is called Wool Wax Cream or Wool Wax Creme. Hope this helps.

www.frankenmuthwoolenmill.com/newstore/storehome.htm

www.lehmans.com/sdx/148702.jsp

www.generalbaileyfarm.com/soap.htm

www.giftcorral.com/cgi-bin/giftcorral/GC24066.html

[Jerri]

My hand used to be very dry - catching on batting, cracking but after using Shea Butter, my hands are smooth with no cracks. I also use it on my heels with great results. Pure Shea butter works the best, but if you can't find pure - look for a product with the most shea butter in its formula. I use it year around and have noticed how much younger my hands look - maybe I should try it on my whole body:P

I also use soap with Shea Butter and last winter I did not suffer from dry itchy skin as I had in the past. My DH swears by Zims Crack Cream - the spray liquid works the best - just before bed. My son, who is an Airline Mechanic uses both Shea Butter and Zims as his hands are constantly in airline fuel which drys out skin

[ramona-quilter]

I thought that I had tried everything for my cracked cuticles

and bleeding hands and feet. I tried remedies from bee's

wax to bag balm, including Corn Huskers (watered by eyes).

But many of the local horse women and quilters use a cream

called Healthy Hoof on hands and feet. It is amazing stuff.

They used to carry it at some of the feed stores but now I

can only find it online. It is great stuff.

http://www.folica.com/Healthy_Hoof_In_r462_1.html

[Newpersononblock]

Try MARY KAY Extra Emolient Night Cream. It's amazing stuff. I put it on at night and it helps so much. Actually they have a whole package for your feet and hands. Call a Mary Kay person and get some. I was so skeptical at first. She made a believer out of me. I am not a consoltant. Let me know how you like it.