I hate it, I can use lotion like crazy and minutes later my hands are still dry. My hands are not weathered, cracked or anything like that, they are just really dry, I can't stand the feeling. I have even waxed my hands (in paraffin), only to find them dry again soon after. Any tips out there? Please!
Marni from Los Angeles, CA
Crisco solid shortening is the greatest treatment for dry skin! (10/06/2004)
Go to your Pharmacist and ask for some Eucerin Emollient for your hands. Its really cheap and little goes a long way. (10/06/2004)
By Heather
Try rubbing your hands with petroleum jelly vaseline at night and wearing gloves to bed. Resulting in moist hands in the morning. Feels a bit unusual for the first couple of nights but the results are amazing. (10/06/2004)
By ang
I mix about 1 T of regular sugar with a T or more of veg. oil right in my hands.. Rub around for 3 -4 min. then wash off with warm water. Pat dry and then apply hand lotion. Makes dry hands feel great for a long time :-)
Also for dry feet: rub feet with oil, place in warm tub of water, rub every so often..(with feet in the water) Pat dry, put on lotion and socks or slippers :-)
By lisa
Try adding pure vitamin e oil to the paraffin bath. It gives you a deep conditioning treatment in a short time with the help of the wax. (10/06/2004)
By Mari
If your dry skin does not get better, you might want to see a doctor. Excessive dry skin is a symptom of thyroid problems. (10/06/2004)
By Patti
After you have had your hands in water, like doing dishes or bathing is the best time to use a rich emolient or petroleum jelly type lotion. Another thing to try is diaper rash creme. Put on gloves after applying and let your body's heat soak in the creme. Another good product is called Bag Balm. It comes in a square green can and is excellent to use after your hands have been in the water. I put it on at night and wear mitts in bed. (10/06/2004)
By Linda
My grandmother used to use crisco, or lard or any other product like that. I can remember coming into her house and there she would be sitting with her hands on a plate, big gobs of lard slathered all over her hands. She would warm it up in a pan ( be careful if you do this) and then she would just put her hands right in the pot and then out on the plate. I know she would wash her hands before doing this. Maybe to open the pores or maybe to reuse the lard anyway and she would sit for at least twenty minutes. Then she would start rubbing and rubbing until a lot of this was rubbed into her skin. Then she would go to the trash and scrape off what was left, then run warmish water over her hands. She never used soap, just washed off most of the gooey stuff. Her hands would have a greasy feel to them when she was done. This would only last a few hours, but I swear to you, she had hands that made powder seem rough. They were softer then a baby and they were so pleasing feeling when she would hug me or hold my hand. (10/07/2004)
By Becky
You may just need to add some good oil to your diet (olive oil, flax, canola) - worked for me when I was eating mostly low fat foods. (10/07/2004)
By ck
Avon has a hand cream called Moisture Therapy that has really helped my dry hands. It lasts a long time and you can wash your hands several time before you need to apply more. It comes on sale quite often so I stock up then. (10/08/2004)
By Elaine Hiatt
Hy Grade Lotion is great, especially if you live in a very dry climate. It was created in Grand Junction, Colorado. It's not at all greasy but does sting a little at first. I used to use it on my lizard like skin when I lived down there and it works very well. It was recommended to me by an old guy there when I complained of dry hands.
Another one that is great is Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
It should be available at any drug store.
I've also known people who put on hand cream or vaseline and have worn white cotton gloves covering it while sleeping. This seemed to help a lot.
- Susan at ThriftyFun
(10/08/2004)
By ThriftyFun
Two things: 1) Make sure you're using the heaviest lotion you can find. Keri is good, and Vaseline Intensive Care comes in second. 2) At night, rub petroleum jelly on heavily and cover with cotton socks. You might have to do this quite a few nights before your dry skin gets "caught up." Keep slathering on the lotion during the day. These things helped me quite a bit. (10/09/2004)
By Coreen
One more thought. Are you washing your hands too often? Our granddaughter washed her hands until they bled. The doctor put her on an antidepressant for a year, and the problem went away. (10/09/2004)
By Coreen
Try using bag balm, it's great for dry hands.Go to a farm feed store and request it there. very cheap, I know a physican surgeon that swears by it. (10/10/2004)
By betty webb.
The key to keeping moisture in is two things, aloe and water. First wash your hands or at least wet them. Putting lotion on already dry hands is like putting sunscreen on burned skin, it doesn't do any good. After washing and drying, immediately rub in clear aloe vera gel, it should say 100% pure aloe vera. You can buy this at any larger superstore. Then apply your lotion after the aloe has been rubbed in. The aloe will seal in moisture and the lotion will make your hands soft. I use aloe all over my body and it works really well. I use aloe as a night lip moisturizer after brushing my teeth at night, I use it as a blemish fighter, applied to a clean face before bed and as hair gel. (10/14/2004)
By Andrea
With the cold weather approaching we can also look forward to chapped hands. About once a week before you go to bed slather your hands with good old fashioned vaseline and put on cotton gloves. I'm talking about the thin ones that you can purchase like a half dozen for a buck. In the morning wash your hands with warm water and soap and your hands will feel like new.
By joesgirl (12/31/2004)
By ThriftyFun
I would suggest "surgeons' skin secret" it is made of 3 things: beeswax, light mineral oil, and lanolin and can be found at http://www.QVC.com. Or you could make your own if you can find these ingredients and simply melt together. My 2 1/2 year old son has very dry skin and loves when I put it on him in winter. I've never found anything better. (12/31/2004)
By Karaof4
Try using Keri (brand) oil. You can find it in the bath section at Walmart. Just wash your hands, rinse, apply Keri oil, rinse again, then dry. Put the Keri oil in a pump bottle since you don't need much. (01/05/2005)
By StevieK
This isn't exactly thrifty, but as a last resort, you might try asking your doctor about the prescription lotion Lac-Hydrin (or any lotion containing Ammonium Lactate). (01/18/2005)
By Germaine
Wow, a lot of great responses to your problem. I'll add one. I have eczema and I really support some of the posts but one warning, lotion is sometimes worse for you than good. they more often than not have alcohol in them. If you take oils such as ck recommended, also don't fall for advertising, if it has to have an add it's not that great. Soaps and lotions are misleading. the more natural the better, God didn't create our bodies to absorb all those crazy chemicals. Hope this helps bless you!
By kelly
I'm a diabetic that checks her blood sugars 6 times a day and I can tell you about dry hands. I use 1 cheap bottle of baby lotion and a cheap bottle of lotion containing vitamin E and 1 small jar of vaseline. I sometimes mix in a few drops of peppermint essential oils. This works great! When my hands are real bad I have used vaseline on the hands at night with socks covering the hands. (03/16/2005)
Hey everyone. I have terrible dry hands all year long. My hands are not as dry during summer, but they're getting dried again. My hands are like sand paper in winter. I try to not wash my hands as much as possible to try to avoid drying out my hands even more. And I stay away from the harsh soap like antibacterial soap. My condition is a little better taking those precaution. I've been using the Bliss hand lotion. They're really good, and non greasy.
However, I was wondering if anyone knows what's causing my hands to be so dry like this? I guess this started when I was a teenager about 10 years ago. Could it be there I'm lacking any nutrients in my body? I'd used just about any good or just off the counter hand lotions, and none of them really help much except for the Bliss lotion I'm using right now. I really want to find a permanent solution to this problem. It really bothers me. I feel really embarrassed when I'm shaking someone's hand. Please give me your advice. Thanks so much. (08/31/2005)
By DN
Eliminate dry hands and or dry skin on body from the inside out. Buy pure Aloe Vera gel (98% pure) at the health food store. Take 1-2 tablespoons internally each day. Consistency of gel takes some getting used to, but you can follow with a drink of water. You can buy Aloe Vera juice, but I prefer the gel.
Wash hands and dry until slightly damp. Skin absorbs best when damp. Apply pure aloe vera gel and rub in. Also good treatment for feet.
Wash and damp dry hands or feet, apply Bag Balm and massage in, cover hands and or feet with cotton gloves or cotton socks and leave on overnight.
Also could be helpful to take 1 T. olive oil or flax oil internally each day. Increase your water intake to several glasses a day. (11/29/2005)
By gs7
The best thing in the world for dry hands, feet and elbows is HY- Lotion manufactured in Grand Junction , Colorado. It is truly fantastic! (01/02/2007)
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