My hands start to crack every winter from our dry air, often having them in water. Hand lotion does not seem to help. I remembered how well Boudreaux's Butt Paste Diaper Rash Ointment worked for my babies so I thought I'd try it. It really works well to help my skin heal and prevent more cracking. Try it overnight with cotton gloves on your hands for best results.
Source: Trial and error
Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.
What works best for very dry cracked hands?
By Donna from Foymount, Ontario
I use "Bag Balm" (it is used on cows' udders when they are in the cold all the time - sounds gross but works like you wouldn't believe!) and either cotton or latex gloves - whatever I can get my hands on (no pun). Just put the balm on and cover it up overnight. After a couple of nights, my hands and cuticles are incredibly soft and there's no more cracks! I use it on my feet, too, with a pair of socks. (My husband didn't like the idea of socks and gloves but when he saw the difference, he changed his mind.) You don't need to do this every night for the rest of your life. I watch to see when they start getting a little dry and take care of the problem right away.
The little green metal can will last for a long time since you only need a little bit each time. You can find it in drug stores, farm supply, pet stores.
If this doesn't sound so appealing, you can also buy a bottle of grapeseed and/or avocado oil and massage onto your skin, you don't need much but these oils are more expensive. These work much better than most oils because they absorb better and offer healing properties not found in other oils. Watch out for lotions with mineral oil because surprisingly that dries the skin - maybe to guarantee continued use?
I worked in a warehouse (very cold) and tried many products. The best thing that I found was a product used for very dry and very cracked feet. It comes in a stick form. The brand name is Luxuriant, cracked heel repair.
I've taught high school pottery for 30 years and also throw during the summer. The best way to exfoliate is to put a teaspoon of sugar in your hand and squirt a bit of soap on top. Scrub all over and between fingers without water. Wash the concoction off. Hands will be smooth. At night for dry hands and feet, slather Vaseline and put white cotton socks on your feet and cotton gloves on your hands. The next morning, you will be rewarded with smooth skin. I've never had dry hands and I work with clay with students 7 hours a day!
Coconut oil is a wonderful product to use for dry skin. Rub some onto your hands and then wear a pair of latex or nitrile gloves until it is absorbed.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
My hands and feet get very dry and ashy despite putting on very good quality creams. Any tips to get these areas smooth and soft? Thanks.
