OS way to moisturise extremely dry hands

pigpen

Use a spoon to scoop a blob of aqueous cream to wash hands.. and wash the spoon afterwards. I had the same issues..

juliettet

My tuppenceworth is that I have found anything other that olive oil & sugar to be drying. Only exception was the almost natural Body shop hemp hand cream.
J

elf06

I'm reading this with great interest (and feeling slightly cheeky posting after being AWOL for soooooooooooooo long!! ). I have very recently started on mew meds and one of the major side effects is dry lips, skin and serious itching which, oh joy oh happiness, have started only 5 days into the course
Now my skin is going to be in a rather fragile state and many things just cannot be used on it now but does anyone know if the suggestions above for hands can be used on a very sensitive face and lips??

zippychick

As this has dropped down the OS board, ive moved this to Health and Beauty as most of the threads on homemade products are now kept over here

These older OS threads may help and offer some ideas

Home made beauty products

Home Made Beauty Treatments

Old Style - Beauty & toiletries

Money saving beauty tips!

Home kitchen beauty treats

OS beauty products

Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Zip

Fire_Fox

Are you sure all you have is xerosis (dry skin) and not atopic eczema or contact dermatitis? Have you been diagnosed by your GP? Firstly stop using any beauty or cleaning product - including regular hand wash, shampoo, shower gel - containing alkaline soaps or sulphate surfactants because these strip the lipids from your skin barrier not just from the surface. Switch to a gentler surfactant such as cocoamidopropyl betaine.

TBH I would say tolerate non-latex gloves for a few days while you get the skin problem under control then just for jobs where you are using more powerful surfactants or your hands are immersed for longer periods. Hand creams containing lanolin are particularly good at replenishing some of the lipids lost from the skin barrier, perhaps also aloe vera which has proven healing and hydrating properties.

Weleda Skin Food contains lanolin and gets rave reviews, I mix this with Aloe Pura aloe vera gel for my face, neck, hands and anywhere else that is particularly dry. Also be sure you are eating adequate fatty acids in your diet, especially the omega-3s DHA and EPA found in oily fish; some people also benefit from the omega-6 GLA in borage oil.

Fire_Fox

elf06 wrote: »

I'm reading this with great interest (and feeling slightly cheeky posting after being AWOL for soooooooooooooo long!! ). I have very recently started on mew meds and one of the major side effects is dry lips, skin and serious itching which, oh joy oh happiness, have started only 5 days into the course
Now my skin is going to be in a rather fragile state and many things just cannot be used on it now but does anyone know if the suggestions above for hands can be used on a very sensitive face and lips??

My skin is very sensitive and easily dehydrates but I've really turned it around by researching what ingredients are proven to positively or negatively affect the health of the skin barrier.

Try Lanolips for lips, the Lemonaid has a luscious silky texture and is very effective - lanolin is rich in a key skin lipid cholesterol. Weleda baby caledula face cream is lovely but very rich, I mix it with a little aloe vera gel. An alternative is a product containing lecithin which supports ceramide production in the skin. The KinNiaNag serum from here contains lecithin and other ingredients proven to support the skin barrier, it's good for acne or anti ageing as well! Light but effective, a little goes a long way. :T https://www.myfawnie.bigcartel.com

elf06

Thanks Fire Fox, my skin isnt usually too bad but sadly the biggest and most common side effect of my new medication is the dry peeling skin and lips. The course is going to last a few months after which it should revert back to 'normal' I'll check out your suggestions though ~ thank you, the lemonaid lanolips sounds lovely!!

Violetta_2

I've just recently discovered the wonder of pure coconut oil- bought it in an asian supermarket small bottle for 99p, you do have to melt it, I just stand the bottle in a jug of warm water, then just massage it in, it is an oil so takes a while to sink in & you may just have to wipe some off, but it is great, also good for hair, massage the oil through your hair & leave for an hour before washing.

Fuzzy_Duck

I used to get dry, cracked hands all the time but using Nivea Soft Moisturing Cream has really helped. You can use it on your hands, body and face so I've been dabbing it on eczema patches too. Much to my surprise it has relieved the itching, softened the skin and made it look a lot better than it was. I was getting no difference whatsoever using steroid cream.