has anyone mentioned the Body Shop’s Hemp Hand Protector? It goes on
really thick and sinks in nicely. Has a smell that some can’t stand
and some love and I don’t even notice. Not sure what kind of residue
it leaves, but I love it.
After years of dealing with dry skin problems/dermatitis/psoriasis
(approximately 15 now) I have found that no one particular thing
works indefinitely. What I have found is that a number of things make
a difference and those things that work need to be ‘rotated’! The
rules for me seem to be ABSOLTELY no soap…hand/body cleaners need
to be soap free. If I am doing dishes etc. I must wear gloves. Latex
free. Regular applicatios of Body Shop Hemp Hand Cream or Avon
Moisture Therapy have worked better than years of cortisone creams
prescribed by the doc. I alternate the hand creams about two monthly.
If I use one, ongoing, it only works for about two months…
I know the hell I have been through with cracked hands, weeping
palms and fingertips with no real relief from the docs, but
ultimately, the above regime seems to work for me!
The amusing thing is that the docs suggest I give up working with
metal?!?!? I mean, really!> Might as well cut my throat!!
Kimmyg
I think someone on this list suggested O’Keefes Working Hands cream -
I got a sample, as suggested by calling the phone number given, and I
will say - This stuff is the greatest!! I live in the mountains,
and its winter, and since I’ve been using it (sporadically at night)
my hands are in great condition, and any cracking that was present
is Long Gone. So give this one a try too.
Ivy Fasko
Contemporary Handcrafted Jewelry
http://www.ivysfasko.com
Merry Solsticial Sentiments to one and all.
I have been reading through the fine assortment of remedies for
cracked fingertips that has been accumulating. Just goes to show
that there is something for every taste. After all these suggestions
it’s hard to believe there is yet another possibillity to be
considered and yet, out of an old memory, one has surfaced in my
mind.
In the small Cape Cod town where I spent many formative years, there
was one rather crusty old fisherman, Frankie, whose remarkable
success with women was clearly not due either to his looks or to
blind luck. He had to have a secret. I won’t keep you waiting for
it, should any of you harbour hopes for similar successes. “Soft
hands!” he said. That’s what did it for him. That’s what set him
apart and miles ahead of his horny-handed peers. For those of you
inlanders who haven’t seen a typical fisherman’s hands or been
caressed by them, it might help to imagine being pawed over by a
pair of small roto-tillers or disc harrows. Compared to these
abrasive instruments of torture, a jeweller’s hands, at their worst,
are like rose petals. Likewise, Old Frankie’s hands were like rose
petals. All the girls said so.
And how did Frankie keep his hands so soft? He insisted on being the
one to wash the dishes on the trawlers where he crewed, a job which
other fishermen avoided altogether, if possible, or took turns at to
minimize their exposure to the onerous task. Frankie, however, went
out of his way to do it and was therefore welcome on any crew. The
food was greasy in the extreme, the wash water was generally neither
abundant nor very hot, and somehow this combination of cold water,
grease, and whatever else, (maybe even a little bit of soap was
involved,but I doubt it) did the trick. Now I know this is not, on
the face of it, as appealing as some of the rose-scented balms and
salves I have read about in this thread of late, but still, science
has not been able to come up with a better explanation for Frankie’s
phenomenal string of delighted lovers. Worth considering?
Yours truly,
Marty in Victoria - in the 21st century where dishwashing machines
have taken a lot of the romance out of our lives.
LOL.
The remedy could probably be duplicated by buying some olive oil,
place it in one of those new fangle ziplock containers. Nuke it for
30 sec or so until it’s nice and warm and soak your hands in it. Wipe
dry on a paper towel. Replace lid on container for later use. Go to
bed. The smell is just so-so unless you have some bread in your hand
and a dish of roasted garlic - then it’s mouth watering. 
Lisa
Dear Folks,
A lot of us can’t use hand creams during the day of course due to the
nature of our work. So continue to use your favorite hand cream
nightly. As some folks mentioned, what we wash our hands with
throughout the day, is what really makes the difference. It seems as
though I must have my hands in water a hundred times a day. So I use
a particular dish washing liquid that actually heals my hands as I
use it. I have replaced every hand washing station in my house &
shop with this liquid & I do NOT have any more skin cracking issues!
Yay! The only drawback for the general public, is this liquid is only
available through a members only buying club. If interested, contact
me off list.
Happy New Year!
If you will bear with me for a momenthaving worked my way half
way around the world in whatever capacity would earn me my dinner -
yes, there are as many ways of keeping your hands in shape as there
are people. If one were to have the misfortune of falling into a
pool of unset, that is, liquid, concrete, that person wouldn’t have
to worry about rinsing off, a hose will do that quite nicely. What
they would have to worry about is the lime in the mix, which will
just suck the moisture right out of your flesh. When the above
scenario has happened to people, the issue is the 2nd and 3rd degree
chemical burns that result. Corn Huskers Lotion is probably kept in
business by concrete workers - it is obscure, these days, except that
concrete workers know all about it. It is just about pure
lanoline-you figure it out…
Corn Huskers Lotion is probably kept in business by concrete workers - It is just about pure lanoline-you figure it out....
Water, Glycerin, SD Alcohol 40, Sodium Calcium Alginate, Oleyl
Sarcosin, Methylparaben, Guar Gum, Triethanolamine, Calcium Sulfate,
Fragrance, Calcium Chloride, Fumaric Acid, Boric Acid
Ray
Wow! I just have to share this with all of you. For the first time
in years, my hands are not cracked and bleeding from the cold
weather combined with having my hands wet all day. I tried all of
the products recommended here, and have a definite winner. “Burt’s
Bees hand salve” is the cat’s meow! I buy it at Walgreen’s Drug
Store, but it’s available many other places. An extra added benefit
is, it’s also a great facial moisturizer. I just can’t say enough
for this product. I don’t get sold on too many things, but this one
is a keeper. Try it! You will be singing it’s praises as well.
Jeweler with happy hands,
LaVerne
I have the same problem with cracked fingers in the winter. I always
had to cover them with band aids which is a pain in the butt. Then
last year my husband had surgery to repair two fragmented disks in
his neck and the doctor told us that the incision would be closed
with a surgical glue which was basically super glue repackaged and
marked up 500%. I asked him if it was safe to use regular super glue
on small cuts and he said it was perfectly safe. Now instead of band
aids, I use a dab of super glue on those little cuts on my fingers.
It doesn’t sting and it stays put until it heals. Of course not
getting the cuts in the first place is better, but if you already
have them, the super glue works great.
Just a thought…
Lisa
there is also a product that is liquid bandages it lasts a long time
and works well does not impede with finger movement and you an shower
no troubles
Teri
Silver & Cameo Heritage Jewelry
www.corneliusspick.com
A few tips to try to help prevent cracked hands, change the rise
water for your pickle pot every day and twice a day or more during
very busy seasons, the water will build up acid from the pickle
solution over time and fishing things out and the acid will causing
cracking on dried out skin. I also found a wonderful product in
Hawaii, Oils of Aloha, Kukui nut oil www.OilsOfAloha.com
Wailalua, Hawaii 96791 800/367/6010. I used it every nigh on my
hands, and for the first in many years my fingers didn’t crack I just
had those cuts I inflicted myself. just another though
It happens all the time. Being in the Midwest in february my fingers
are always cracking. Even wearing finger cots when polishing and
keeping my hands out of the ultra sonic solutions don’t help. A great
solution when they crack is to super glue them. A small drop and let
it dry. If it’s a deep crack add a small drop and then press a piece
of Kleenex. The tissue will stick. Peel away the excess and add
another drop or two. It will crust up and act like a scab. By the
time it falls or wears off the crack will heal. Of coarse you should
read and follow the instructions on the package.
The super glue fix was shown to my by a client who is a hairdresser
and has her hands in water all day long. She showed me how to hold
the crack open and apply one drop of super glue, then to squeeze the
crack closed. It only takes a minute for the glue to dry. The glue
acts as a suture and keeps the crack closed until the skin grows. I
am told that super glue is something that surgeons use. It also helps
to use rubber gloves when you have your hands in water, which I do
until I get in a hurry, and then I get sloppy and next thing I know
my fingers are cracked and bleeding once again.
Best of luck
Batya
She showed me how to hold the crack open and apply one drop of super glue, then to squeeze the crack closed.
OK, maybe you all are going to say that I’M cracked, but I just
can’t read one more tip about super gluing the cracks in our fingers
without giving another viewpoint. I tried the super glue thing a few
years ago and it worked great, but then I got to THINKING about what
I was really doing. (Why oh why do we DO that? Thinking. It always
leads to trouble…) Anyway, whatever super glue is made out of
(synthetic stuff that the label warns you not to breathe or put your
skin in contact with), you know it’s not meant to get into your
bloodstream, which is where it immediately goes when you put it on a
cut. I figure with all the other pollutants we work and live with,
why add more insult to injury? Just my personal opinion.
What works for me is that 3M tan colored 1 inch wide stretchy
waterproof tape that conforms nicely to one’s fingertips (with a
little artful folding) and lets your skin breathe (unlike most
band-aids). I get 'em at the drug store. Obviously there’s not much
we in cold climates can do about the cold outside and the dryness
inside, but an ayurvedic doctor told me it’s aggravated by a vitamin
deficiency. Just thought I’d throw that out there too. You can throw
this all back, but I feel SO much better now. Now I can go back to my
wax carvings and breathe in all that lovely wax dust
Cindy Crounse
Refined Designs
Cindy,
There is a medical version of super glue called Dermabond. I know
because I recently had some used on me in an emergency room to close
a pretty deep cut on my forehead. It works great. I went in thinking
that I needed stitches.
Joel
Joel Schwalb
@Joel_Schwalb
www.schwalbstudio.com
Tutti-
Dermabond is available only to physicians, or so I was told. There
is a product called Liquid Bandage made by Band Aid. I googled and
it’s available at my local Long’s drugstore. Crazy Glue is not what I
want on my skin. However, I haven’t checked the ingredients of Liquid
Bandage and wouldn’t I be surprised if it turned out to be
cyanoacrylate-the same as Crazy Glue.
Marly
But, I’v heard that is what superglue was originally created
for…closing wounds
But, I'v heard that is what superglue was originally created for...closing wounds
That was a byproduct/beneficial use of it. It was first developed by
the military in their quest for making cross hairs for gun sights
(they’ve used spider webs as well as strong hair strands from
American Indian women), it was too sticky and then they found other
uses for it.
Marta
Reva-
I'v heard that is what superglue was originally created for...closing wounds
Actually, super glue was created accidentally by Eastman Kodak Co.,
(while trying to do something else.) I also created rather a problem
for Kodak, because they found that nothing seemed to dissolve it, so
that each time they made another batch, the (expensive!) container
they made it in had to be destroyed. They were not trying to find
something to close wounds. But, as one would expect, everyone
immediately set about looking for uses for this new mystery glue!
Margaret (retired Kodaker)