What is the best OTC lotion to help with dry, cracked, splitting hands?

Question

Okay, I have 2 coworkers with really, really dry skin. They are to the point of tears, they need relief fast!! What lotions do you recommend to use, that actually work??

Answer 1

tell them to put Vaseline on their hands, then wear plastic gloves. have them sleep like that. in the morning they should notice a huge difference.

Answer 2

I got this question all the time as I worked in a pharmacy near a hairdressing college (all the girls turned up with 'hairdresser hands' from the chemicals). You need to find a lotion/thick cream that has a high urea content. Slather all over the hands as often as possible, keep hands out of water and especially avoid soap: use soap substitutes such as sorbolene cream/lotion for washing hands. Wear gloves as much as possible to prevent hands from getting wet. At night before bed, apply the lotion/cream thickly and then put on a pair of cotton gloves (not very sexy but works wonders). Begone, hairdresser hands! :)

Answer 3

Sephora makes its own line of cosmetics and stuff, and they have this great stuff called a "Whipped Body Delight." It's really just hand cream in a pretty tub, with a very nice smell. It can cost 8$ or 10$, depending on which kind you want (sephora.com, Sephora Stores). Also, Bliss has this Maximum Moisture Cream that smells like lemon and sage and it comes in this huge tube, but it's about 30$ (blissworld.com, sephora.com, Sephora Stores, Blush Stores). Also, Aquaphor (drugstores, 8$ about) works nicely, as its basically just vaseline. If they use these consistently, their hands should get softer and moisturized.

Answer 4

I have had eczema all my life and I have found that Neutragena products work, and so does Aveeno. Also, for the cracking, I use Neosporin (with a bandage) to heal them up. Sometimes, I just put the Neosporin on my hands and rub it in and let it soak in before bed. That works pretty good too. I also found out by accident that VO5 for your hair works to soften my hands too. I stay away from cocoa butter, that usually makes my skin burn. I also stay away from aloe (I'm allergic to it) and I stay away from lanolin as a major ingredient (it also burns my skin). Hope this helps.

Answer 5

I tried every lotion because my hands were that way too. From working outside. I finally found this new lotion from Gold Bond that makes my hands super soft. You should most definitely recommend it to them. It's in a white tube and I got it at Wal Mart.

http://www.goldbondultimate.com/info.asp

it really works.

Answer 6

l had severe exma on hands growing up and successfully cured it, cuts and all with sorbolene based creams. Try smothering hands with sorbolene (with added vit e) at night and wearing cotton gloves under any rubber gloves when working if possible. l found that usually alternating with others such as comfrey and lavender. When extreme had to resort to steroid based cream from drs. Bathing them in warm water with lavender and teatree oil(just a couple of drops of each) would help ease. Lanolin is also very good.

Answer 7

it's not really a lotion, but you can find it in the lotion aisle at the store, it comes in a small tub, it's called Aquaphor Healing Ointment. it's a white tub with a navy blue lid. it will heal dry skin overnight. i swear by it. i use put it on my lips twice a day and i never need chapstick anymore. it's so amazing!!

Answer 8

Corn Husker's Lotion works good & is oil free.

There is also a new product you can find on line called "Working Man's Hands" My husband's mom sent us some. We lovebeing ourside & this has worked very well to keep my hands soft & his from drying & cracking....

Answer 9

I wouldn't go with a lotion at all. Go for "burt's bees hand salve". They sell it in this really small round tin (with the pic of a guy with a beard on it). Back when I was working in a gas station with all sorts of chemicals on my hands, it was the only thing that consistently fixed it. They usually sell it at Walgreen's and similar stores.

Answer 10

Try Lotrim, or Clotrimazole Cream USP, 1%
I know it say its for athlete's foot, and it relieves itching and burning. But some Dr's do prescribe it for very dried and crackle skin, but it is an OTC.