Q. I’m a nurse in a hospital. Talk about hand washing! Good lord, that soap and foam dispensing anti-bacterial is evil on the hands. No time to lotion between hand washing either. And with winter here it’s awful. I don’t even want to think about the number of times I wash and foam. It’s literally painful.
I work 12 hour shifts too, so I try never to work 2 days in a row and really cream my hands on my off days. I use mostly cocoa butter. It’s inexpensive bought in bulk and I can use it on my lips too.
The cracks, oh lord the cracks! After much trial and error this is what I’ve found works best and quickest: I sand down the cracks with an emory board – all the way to their base. This is painful but the quick heal is worth the brief pain. Then I paint the cracks with 2 or 3 layers of clear nail polish. Again, worth the pain. It’s inexpensive and very effective at protecting those areas. I can then work, do dishes etc. and just sand and reapply as needed until they heal. Fastest, most effective way yet that I’ve found. It was a happy day when I discovered this. Juli
A. Thanks nurse Juli. We can only imagine what so much washing and anti-bacterial foam does to dry and cracked skin. Your suggestion to try clear nail polish is intriguing. That’s a suggestion we have never heard before.
Many visitors recommend Instant Glue or Super Glue. Here is Cindi’s story:
“I have suffered with splits on my fingers for a couple decades. I’ve been using Super Glue on them. I am allergic to latex & adhesives & cannot wear bandages for more than an hour (or I get a skin reaction). I was diagnosed with systemic sclerosis Scleroderma (diffuse) 3 years ago. Without using this product, I would probably have lost most of my digits or fingers from ulcers by this time.
“It may sting for a few secs when first applied, but it not only stops the pain, it protects the opening from germs, and heals them, usually within 3 days.
“I have 13 doctors now, one being a dermatologist. She approves this method since I’ve been seeing her. There are articles in the offices supporting this method.
“I have used about every brand out there and have found Locktite brand (blue bottle) gel to be the best for me. I have used all the other skin adhesives ie: New Skin, Bandaid Liquid, etc.,with little satisfaction; they just don’t stay on for long and require multiple applications throughout the day. I hope this is helpful and informative.”
Caring for Dry Skin with 20% Urea
At this time of year you do not have to be a health professional to suffer from sandpaper skin and cracked fingertips. Visitors to this website offer lots of suggestions. Here is a story from Judi:
“Folks, eight applications of Udderly Smooth Extra Care 20% cream over two days’ time has done what eight WEEKS of cortisone cream couldn’t. I’m flabbergasted by the improvement. I was hoping for a little relief-this is close to miraculous!
“I’m buying stock in this stuff. Please don’t ever change it!”
The makers of Udderly Smooth products underwrite our radio show. We think their 20% urea skin cream is especially helpful for dry skin. That’s because urea is a skin protectant. According to research dermatologists it helps improve the barrier function of the skin. Watch a short video to learn more about urea and why it’s so special.
TTPOL shared this experience:
“I do not have serious eczema but it arises periodically on my hands. I have tried all of the remedies that I know of-including dietary restrictions- and the one that cleared my eczema quickly and thoroughly was Udderly Smooth Udder Cream Extra Care 20, WITH 20% UREA.
“I was amazed at the almost instant pain relief, followed by total clearing within a few days. The Udderly Smooth cream without the urea was good for simple dry skin but didn’t cure the eczema. I ordered this product for those on my Christmas list and highly recommend it to anyone with eczema or any other skin problem. Thank you, once again, People’s Pharmacy!”
Winter Skin Survival Kit
You can deal with dry skin, cracked fingertips and chapped lips all at the same time with our special Winter Skin Survival Kit. You will get two sizes of Udderly Smooth Extra Care 20 Cream (a 2 oz. handy tube for pocket or pocketbook and a jumbo 8 oz. tub for the bathroom or kitchen). These are unscented and non-greasy creams.
In the Winter Skin Survival Kit you will get 3 tubes of our Pomegranate Natural Lip Care. The scent and taste are natural and a great way to keep lips from chapping and cracking. Our chemist is renowned for natural products and he worked diligently to get this formula exactly right.
You get a 15% discount when you purchase the survival kit compared to the individual items. That is a savings of $6.32.
You will also get an 8-page Guide to Skin Care and Treatment…for FREE! In contains lots more information about other treatments for healing cracked fingertips. There are also some intriguing remedies for hard-to-treat eczema.
Take control over dry skin and chapped lips with our special Winter Skin Survival Kit offer.
