Women Travelers - hand lotion

I always suffer from dry hands/skin in winter, but this year, my hands are incredibly dry, in part because I'm washing them more than normal since I'm helping to take care of my mother while she's recovering from a kidney transplant.

My hands are drinking up any hand lotion I use, and are still pretty rough and dry. Any suggestions on a great hand lotion to use? I should explain that I'm allergic to nuts, so any lotion with almond oil or anything like that is out, unfortunately.

I know a few of the lotions at the grocery store have extra heavy versions for extremely dry skin, so you might want to buy those. Also, slather on lotion or olive oil or vaseline & put on a pair of cotton gloves or socks before you go to sleep so your hands can absorb it overnight.

Cheers.

I know a few of the lotions at the grocery store have extra heavy versions for extremely dry skin, so you might want to buy those. Also, slather on lotion or olive oil or vaseline & put on a pair of cotton gloves or socks before you go to sleep so your hands can absorb it overnight.

Cheers.
Olive oil? I'm currently using Vaseline Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioning cream, but I still feel like my hands are too dry. :)

I'm not a fan of hand lotion because it's just too thin and thus doesn't really do the job IMHO. My favorite is the Body Shop's Vitamin E Body Butter. I actually keep in the refrigerator.

Things that I also like are L'Occitane's shea butter hand cream and the tins of 100% pure shea butter when I travel. Shea butter is an ingredient that will help keep your hands better moisturized. If your hands are REALLY dry, use 100% pure shea butter initially.

I'm glad to hear your mother is doing well.

For me the soap matters a great deal. I use Skin Free Extra Moisturizing Soap http://www.skinfree.net/ and petroleum jelly or Vaseline Cream or Vaseline Lotion.

As suggested, when my skin gets too dry, I sleep for a few nights with Vaseline on damp skin under cotton gloves. I think having moist hands under the petroleum jelly makes a difference. It takes several nights to ease the cracking and heal.

I'm also careful about not using shampoos that dry my hands. Lately I've just been using the Skin Free soap for hair and hands and shower.

And sometimes I've had to resort to cortisone ointments.

Sylvia

Assuming you're not allergic to shea butter, try H2O+ Hand & Nail Cream (http://www.h2oplus.com/product/spa+hand+and+nail+cream.do?sortby=bestSellers) (from their spa line). Super moisturizing, soaks in quickly with no greasy residue. I swear by it and have turned many friends onto it, too.

Assuming you're not allergic to shea butter, try H2O+ Hand & Nail Cream (http://www.h2oplus.com/product/spa+hand+and+nail+cream.do?sortby=bestSellers) (from their spa line). Super moisturizing, soaks in quickly with no greasy residue. I swear by it and have turned many friends onto it, too.

That looks interesting. I may order it.

Here in dry Colorado, I'm a big fan of garden variety drugstore Eucerin (http://www.eucerinus.com/products/hb_original.html)(original cream - very thick). It does not appear to contain any nut derivatives, but does have lanolin in it.

Try AmLactin (http://www.amlactin.com/amlactin-body-lotion.html) -- it is absolutely amazing!!!

I've struggled since childhood with painfully dry skin, and for most of my adult life with keratosis pilaris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratosis_pilaris). Until recently, the only thing that made a dent in either condition was Lubriderm (thanks to lanolin), but it was barely adequate.

On medical advice, tried the AmLactin and WOW! The chronic keratosis is literally 99% gone for the first time in more than 20 years... even my horribly callused heels are vastly improved... it starts working after only one use. Seriously.

Only caveats: Active ingredient is an alpha hydroxy type acid, so you need to be very careful to protect your skin from sun exposure (increases burnability). Also, I've been told you should refrain from using it for a period of time (a week or two?) prior to being waxed as it tends to make the skin more delicate. However, use it after waxing/shaving to help prevent ingrown hairs.

Best of all, it's fragrance-free (I have an over-developed sense of smell) so it doesn't keep me awake at night, make me sneeze, interfere with perfume, etc.

If you have access to a Costco, get it there at the best price.

Cream/Butter type products might work better than lotions. Try etsy or Health Food stores for nut free body butters.

You can also try using a cream that's meant for heavy face moisturize on your hands, especially if you have some leftover from a previous purchase that didn't quite work out for your face. I don't mind my hands/legs being a little shiny but my face is a different story.

You might also want to switch the soap. Most soaps use sodium laureth sulfates to foam up and those make my skin extra dry. Oil based soap might be better (nut free ones, of course).

Olive oil does work pretty well. Most shower scrubs contain a grit like sugar and vegetable oil like olive or grapeseed oil. Avocado oil is extremely moisturizing but a bit heavy. Jojoba is also popular. You can try olive oil and a pair of old socks on your hands.

That looks interesting. I may order it.

If there isn't an H2O+ store near you, you may be able to find it at your local Ulta.

If there isn't an H2O+ store near you, you may be able to find it at your local Ulta.

My guess is Ulta will have to do, although, if I can order it online, I may do that, just to save the trip. :)

When my skin is really bad, I use petroleum jelly under a pair of cotton gloves from the drugstore/body shop at night and during the day I use Glysomed (http://www.drugstore.com/glysomed-hand-cream-unscented/qxp87449?fromsrch=glysomed). I prefer the unscented version

If strong scents don't bother you too much and you have time for the cream to sink into your skin, I like Body Shop's Hemp Hand Cream (http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/hemp/prod5950023). It has a medicated herby type of scent. The main ingredient is Hemp Seed Oil.

& if you like Lanolin based creams, Lanocreme (http://www.lanocreme.com/en/C1/Scenic-Range.aspx) is really effective, but it also scented.

Try AmLactin (http://www.amlactin.com/amlactin-body-lotion.html) -- it is absolutely amazing!!!


Dermatologists prescribe this. It is very good for extra dry skin. Another product that is excellent for dry hands and feet is called Cutemol. It's a small company and your druggist might have to order it.

Bobette

I too use vaseline jelly with cotton gloves overnight. I also use olive oil mixed with sugar as a gentle exfoliator on my hands to remove the drier bits before hand.

Day to day, I use Clarins Hand cream, I find it sinks in really well, doesn't leave me unable to touch things like some oilier ones. I have Molten Brown hand lotion by my sinks, which isn't a very good heavy duty one, but I do remember to use it often because it smells nice :) I'm sorry but I don't know of the nut status of either of those two.

I also do the Vaseline with gloves/socks overnight trick. Has anyone tried Crisco? Last year I read that a lot of people were using it as a cheap yet effective moisturizer. (It's pure vegetable oil, as I recall.) I tried some but found it a bit greasy. It's fine for calves, etc., that are hidden under clothes & tend to get drier than normal due to the constant abrasion from socks, pant legs, etc.

I also do the Vaseline with gloves/socks overnight trick. Has anyone tried Crisco? Last year I read that a lot of people were using it as a cheap yet effective moisturizer. (It's pure vegetable oil, as I recall.) I tried some but found it a bit greasy. It's fine for calves, etc., that are hidden under clothes & tend to get drier than normal due to the constant abrasion from socks, pant legs, etc.
I'm just not too sold on using something that is specifically a food product or used for cooking on my skin. It's probably just some sort of weird phobia that I have, but it just creeps me out a bit. I have visions of ants and other creepy-crawlies crawling all over me!

Try AmLactin (http://www.amlactin.com/amlactin-body-lotion.html) -- it is absolutely amazing!!!

I've struggled since childhood with painfully dry skin, and for most of my adult life with keratosis pilaris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratosis_pilaris). Until recently, the only thing that made a dent in either condition was Lubriderm (thanks to lanolin), but it was barely adequate.

On medical advice, tried the AmLactin and WOW! The chronic keratosis is literally 99% gone for the first time in more than 20 years... even my horribly callused heels are vastly improved... it starts working after only one use. Seriously.

Only caveats: Active ingredient is an alpha hydroxy type acid, so you need to be very careful to protect your skin from sun exposure (increases burnability). Also, I've been told you should refrain from using it for a period of time (a week or two?) prior to being waxed as it tends to make the skin more delicate. However, use it after waxing/shaving to help prevent ingrown hairs.

Best of all, it's fragrance-free (I have an over-developed sense of smell) so it doesn't keep me awake at night, make me sneeze, interfere with perfume, etc.

If you have access to a Costco, get it there at the best price.

~mrs

My son's dermatologist recommended AmLactin XL which was once available only by prescription. Now it's available over the counter and I noticed that Amazon.com also carries it.
The lotion is thick and odorless. It made a noticeable improvement in just a matter of days to the extremely dry skin on my son's hands and elbows.

Watch out for shea butter if you have a nut allergy. The butter is made from the shea nut.

I don't especially like the l'Occitane 100% Shea Butter because it is stiff when cold. I does warm up from you body eventually, but I'm not a patient person.

I also do the Vaseline with gloves/socks overnight trick. Has anyone tried Crisco? Last year I read that a lot of people were using it as a cheap yet effective moisturizer. (It's pure vegetable oil, as I recall.) I tried some but found it a bit greasy. It's fine for calves, etc., that are hidden under clothes & tend to get drier than normal due to the constant abrasion from socks, pant legs, etc.

Love L'Occitane products for the wonderful smell, but they are pricey. Lately I've resorted to plain old Vaseline - it's cheap and available EVERYWHERE (even any airport, past security) since I'm always forgetting lotion or what's available is frankly sub-par. I have little pots of it in multiple languages, and the lip balm versions come in little tins that (so far) have sailed smoothly through airport security fine.

To keep Vaseline from making my hands too greasy I smear loads of it on the backs of my hands and let it sit for a while before rubbing it in.

Love L'Occitane products for the wonderful smell, but they are pricey. Lately I've resorted to plain old Vaseline - it's cheap and available EVERYWHERE (even any airport, past security) since I'm always forgetting lotion or what's available is frankly sub-par. I have little pots of it in multiple languages, and the lip balm versions come in little tins that (so far) have sailed smoothly through airport security fine.

To keep Vaseline from making my hands too greasy I smear loads of it on the backs of my hands and let it sit for a while before rubbing it in.

I'm a lip balm addict (and buy a variety of brands), but Vaseline is one of my favorites!

I like L'Occitane shea butter hand cream. I haven't noticed it being stiff. I love the way it feels and smells.

http://usa.loccitane.com/FO/shea-butter-mini-hand-cream.htm

I also like Aveda's hand relief a lot as well.

http://www.aveda.com/product/CATEGORY10691/PROD5908/Body/Moisturize/index.tmpl

Watch out for shea butter if you have a nut allergy. The butter is made from the shea nut.

I don't especially like the l'Occitane 100% Shea Butter because it is stiff when cold. I does warm up from you body eventually, but I'm not a patient person.
I didn't realize that! Thanks for teaching me something... I'd probably have wondered why I was having issues. :)
I like L'Occitane shea butter hand cream. I haven't noticed it being stiff. I love the way it feels and smells.

http://usa.loccitane.com/FO/shea-butter-mini-hand-cream.htm

I also like Aveda's hand relief a lot as well.

http://www.aveda.com/product/CATEGORY10691/PROD5908/Body/Moisturize/index.tmpl
The L'Occitane is out--sweet almond extract.

Aveda doesn't post ingredients on their website, or at least, not that I could find.

I didn't realize that! Thanks for teaching me something... I'd probably have wondered why I was having issues. :)

The L'Occitane is out--sweet almond extract.

Aveda doesn't post ingredients on their website, or at least, not that I could find.

I found this (http://www.epinions.com/review/Aveda_Hand_Relief/content_256733908612), that someone else had posted I search to avoid fragrance):

Ingredients--From the Packaging

Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificata, Purified) Extracts: Echinacea Purpurea (Coneflower), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glycerol Stearate, Polyglycerol-6-Dioleate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Lactic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice Root Extract), Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Carapa Guaianensis (Andiroba) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Fragrance, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Sodium Lactate, Magnesium Sulfate, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorphenesin

To gather more information, or to order online, visit

www.aveda.com

I found this (http://www.epinions.com/review/Aveda_Hand_Relief/content_256733908612), that someone else had posted I search to avoid fragrance):

Ingredients--From the Packaging

Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificata, Purified) Extracts: Echinacea Purpurea (Coneflower), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glycerol Stearate, Polyglycerol-6-Dioleate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Lactic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice Root Extract), Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Carapa Guaianensis (Andiroba) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Fragrance, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Sodium Lactate, Magnesium Sulfate, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorphenesin

To gather more information, or to order online, visit

www.aveda.com

Thank you! That looks like it might work too :)

What works for me is to slather my hands with a very goopy, very thick hand cream and then wear surgeon's rubber (latex) gloves to sleep in. That seems to help. My hands get very dry in the winter and this works.

Some people are sensitive to petrolatum, and lotions that contain this (especially when it's high on the ingredients list) can feel like they are working at first, but minutes or hours later your hands feel drier than before. Flaky, even. I know this is what happens to mine, anyway.
I like Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Hand Creme. No petrolatum, but does contain alpha hydroxy acid.
Another thing that nearly 'burns' my skin is aloe, would you believe?! I can't use it anywhere. No soothing properties for me! It's crazy... :(

Some people are sensitive to petrolatum, and lotions that contain this (especially when it's high on the ingredients list) can feel like they are working at first, but minutes or hours later your hands feel drier than before. Flaky, even. I know this is what happens to mine, anyway.
I like Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Hand Creme. No petrolatum, but does contain alpha hydroxy acid.
Another thing that nearly 'burns' my skin is aloe, would you believe?! I can't use it anywhere. No soothing properties for me! It's crazy... :(

Yup, I hear you on the aloe - it is apparently not uncommon for people to be allergic / sensitive to aloe. I found out the hard way years ago, rubbing a pure aloe plant all over my skin on holiday, I was in agony, it was dreadful!

Another thing that nearly 'burns' my skin is aloe, would you believe?! I can't use it anywhere. No soothing properties for me! It's crazy... :(


Me too. It burns my skin badly, or at least feels nearly as painful as a burn.

Another thing that nearly 'burns' my skin is aloe, would you believe?! I can't use it anywhere. No soothing properties for me! It's crazy... :(Really? When I get a nasty sunburn (or any sunburn), nothing feels better on the burn than the cool feeling of aloe to alleviate the burn and help prevent peeling. But it has a burning sensation for you? Yikes.

Really? When I get a nasty sunburn (or any sunburn), nothing feels better on the burn than the cool feeling of aloe to alleviate the burn and help prevent peeling. But it has a burning sensation for you? Yikes.

Yep - it's terrible! I was getting a facial one day and my facialist knew I was sensitive to aloe, but apparently forgot about it and proceeded to "soothe" my skin at the end of the process with a lovely coating of some kind of cool gel with aloe in it. The resulting burning sensation (particularly after a thorough facial treatment) was how I imagine being sunburned and dabbing your skin with Tabasco sauce would feel ....holy cow.
Years ago I put some on sunburned shoulders and it felt (and almost looked) like a layer of my skin had been stripped off. :(

Watch out for shea butter if you have a nut allergy. The butter is made from the shea nut.

I don't especially like the l'Occitane 100% Shea Butter because it is stiff when cold. I does warm up from you body eventually, but I'm not a patient person.

Shea Nilotica is a soft and creamy shea butter, definitely easier to apply. It's quite nice. I also like the L'Occitane shea butter.

I love AmLactin lotion!

cheap solution recommended to me from a cosmetics person in Neiman's.
http://www.johnsonsbaby.com/johnsons-baby-oil-gel-with-shea-and-cocoa-butter
Love this stuff! Put it on right out of the shower. Make sure you get the gel (I repackage it in a small TSA approved container).

There is also a baby oil lotion for your hands for daily use.

http://www.johnsonsforyou.com/products_dry.jsp?id=3#spot

My favorites for daily use are Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula hand cream and Kiehls Ultimate strength hand salve. At night I'll use a shea butter or Eucerin but that's more for heels & elbows unless my hands are especially dry (I tend to alternate because I love to buy lotions & potions and am always trying something new:D)

I've never been able to use a glove or sock for extra penetration - I get oddly claustrophobic.

You could also try a paraffin treatment (borrow a friend's unit or go to the day spa for a treatment) And I agree with the early poster who recommended using a more gentle soap for your frequent handwashing - might help. Good luck!

Would Burt's Bees Hand Salve work?

Here are the ingredients -- no petroleum-based products!

Ingredients: prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, cera alba (beeswax, cire d'abeille), helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, lavandin hybrida (lavandin) oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, eucalyptus globulus (eucalyptus) oil, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower extract, tocopherol, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, glycine soja (soybean) oil, canola oil (huile de colza), linalool, limonene.

I like the burts bees hand salve for travel (I've never had to put it in my liquids bag) but find it a bit greasy for regular use. The cuticle cream, however - I cannot live without^

I think for the original poster it's the NUT oil she needs to avoid (not petroleum)- wouldn't be able to use the Burts Bees product because of the almond oil.

Would Burt's Bees Hand Salve work?

Here are the ingredients -- no petroleum-based products!

Ingredients: prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, cera alba (beeswax, cire d'abeille), helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, lavandin hybrida (lavandin) oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, eucalyptus globulus (eucalyptus) oil, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower extract, tocopherol, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, glycine soja (soybean) oil, canola oil (huile de colza), linalool, limonene.
Unfortunately, for me, the almond oil means I'm not able to use it. I have a nut allergy, so the almond oil would, at a minimum, make me pretty itchy and splotchy. But, thank you anyway!
I like the burts bees hand salve for travel (I've never had to put it in my liquids bag) but find it a bit greasy for regular use. The cuticle cream, however - I cannot live without^

I think for the original poster it's the NUT oil she needs to avoid (not petroleum)- wouldn't be able to use the Burts Bees product because of the almond oil.
This is true. I"m ok with petroleum products, but no one would want to look at me after I'd used something with nut oil... I would not be a pretty sight. :eek:

Another suggestion, as I just found an old tube from back when I was nursing my son: Lansinoh lanolin-based balm. It is aimed at mothers who are breastfeeding, and quite pricey - but super rich and soothing. They tout it as being pure and non-allergenic, so maybe it would work for you?

Butter - I just made a bunch of pie crusts and mix in butter with flour by hand. My hands feel fabulous.

Butter - I just made a bunch of pie crusts and mix in butter with flour by hand. My hands feel fabulous.

What are you putting in the pie crusts?

Butter - I just made a bunch of pie crusts and mix in butter with flour by hand. My hands feel fabulous.Your comment about butter reminded me of The Handmaid's Tale with Robert Duvall, Natasha Richardson and Faye Dunaway. Did anyone ever see that?

Winters coupled with hours of daily chalkboard use and OCD are awful on my hands. I'm prone to get bleeding crackes on my fingertips when I'm not vigilant.

I've tacked the problem in several ways. First off, I don't use hotel soap I bring along a liquid soap pump. I usual use lotion EVERY time I wash my hands even if I don't feel like I need it. Finally, I use NewSkin on cracks that do develop to keep the chalk out.

I've tried lots of lotions and the best I've found is the Aveno Oatmeal lotion. It calms the sometimes itch and general discomfort of m dry hands and stays moist for a while. For me the Vasiline hand lotions are too watery. I need three coats to get the comfort level of the Aveno.

So if you're into something fairly cheap, try the Aveno.

My hands are dry in part because the pump soap they use in my office is terribly drying. :rolleyes:

My current (inexpensive) favorite is Vaseline Healthy Hand and Nail conditioning cream in a small pink tube. Dries quickly and is thick and feels very nourishing.

Another I use is Lather AHA hand creme with evening primrose. I used it a few years ago and decided to try it again. I think the formula may have undergone a slight change, because I do not like it quite as much as I used to. It used to dry quicker and feel less greasy. But it works great under gloves and leaves my hands feeling exceptionally smooth.

O2k- chicken pot pie! Using the fabulous Kate McDermott's recipe - art of the pie :)

O2k- chicken pot pie! Using the fabulous Kate McDermott's recipe - art of the pie :)

Yum!

Back to hand lotions, I adore Kiehl's "Ultimate Strength Hand Salve", but it's a little on the pricey side. My tube is on my desk at work so I can't check ingredients, but IIRC it's a glycerine-based product. In my experience these seem to stand up better to frequent hand washing than other hand lotions, so I'd recommend looking for something glycerine-based at the drugstore.

Now that I live in the Midwest I've noticed my hands are drier, so this thread is timely.

On the road I usually travel w/ what's in the airline amenity kit in purse/tote/laptop case or something small/travel-size in same for quick replenishes in day/transit.

Cheers.

I like the hand cream from Bath & Body Works for every day wear.

And on the aloe allergy mentioned above, I have the same issue. Aloe products make my skin turn red. I've got several other plant-based allergies too though so it doesn't surprise me.

I'm with Calcifer - I love kiehl's extra strength hand lotion and happy to get the deluxe sample size tubes from the store.

Bath and Body Works has a line called True Blue Spa, and their hand cremes are good- nice and thick but don't leave your hands feeling oily.

For really dry skin, I swear by Bag Balm in the green tin, available in almost any drug store. It's petroleum-based, inexpensive, and works wonders. A little goes a long way, too.

I've tried a variety of products in varous price ranges for my super dry hands. The most effective used to be vaseline with the cotton gloves worn every single night, but then I found Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream - recommended by a friend who works in a lab and washes her hands endlessly. This stuff claims to moisturize for 24 hours - it doesn't last that long for me, but it lasts longer than anything else I've found and lasts through at least a few handwashings. I'm pretty happy with it.

I swear by Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant or Eight Hour Hand Lotion. The cream version is thick and I usually use that at night or just around my cuticles before using the hand lotion. But in the dead of winter, when my hands are painfully dry, the cream version works almost immediately to soothe.

I usually apply Eucerin original lotion after washing my hands. There are several versions of Eucerin, and the others irritate my skin.

In the evening, while reading or watching tv, I apply cuticle cream to my nails and cuticles (Burt's Bees, which sadly has almond oil) and follow with Aquaphor on my hands and wrists. Aquaphor is primarily petrolatum, but has other ingredients. It works better for me than Vaseline, which I dislike. I do try to rub my hands for a couple of minutes, and add more to the rough areas.

These two habits have made it unnecessary for me to resort to slathering my hands with either Eucerin cream or Aquaphor and putting on gloves when I go to bed, but that works really well, too.

On long flights, I use Eucerin lotion repeatedly, and my daughter who has eczema uses Aquaphor.

Straight coconut oil. Seriously. I do best to smother it on at night, but it rubs in easily enough during the daytime as well - especially if you're super dry.

For really dry skin, I swear by Bag Balm in the green tin, available in almost any drug store. It's petroleum-based, inexpensive, and works wonders. A little goes a long way, too.

+1 on the Bag Balm! Love that stuff!

I like the L'Occitaine shea butter hand cream - the small tubes are great for travel! :)