PSA: Hand Care During The Winter

L84Cabo · Feb 18, 2022

I've been having a hell of a time with my hands this winter...dry, cracking, bleeding, etc. All the hand washing due to the Rona sure hasn't helped them any either. So I posted for help on another forum and here's a summary of the most common answers, and what I've actually tried. Figured it may help some of you savages that also have delicate hands.

Feel free to add any other suggestions if there's something you use that works great.

Corn Huskers - Several people swear by this

Bag Balm - But a couple people reported this as greasy

Burts Bees Hand Salve - Several people liked this but a couple also reported this as being super greasy

These are the ones I actually bought and have been using for the past few days:

O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream - It's good stuff but it's a bit sticky. The can even advises you of this and to use it sparingly...which I do. But even sparingly it's still a bit sticky. It does a good job though of adding moisture to your hands and making them feel better. And a little goes a long way.

O'Keeffe's Night Treatment - This is good stuff too with a bit different formula than the regular hand cream. Interestingly it is NOT as sticky as the regular stuff...I would call this just a bit "tacky." Anyway, the regular product has paraffin in it which may be why it's sticky. The night treatment uses Bees Wax. I have no idea what makes the night treatment for nighttime and why it's better for night, and the regular stuff is better for the day. Maybe the regular stuff stays on better when you're working and such. If anyone has any idea on this, please share. I may just use the nighttime stuff all the time. What can I say, I'm a rebel and I was born to break the rules!

Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Hand Cream - This is probably my favorite of the three. It does a good job but goes on better without being sticky or greasy. I like the smell too. I don't know, however, if it stays on better/longer. I can't really tell. It's also pretty cheap...$4 for a 3 oz tube at WallyWorld

Bonus: I also picked up a bottle of O'Keeffe's hand soap as it's supposed to help moisturize your hands and not dry them out like regular soap. It's ok. I mean, I think it does what it says it does. My problem is that I really like foaming hand soaps and this is a cream soap. Apparently I'm very particular about my hand soaps.

Alexx1401 · Feb 19, 2022

Have had the same problem in winters for years. Have used a lotion called Eucerin for many years. If I do not forget to use it before the cracking and bleeding it prevents it. Often I of course forget until its a problem. Working in health care you do NOT want cuts on your hands. When I let it get going again I will use the stuff a couple times a day and it will heal them quickly.

Certaindeaf · Feb 19, 2022

Xaevian · Feb 19, 2022

I get O'keefe's for my spouse, or Eucerin if I can't find O'keefe's. Now that I live in farm country though, you can get O'keefe's everywhere. I've even seen it at truck stops. Better than bag balm, less petroleum jelly feeling, anyway.

I would highly suggest staying away from those foaming soaps, antibacterial ones, or other fragrant ones for such sensitive hands.

partsed · Feb 19, 2022

Gold Bond has a specific hand cream that is not greasy and absorbs very well into your skin.

Flopsweat · Feb 20, 2022

Bag balm. I rarely use it (or anything) as a preventative, but it works very fast if I apply it as soon as chapping shows up. Works on chapped lips too, and on burns. I even have some in my IFAC. Not greasy on your hands if you wipe off the excess or just rub your hands together for half a minute.

Mike_M57 · Feb 21, 2022

I worked for a while as a stocker in a Safeway store. Handling cardboard boxes for 6+ hours a night sucks the moisture right out of your skin. My fingertips would split open, and it was like having little razor blade cuts that started just under the fingernail. HURTS LIKE HELL. It would get so bad that I'd coat my hands with Bag Balm and put nitrile gloves on over it before going to bed. But that was messy, smelly, ineffective and made late-night bathroom excursions more challenging than they needed to be (use your imagination, guys, you won't be wrong).

Then I tried O'Keefe's Working Hands. I won't use anything but O'Keefe's now. It just works. It takes longer to absorb into your skin than something like Jergens or Intensive Care lotions. Use less than you think you need and rub it in for a full minute or more and there's no tackiness.

Xaevian · Feb 21, 2022

Mike_M57 said:
I worked for a while as a stocker in a Safeway store. Handling cardboard boxes for 6+ hours a night sucks the moisture right out of your skin. My fingertips would split open, and it was like having little razor blade cuts that started just under the fingernail. HURTS LIKE HELL. It would get so bad that I'd coat my hands with Bag Balm and put nitrile gloves on over it before going to bed. But that was messy, smelly, ineffective and made late-night bathroom excursions more challenging than they needed to be (use your imagination, guys, you won't be wrong).

Then I tried O'Keefe's Working Hands. I won't use anything but O'Keefe's now. It just works. It takes longer to absorb into your skin than something like Jergens or Intensive Care lotions. Use less than you think you need and rub it in for a full minute or more and there's no tackiness.

Exactly our experience. Bag balm is overrated by urbanites.