[Petstorejunkie]

Oh my gosh, I can't take this anymore!
I'm out with the horses a good bit every day and this weather is taking its toll on my hands. I wear gloves to ride but maybe I need just general protection?
I have tiny scratches all across my nuckles where the skin has split. I'm applying a variety of lotions, but I also wash my hands a lot.

What say you, cothers? How do you prevent "barn hands?"

[Superminion]

There is a goat's milk lotion that DH uses. He gets barn hands without ever being in the barn and it works wonders for him. I'll have to ask him when he gets home!

[hasahorse]

I like Ahava Dermud intensive hand cream. You can get it at Beauty Brands and on line. I think I have tried about everything, and this has worked the best. It is not cheap, but a little goes a long way. I wash my hands a lot too.

[oliverreed]

Bag balm works great, but it's very greasy. I'd apply it at night and wear cotton gloves or mittens to bed. I also find that Vaseline Intensive care Cocoa butter lotion is great.

[NoSuchPerson]

Ditto the Bag Balm recommendation.

My Grandpa used to swear by Cornhuskers Lotion, but I haven't seen it in years so I'm not sure if you can still buy it.

[GotGait]

We have very hard water here and with that and the cold weather, I get seriously chapped and red skin - mostly my elbows and hands.
I have to use a Lush "Buffy" and Kiehl's Ultra Strength Hand Salve. It's about the only thing that works for me that doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy.

Ditto for bandaids and Neosporin. It will at least heal the cuts until they crack open another day.

[BuddyRoo]

I like the Neutrogena Hand Cream. I too get hands that crack and bleed.

A couple of other things though....
1) drinking lots of water
2) buy some cheap lotion and put next to your sink. Before you wash your hands, lotion up. Then wash. Then immediately lotion again. Learned that trick working at the vet clinic.
3) Bath and Body works sells thin cotton gloves. Get hands wet, slather on your hand cream, and put on gloves and wear overnight.

If I do those three things and wear appropriate hand gear when I'm outside working, my hands don't turn AS gnarly over the winter.

[Bells]

This might give some people the willies but you might start off by using some super glue or shoe rubber glue (shoe goop) to heal the current cuts. When camping we use this and it honestly helps hold the cuts together so that they can heal. You can apply lotions over the glues to prevent further damage.

[charismaryllis]

i have lotion everywhere and use it after i wash my hands every. single. time. i have a little bottle of lotion in the fanny pack i bring to the barn that has my keys and cookies and things in it too.

for the cuts, the only thing i've found to work is to smear neosporin on them and then band aid them before i go to bed. (of course it may be the petroleum jelly base that's doing it...) good luck!!

[Fairfax]

I have had an ongoing problem with cracked fingers (bleeding) and the same with the heels and instep. We have a dry dry climate that is cold with snow..I was told about a Canadian product called George's Special Dry Skin Cream

I have used udder balm (didn't work..too greasy). I have used the vaseline products and some really expensive therapy products.

The person who told me about this cream works on the rigs in Alaska and he purchases it from Canada. I live in Canada...had never heard of it. Went into a chain drugstore and was able to purchase a large container for about $20.00

My toes don't dry and crack...neither do my heels...and my fingers still get wet and very cold however when I get back into the house I use it and at bedtime.

If I sound like an ad I am sorry. This is the FIRST time in 30 years I haven't suffered to the same extent. Now if I could just get rid of cold weather I would be happy.

[MistyBlue]

I get painful chapped hands every late fall and early spring. Weather change time...cracks, bleeding, etc. Blech!

Many stores carry Aquafor...it's a vaseline or bagbalm type product but it's not petroleum like those are. The difference with Aquafor is that it's non-greasy *and* it's breathable. It's also used as the base of many prescription salves. And it's seriously hydrating.

Use that right out of the shower, a small dollop in your hands and then rub, rub, rub to absorb it all. For bad cracks, shower right before bed, add extra Aquafor and cover with latex type gloves for overnight.

(works fantastic on rough feet too or as a scrape cover on horses since it does allow air circulation too)

Also see if any place near you has parafin wax treatments. (or you can buy a unit that does that for only about $20 at places like Walmart or CVS) Those also work really nicely for really dry hands or feet...and especially nice if you have arthritis.

[Guin]

Ditto the Bag Balm recommendation.

My Grandpa used to swear by Cornhuskers Lotion, but I haven't seen it in years so I'm not sure if you can still buy it.

I buy it at CVS. It's also available online from all sorts of places.

[billiebob]

I love Aquaphor hand creme, and in a pinch I will use my Effax Lederbalsam........really. I noticed how well it works one wintry tack-cleaning day, although it does make your hands a little greasy.

[walktrot]

I had a problem with hands that were so bad I was tyring to glue the skin back together so I wouldn't have so many cracks that were actually losing a little blood at times. I tried at least a dozen different products that didn't seem to touch it at all.

Enter "Gramp Lyford's Vermont Salve." I don't know what special ingredient it has but it certainly cleared up all the problems I had and they haven't come back. I believe they have a website that you can google.

[ChocoMare]

The key is the lotion/lotion/lotion deal all day, before and after washing, as stated above BUT the overnight treatment is where you see the most healing. My dad suffered horribly in NY winters and cracked/bled in several places on his fingers. He had to soak his hands in warm water for about 20 minutes and then slather on the Zim's Crack Cream and wear gloves to bed.

[tabula rashah]

During the day, I just use regular old any kinda hand lotion whenever I wash my hands. But at night if my hands are particularly bad, I'll wash my hands and while they are still damp I use a good amount of Badger Balm and rub it in really well. Then I do a thick layer of Vaseline, then I put on cotton gloves and sleep this way. It sounds like a PITA but it works really well for me.

[NorthwoodsRider]

I don't know if it's available in the states, but Uremol 20 works great for healing cracks.

[Alagirl]

yes, wear gloves for worrking or generally in cold temperatures.
put whatever on at night, lather, put gloves over them. I think you can now get the 'aloe infused' ones for cheapish. but something cotton/linen would probably be best.

My go-to cream is Nivea, in the blue tub. I use it for face and hand. it's the only thing that does not burn on irritated and cracked skin for me.

[VaqueroToro]

Ditto the Bag Balm recommendation.

My Grandpa used to swear by Cornhuskers Lotion, but I haven't seen it in years so I'm not sure if you can still buy it.

You can, or at least you can in Upstate NY.

Aquaphor is another good one. Even good ol' Vaseline will protect your skin. The greasy stuff is the best because it's less likely to wash off. The trick to making these less greasy is to rub it into your skin good and hard while running your hands under hot water. Heating up both the product and your skin will make your skin absorb more of it and cut the greasy feeling.

[Grataan]

You can still get Cornhuskers lotion around here.

I have horrible chapped hands just from the nature of my job and scrubbing for surgery all the time. UGH. Winter just makes it worse.

I use Working Hands Cream I really like it because it doesn't sting on those deep cuts/cracks that are so sensitive.