My hands are sandpaper
Posted on: March 6, 2008
I work in a lab for a living, which means I wash my hands approximately fortyleven times a day and when I’m not washing them, they’re living in gloves. As a result, my hands are are an attractive texture of mid-grade sandpaper. It has gotten so bad that that my dry patches actually snag my yarn while I’m knitting.
…Ew…
I’ve tried just about every kind of lotion out there, but it just ends up getting washed off or somehow absorbed into my gloves. So far the only good, somewhat “wash proof” lotion that has been suggested to me is The Body Shop’s Hemp Hand Protector. And y’all? It smells like arse.
So, my fellow knitters out there in knitterdom, do any of you know of a miracle salve (that doesn’t smell like fetid feet) to keep my hands from shredding??
My hands (and knitting!) will thank you. 😉
8 Responses to "My hands are sandpaper"
March 7, 2008 at 5:12 am
Ugg…I know what you mean. I used to be a hairstylist, and my hands were soaking in water all day. My hands were so dry that my knuckles would crack and bleed…so sexy. This stuff helped me a little (as long as my hands weren’t in water):
http://shop.elizabetharden.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2553433&cp=2779948.2571445
It’s basically an ointment, which leaves you pretty greasy, but hey if it works, its worth it. I’m not a hairstylist anymore, so my hands are better, but they are still really dry. I’ve been using a hand salve from Burts Bees lately, and its nice. It’s greasy too.
Good luck!
March 7, 2008 at 5:14 am
Oops…sorry, I didn’t realize that my link would take over your whole page!
March 8, 2008 at 4:20 am
Ooooh I’ll be checking back to see what people recommend. 🙂
I don’t know if it would work for you or not, but when my sons had skin problems (i.e. super dry skin that cracked and bled), their pediatrician recommended Aquaphor (sp?); there’s also Eucerin. And I can certainly second the Elizabeth Arden 8-hour cream, but it does smell a bit mediciney (I like the smell though I know not everybody does).
March 13, 2008 at 2:45 am
The Aquaphor was great for HSH’s eczema, and wasn’t one of those goopy types.
Let me poke around and see what I can dig up.
May 4, 2008 at 8:53 pm
The problem starts with the soap. A lot of soaps have vitamin E in them, which I have found to be very harsh. I leave a bottle of Softsoap with Aloe in the restroom at work so I don’t have to use the drying, industrial-strength stuff they put in the soap dispensers. When I get back to my desk, I put on hand lotion without vitamin E. If you like the smell of cocoa butter, you could try the Suave Cocoa Butter with Shea.
You are so right to address the problem now while you’re young. Your skin only gets dryer and thinner as you get older (ask me how I know). I have read that taking vitamin C can help slow the thinning of the skin, and I hope it’s right!
May 6, 2008 at 2:52 am
OMG why didn’t you say something at knitting. Gods what is the name of the junk I use. I haven’t had the cracked hands in like 2 years now… think… think… l’Occitane!!!! OMG insane. Shea Butter Hand Cream
http://usa.loccitane.com/FO/Catalog/Product.aspx?prod=01MA150KA&cat=usg_BodyHands
Remind me I’ll bring some on Monday unless we music it this weekend
June 8, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Try Udder Cream. Grease free, works great. I buy mine at Hancock Fabrics.
Twistedtexan's Weblog 
March 7, 2008 at 12:32 am
Hahhaaa. Fetid feet.
Fish flesh. 🙂