Tuesday, November 23, 2010

sandpaper hands


Winter is harsh and that means one thing to me, sandpaper hands. If you are anything like me, your skin becomes severely cracked and sometimes bleeds. Every year, I am faced with a desert for hands and an empty wallet. This year, it has intensified to the point where it's unbearable at times! Now being a parent to a toddler, I am constantly over the sink washing my hands. I have tried everything from ditching any harsh soaps, cleaners, or detergents I might have been using that would irritate the skin. I have even tried to avoid hot water (it is not easy to turn down a piping hot shower in the middle of a Canadian winter!) because I know hot water strips away the protective oil in the skin which can lead to dryness and moisture loss. I've slathered on every kind of lotion/moisturizer imaginable. As you can see, I am gathering quite the collection of products. I have tried medicated creams, a trillion different products, and have even tried natural alternatives like olive oil, butter and coconut oil. So, if anyone out there knows of a great way to solve my problem please, pretty please, let me in on your secret!

2 comments:

  1. Hey Shanna! I am with you on the cracked winter hands-I hate it! Myself I try to avoid any lotions that are medicated-they just sting and make your skin more irritated. I have a couple favorite ways to keep my hands soft since I've become an esthetician :) 1.Oil-I know you've tried it and it's kind of messy, but put some on at night and put some gloves on (if you can stand them while you sleep) That way your hands have 6+ hours with no washing or interaction with anything so the oil(or any lotion really) can be absorbed sufficiently. 2.Paraffin! I'm not sure if you've used it or had it done at a spa before, but it works wonders!! You can buy paraffin machines in walmart, drug stores etc..Besides the heat being used as a treatment therapy, the heat from the paraffin can make your hands silky soft! Apply any lotion or oil to your skin and apply the paraffin-you can dip into the machine if only you will be using it-otherwise put about 1 or 2 cups worth into a plastic bag and put your lotion covered hand into the bag. Let sit for at 15 mins or until it's no longer warm, then slide the wax off. The heat infuses the lotion into our skin and leaves them feeling so soft!
    Sorry for such a long comment :)
    I hope these ideas help!
    Take care Hun.
    Amanda

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  2. Thanks Amanda for the tips! I am going to use the oil and gloves approach tonight, I will let you know how it turns out :)

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