I've been doing plaster boarding (drywall) and dabbing this week and my hands are pretty much as dry as they can get. My hands also get like this when I'm roofing or working outside a lot as well.
When they get like this I tend to moisturise my hands at night, to try to stop them cracking (and sometimes they get so dry that certain materials even stick to them).
The smell of the Atrixo that I use just sends me straight back to my childhood. I can remember my dad rubbing it on his giant sized hands, winter on the farm would dry them out and I can't remember him ever wearing gloves.
So now my dad and both my bother and I use this hand cream but it does make me wonder is there a more natural alternative about that I should be using? Who else isn't too manly to admit they put a bit of moisturiser on their hands?
When we were running a holding we all used a lanolin cream from the local chemist. He made it himself so I imagine that it would be a banned product in this day and age. It was very effective and very cheap, and not at all smelly.
ReplyDeleteThe smell would be what would put me off!
DeleteLast year I made a balm/handcream from beeswax, olive oil, aloe vera and calendula (home grown apart from the olive oil obviously). it is really really good for chapped faces and dry hands.
ReplyDeleteAny pics of Alistair yet?
Gill
i make a similar handcream like Frugal above with beeswax, olive oil, comfrey and plantain. you can use it on hands, elbows, feet, chaffed lips, etc. i can give you my recipe if you want.
Deletesending much love and like Frugal, am looking forward to more pics of Alistair. your friend,
kymber
I might look at making some another time! At the moment my hands are quite full if you excuse the pun!
DeletePictures ont he blog tomorrow of the little one!
If you use coconut oil for cooking, you might try that. The tiniest dab goes a very long way, but it doesn't immediately vanish the way moisturizing lotion does, at least on me.
ReplyDeleteNever used coconut oil for cooking, not a massive fan of the taste. Might eb worth buying in some for hand lotion though as a few on here have recommended it.
Deletesecond the coconut oil, it really is a miracle worker
ReplyDeleteBe a good one to have in storage by the sound of it. I bet it goes a long way as well.
DeleteI use a cream containing both lanolin and glycerin and it works really well. As for coconut oil, I'm with Quinn, it works well, but take a little time to 'soak in'. (I also use it on my winter-static hair.)
ReplyDeleteNothing worse than when you can't touch anything once you;ve put something on your hands though, I'm far to inpatient for that!
DeleteI use Cornhuskers lotion. Best stuff made. Apply it in the morning before work. And after you wash your hands....keeps your hands from splitting open at all the usual places..
ReplyDeletehttps://jet.com/product/detail/3803dba2605744278cc174ead3eb239d
I like the sound of this stuff and as we do the same job you know what our hands have to go through.
DeleteMany of us Yanks (especially those in the frozen northern part called "New" England, though I don't live there myself) will tell you to use Bag Balm. bagbalm.com. I think it was originally for livestock only (udders etc, hence the name)? It is amazing, I will confirm, though the frugal-ologist in me might also want to try the cheaper homemade ideas above. Also: when my fingers actually crack (and are painful) I have glued them shut with superglue.
ReplyDeleteSounds like good stuff, the website certainly makes it sound good! Not sure I can get it in the UK though!
DeleteYou can get it on amazon Kev.
DeleteAllergic to most handcreams... but I use lard, duckfat, cocoa butter or coconut oil... sometimes walnut oil or linseed... and all seem to work...
ReplyDeletehave just obtained some honey, mustard and olive oil handcream.
LArd and duck fat could leave an interesting smell on your hands! Sounds more like salad dressings!
DeleteAgricultural 'Udder Cream' is cheap and good; it contains lanolin. Ask any milkmaid.
ReplyDeleteLanolin is great stuff but he smell of sheep just puts me off!
DeleteWe have a cream that is called http://manentail.com/products/hoofmaker/
ReplyDeleteOriginally made for horses but has become very popular for dry and cracked hands.
Also sounds good stuff! I think there are many things made for animals that we can use, obliviously need to make sure someone else has tested it first though!
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ReplyDeleteI think you may be missing out on a whole new self sufficiency area. I make laundry soap at 4p per wash hand creams and household cleaners. Beeswax and olive oil is a bit slimmy a little goes a long way. Love the children and think you are all very clever to deliver your own. Well done
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely missing out on this area but it's all a question of time - I haven't got enough! A pot of hand cream last me over a year so I can stock up for very small outlay. It might be something I look at doing when the girls are older as I think they'd really enjoy it.
DeleteAs for the delivery I don;t think there was much clever about it - all done on instinct!