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Dying of Dry Hand Syndrome!!!!!!

Alright, so perhaps I’m exaggerating a tad (could of used less exclamation marks) but now that I have your attention… I was wondering if anyone knows of any tried, true, and tested natural remedies to help alleviate dry skin for your hands. This blistering cold, 60 degree, and dry Cali weather is not agreeing with me (please don’t hate I’m originally from the windy city of Chicago but have since acclimated to the climate of sunny smoggy Cali).

I have tried coconut oil and shea butter. I even tried coconut oil and shea butter together (thinking I might be on to something). Granted I have not tried these treatments for long, so perhaps they have potential.

So any thoughts would be great. Well, looking forward to someone curing me.

Comments

  • TomsMomTomsMom Raw Newbie

    I have painfully dry-damaged hands! They hurt! Also, the skin sometimes opens and bleeds. It’s because I feed my cat raw meat/bone/organ diet so I wash my hands constantly. I know detergent and soap is bad for the hands, but I need to clean them.

    Anyhow, yesterday I was peeling avocados and for the heck of it, I rubbed the remaining bits of fruit into the raw spots on my poor hands and wow! The pain left, and the skin started to knit immediately. Give it a try.

  • That’s funny, I find myself in the same predicament. I feed our dogs a raw meat/bone/organ diet so I wash my hands frequently as well. I’ll have to try the avocado. Thanks for the advice.

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    Alix1962 and Satchy~ You might consider wearing surgical gloves when you make your pet food to save your hands. You can find them online or at medical or drug stores and they are pretty inexpensive to boot. If you are allergic to latex, you can find some latex-free.

  • Thanks for the input Bluedolfin. In the past I have ‘borrowed’ my boyfriend’s disposable latex gloves (that he uses for working on our cars). Forgot about those, I should go ‘borrow’ some more. I believe the weather might also be a factor.

  • FreesiaFreesia Raw Newbie

    One very good product is pure cold pressed jojoba oil. It’s not really an oil, but an ester that has practically the same composition as skin sebum. It doesn’t leave an oily film on the skin, it’s absorbed and leaves skin feeling very silky and smooth.
    It is used mainly as a base for other cosmentics and aromatherapy blends but on its own it is such a magnificent liquid.
    It doesn’t go rancid like oils do and can be kept in a plastic bottle (although I prefer to keep mine in glass). It also doesn’t have a prescribed shelf life, maybe because it’s full of it’s own antioxidants… if you mix it with other oils it acts as a preservative because of this.

    I have extremely dry hands and feet and the jojoba has made them soft and smooth.
    At first you will need to apply it 3-4 times a day but gradually you will need less and less.

    It doesn’t stain like oil does and it washes out in the washing machine without extra faffing about.
    In Australia it is one of the most commonly used “oils” for massage therapists as well.
    It can be expensive but you only need a few drops , it really does go a long way.

  • MopokeMopoke Raw Newbie

    I agree with the avocado/jojoba route but also check that you are hydrated enough and that you are eating enough omega 3’s…..My incredibly dry skin is getting better from the inside out as I eat lots of flax seed and flax oil and coconut oil….but I notice that when I get dehydrated just drinking water doesn’t seem to work :(.....

  • Awesome. I happen to have some jojoba oil on hand. I’ll have to give that a try too.

  • When you wash dishes or do any cleaning where cleaning gloves. But FIRST put some olive/coconut/avacado oil on your hands. When you put your hands in hot water it’ll actually make your hands soft, not dry! Tell me what you think, but I love the feel of my hands after they come out of cleaning gloves (in hot water) and that’s not even with any oil on.

     

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    OK… here’s a way to use all the suggestions… Drink some water before you start making pet food. Then, put some jojoba, avocado, fresh aloe vera, or whatever oil/good stuff inside your gloves when you make the pet food, giving yourself a “healing” treatment at the same time… :)

    Satchy~ You might want to get your own box of gloves (they come in different sizes so you can get ones that probably fit your better then the ones your guy has) so you can keep your guy a happy camper… nothing like a guy wanting to do something on the car and finds an empty box of gloves. Yikes! LOL

    LOL… we were on the same wavelength Sky. :) One thing about using a reusable glove with the oils is that the oils have a chance to go rancid. One would have to wash off the inside of the gloves, kinda defeating keeping hands out of water/soap. If you use disposable gloves, the oil is always fresh.

  • I really appreciate all the suggestions. So many great ideas. I’m sure I’ll have soft hands in no time.

    SkyPrincess-Sounds like a very inexpensive spa treatment. Must find something to clean so I can try it!

    Bluedolfin-I love that you supplied me with a step by step procedure that incorporates all the natural remedies!

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    Freesia~ At night you can use the oils on your feet and wrap your feet in Glad Wrap (don’t use Saran Wrap because it flakes off). For extra warmth, use socks over the wrap. Using gloves and oil at night will moisturize your hands. Kinda funky, but it works.

  • Bag balm and a pair of manicure gloves before you go to bed and when you wake up the dryness and cracks will be gone.

  • About latex gloves—some people have nasty allergic reactions to them. I’d use cheap cotton gloves instead, or even gym socks, for a “hand treatment” (put oil or balm on hands and hands into gloves)

  • The best deal I’ve found on disposable gloves is at Costco, where they have 300 nitrile gloves for $15. People allergic to latex can use nitrile, and it has the added benefit of being much more sturdy than latex. They are in the pharmacy department near the diapers. The gloves come in 3 sizes with a hand-measuring chart on the box.

    The latex gloves you can find in the first aid aisles of most supermarkets and drug stores are usually pretty flimsy and quite expensive – about $5-8 for 50 gloves.

  • TomsMomTomsMom Raw Newbie

    All these are awesome answers, thank you to everyone and to Satchy for posting! I need to look at those latex-free gloves for myself, too. OOXX

  • Check out the type of soap you are using on your hands. Soap can be extremely drying because a lot of manufacturers extract the natural glycerine and sell it for other purposes and then fill it up with chemicals and fillers, plus artificial fragrances.
    Of course I have to recommend my organic soap that I make (www.greenridgeherbals.com) which is handmade, but if you don’t buy from me at least use “handmade soap” with essential oils (no fragrance oils). It will make a HUGE difference. When I first tried handmade soap years ago, I never went back! Combine that with an all-natural lotion, or use unrefined shea butter directly on your hands for an amazing feel.
    Colleen

  • michigan romanmichigan roman Raw Master

    havent read entire thread so may be repeating things already said , but i work outdoors in michigan and have had the dried/chapped/cracked hands alot . the 2 main things that helped me was applying oil at night , ive used many types oil from jojoba to olive oil , and wearing the cotton jersey / work gloves (the cheap thin work gloves you can buy for a dollar) over the oil when i go to sleep . this holds the moisture in and made a giant difference in healing hands . and the other big factor for healing cracks is i use aloe vera , from plant or bottled stuff , along with the oil at night . the aloe heals cracks . vitamin e gel caps applied may also help . and using the gloves when doing dishes or working with other corrosive things helps .

  • I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for all the helpful suggestions. I have been drinking more water and applying some jojoba oil on my hands as advised, and it has drastically improved my hands (seriously I went from sand paper hands to soft and supple hands in a matter of days). In addition I’ve changed my kitchen soap to an all natural based one. When I think about it I remember to use some gloves, such a great idea.

    Michigan roman-Aloe vera and vitamin e sound perfect too. I have an aloe vera plant in our back yard that I could make use of.

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