I have to wash my hands about 8,864 times a day and I live in Canada where it’s very cold and dry.
My hands are REALLY sore. FWIW, I moisturize after each time I wash but I think the dryness is getting ahead of me.
Currently I’ve been using either Biotherm Bio Mains (smells nice, not too moisturizing), Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream Intensive Hand Treatment (decent) or Crabtree and Evelyn Rosewater Hand Cream (smells nice, not too moisturizing).
All of these are rather…pricy. While I don’t mind spending $$ (obviously), I’m using so much a slightly lower price would be nice; however, the primary concern is that it works really well.
I buy hand cream from eBay… people sell tubes with “imperfect packaging” for way less than retail.
My two favorites, both for moisturizing power and for smelling nice, are Bath & Body Works Look Ma New Hands, and Sally Hansen Hand Nail & Cuticle. The first one especially is nice because it contains paraffin and does a good job of protecting from frequent hand-washing.
I use L’Occitane shea butter hand cream (it comes in little metal tubes that I stick in my purse) and Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve. Both are a bit pricey, but they’re thick and you don’t need to use much. They’re not sticky and very effective.
I’ve been struggling with really dry feet lately and have been using Udderly SMooth Shea butter foot cream twice a day. My hands are now the softest ever been just from the application process.
I can tell you that everyone I know that works in aged care swears by Sorbolene Cream. You can even use it as soap, but it moisturizes and protects skin and you can buy huge bottles of it for a few bucks.
I use this too and I highly recommend it. I work in a lab and have to wash my hands a million times a day, and this stuff keeps me from getting chapped and dry. It has a very light scent and is not greasy at all - both very important factors for me. It’s not cheap, but a little goes a very long way. I’ve tried dozens of hand creams and this is the one I’m sticking with despite the price. I figure my poor little hands do so much for me, I owe them this much.
Bag Balm is the classic, of course. Made for udders, eagerly used by farmwives for more than 100 years.
I also really like Hempz. Smells better than Bag Balm, absorbs quicker and works really well, and it’s pretty cheap. The nurses in the NICU introduced me to it, and it’s actually sold in the hospital gift shop. For nurses scrubbing many times a day to endorse it, you gotta respect it.
FWIW, I have the tried the Norwegian stuff (too sticky), the Aveeno (not moisturizing enough), Eucern (meh), and the Bag Balm (too…baggy). (I used to work in the industry so I’ve tried lots).
I’ve never tired the L’Occitane though, and there’s a one of these shops in one of my favorite local malls so I think it might be at the top of my list currently.
I’m also going to check out E-Bay, because if I could get the Arden stuff cheaper, I would - it’s decent and not too sticky.
Regarding the Hempz - I have actually tried hemp moisturizers before and they do moisturize. Unfortunately, they smell AWFUL. As in, I can’t stand to have them on my hands and must wash moments after I’ve applied them. It’s too bad they can’t do something about that.
I’m keen on drugstore St Ives hydrating hand cream–super cheap, and best for me, it soaks in really quickly and doesn’t leave my hands feeling greasy, and consequently it doesn’t leave a film on my laptop or my desk. I like the lightness of it.
I like the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula stuff too. It’s a small squeezy bottle, but I bought mine last year some time and it’s still going strong. I think it contains glycerin (can’t remember) and that makes it pretty effective. You only need a tiny bit.
My mom once bought me some hand lotion/creme from (I think) Bath and Body that was similar to the Neutrogena but had a light lemon scent. I loved the stuff. It might have been thisstuff. (It was definitely the CO Bigelow brand, but mine was just in a little squeezy bottle, maybe 2 oz? Mom said it was kind of spendy, which that big jar does seem to be.) It was really fantastic. Seems to be out of stock; I don’t know if their stock needs to be replenished or if it’s discontinued or what. (Clearly, I don’t shop at Bath and Body very much.)
For general purpose lotion, I really like Aveeno’s Skin Relief - I have their regular stuff now, but I like the Skin Relief better. It’s really moisturizing, and does indeed last at least 24 hours. I remember not liking the smell much, but it’s not very noticeable anyway and dissipates quickly.
I’m also currently using a granola crunchy cream that’s handmade from beeswax that I’m kind of liking. It smells vaguely of honey (naturally), but I think I’d like it to be a little thicker/more nourishing. Supposedly, it’s got some of honey’s natural anti-bacterial properties, so it can help with burns or scratches or stuff (which it does seem to be - I sunburned the back of my hands on vacation, and it seems to be helping, I think). Their stuff is available at www.worker-b.com - I’m using the creme, the putty says it’s stronger and might have been a better choice.
Personally, I love Trader Joe’s hand cream. Not sure about availability, but I’ve seen it for sale on ebay before.
Also, I use Bath & Body Works signature collection lotions (Forever Sunshine is my favorite) and it smell great and moisturizes pretty well, but I only wash my hands a few times a day, so I’m not sure if it’d work as well for your situation. After I put it on, I have to wait about a minute or so before it dries completely, but it’s one of the few lotions that doesn’t leave me feeling oily/slick after using it.
Really? I thought this one smelled just lovely. A very light fruity scent. I actually use it when I want a scent fix, even if my hands aren’t dry. But, different strokes, of course.
Ooh - posting to add. My CO Bigelow stuff might have been this, available from Amazon. The bottle looks familiar, and the listing refers to glycerin which I definitely remember it having. Maybe I’ll pick some up too.
Corn Husker’s Lotion. It’s cheap and really effective. Use it during times when you’ll be washing the most, then switch to something else more appealing later in the day or when there will be a gap in the hand washing.
I don’t like the scent at all, but I use it every night after I shower.
I consider myself something of an expert on moisturizers. I have Hand Eczema and my hands are very susceptible to itching, flaking, cracks and lesions. I hate most lotions and moisturizers because I can’t stand to have my hands feel greasy. I have therefore tried many kinds of lotions, moisturizers, ointments, creams, balms, and liniments, both prescription and over-the-counter, and my unequivocal favorite is CeraVe Moisturizing Cream.
It readily absorbs into the skin and by some miracle, doesn’t leave a greasy residue. It has allowed me to get my eczema under control. I think you’ll love it.
Really? I thought this one smelled just lovely. A very light fruity scent. I actually use it when I want a scent fix, even if my hands aren’t dry. But, different strokes, of course.