Okay, so: I have a cold. Long story short, the skin around and under my nose is extremely chapped, and I think it’s starting to crack a little. Is there any way I can prevent this from getting worse?
Have you tried using Puffs Plus facial tissue? Some people don’t like it because the lotion in it makes it feel kinda greasy, but they’re the only facial tissue I’ll use.
Switch to the tissues with lotion in them; meanwhile, dab on the least-scented lotion you can find. Curel and Eucerin are both good. The Vermont Country Store sells something called Crack Cream, but I somehow think you’re not willing to wait for it to ship…
Thanks for the suggestions…I’ve been using Puffs with lotion all along and I started applying Eucerin yesterday…hopefully things start improving.
It’s not great for under your nose, but when I have cracked skin on my hands I use an ointment and cover it with band-aids. Vaseline, First aid cream, or Neosporin all work well.
For my lips I use lip balm – chap stick, blistex, or whatever. That ought to work under your nose, too. You’ll just have to keep replenishing it, because ransdom wiping, licking and especially nose blowing will quickly remove it… The trick is to keep it covered so it’ll heal.
When my nose cracks like that, I dab it with Chapstick. What works for the lips will work there, too.
Amen to the Chapstick suggestions, and for other areas of dry skin, I recommend lotions and potions containing Shea butter. That stuff is magic. I think I’ve gone through a bucket of it this winter.
I get the same thing with colds. I have a little tube of over-the-counter cortisone cream which I rubbed on the chapped area 2-3 times a day, and it helped enormously.
So, on review, I this is what you should do:
-Wipe nose with Puffs Plus Facial Tissue
-Dab nose with Curel
-Smear on Eucerin
-Rub in Crack Cream
-Coat thoroughly with Chap Stick
-Smooth on Shea Butter
-Apply Cortisone Cream
-Finished!
The layer of stuff on your nose will be visible, but you’ll feel like a million bucks. 
A&D ointment-does the same thing as Eucerin cream, at half the cost. Get the ointment, not the cream.
Vaseline also works. I would not put cortisone cream on cracked skin. Read the label-it doesn’t advise it.
All the lotions in the world will provide only minimal help. As a dry skin sufferer, I finally was able to discover that the best possible thing was to get a humidifier and run it on high in my room while I sleep. Humid air for around 8 hours a day during the winter does wonders.
My vote is for Blistex lip ointment (the medicated kind in the red box). Not only does it soothe your skin, it has no greasy coating and is slightly mentholated, which helps with congestion.
Bag Balm is my remedy of choice. If it’s good enough for cow’s udders it’s good enough for me.
Moo.
Zim’s Crack Cream, Bag Balm, Badger Balm…all good stuff but I have to second the simple Chapstik. I even use it on misbehaving cuticles. Although I do prefer the Burt’s Bees lip balm way more now.
I am guessing that no one else read “Curel and Eucerin” too fast and heard “Cruel and Uterine” in their head, huh?
If the lotions are too light and you need something that’ll provide longer protection, get some Carmex nice and warm and then rub it in your crack. It’s what I use when my fingers crack on their sides at the knuckle and it heals them better than lotions because the protection is more waxy and lasts for hours.
Doesn’t that make is slippery when you sit naked?
<snort>
This has had me chuckling for quite a while now…
Yikes! Lots of replies while I was gone…
Anyway, thanks for the suggestions, everybody! I started with the chapstick earlier, and it seems to have eased the pain…we’ll see whether or not it actually improves the situation.