Sandpaper horsewee hands!

scatty_mare

scatty_mare

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I can't be the only one out there with course, calloused, cracked elephant skin on my hands? what are your measures for coping? Any recommendations for hand creams? I use E45 and savlon but finding it is not working so well.

I also am finding that I can't get rid of the horse wee smell from under my skin, don't mind it too much myself but people at work have begun to find excuses for me not to make their tea anymore... (every cloud eh! and at least I can save on oven gloves:D)
 
I feel your pain. I have to use germ killing stuff on my hands all the time out here and I have the same issue. Only thing I have found to work is Neutrogena fishermans remedy (or something like that).

Mine crack to the point of bleeding if i'm not religious about putting it on. Bugger is i've run out so if anyone is taking a trip to India and passing my door....

You can get it in Boots and it's not pricey. Might be worth a try. Will watch this post with interest.
 
Diprobase cream from the chemist. They use it on Eczma. Slap it on everytime ou wash your hands, and before you go to bed. If you want, get some cotton gloves to sleep in so you can put it on really thick.
 
Oh yes that alcohol rub is agony! Goes in all the little cracks and really stings! Thanks for the tip, I think I will be making a little trip to Boots tomorrow in my lunch break!

What are you doing in Jaipur?
 
sprite1978 said:
Diprobase cream from the chemist. They use it on Eczma. Slap it on everytime ou wash your hands, and before you go to bed. If you want, get some cotton gloves to sleep in so you can put it on really thick.
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Is that the stuff that smells like poster paint? Can you get cotton gloves from the chemist too?
Thanks for the tip!
 
I've moved out with the OH who works for a bank who have typically moved a large part of their operations out here on a cost cutting exercise.

It's not all bad, I get to ride every day and am not allowed to work!!!!! Bummer.

My heels crack like mad too, feels like i'm walking on glass sometimes. Not found anything man enough for that job. My skin is so hard I think I could nail shoes on the damn things. How very attractive...
 
Crabtree and Evelyn Gardeners Hand rescue - you can get a cream and a oily scrub. The scrub is amazing for sore hands, very soothing! I used to get such dry hands that the skin would split if you closed it.
 
Another vote for Crabtree & Evelyn Gardener's Remedy stuff, brilliant and smells nice too!
I also wear gloves when I am mucking out, doing haynets etc, which helps stop the cracks and the staining.
 
scatty_mare said:
Is that the stuff that smells like poster paint? Can you get cotton gloves from the chemist too?
Thanks for the tip!
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I suppose it does a bit! I used to sell it to doctors and hospitals. It great stuff. Theres no scent or artificials in it, so nothing to irritate. Just pure moisturiser. You should be able to get the gloves from the Chemist. People with bad contact allergies normally buy them.
 
To get rid of the smell and ingrained dirt i find good old johnsons baby soap works well. Then i use various creams but cocoa butter, neutragena or generally i find 'cheaper own brands' can work better than the more expensive ones that claim all sorts.
I also use the rubber palmed gardening gloves instead of any horse gloves to muck out and i've found i have less smelly hands since.
 
I'm another one that swears by Palmers Cocco Butter - I use the normal body one on my hands and my heals.

I always muck out with gloves on.

I scrub my hands with a nailbrush to remove the dirt. I don't have too much trouble with the smell.
 
Another one who swears by Neutrogena Norwegan Formula - a little goes a long way and it rubs in really well.
I've tried other things but keep coming back to it.
 
A great way to repairs dry, sore hands (as well as feet) is to slather them in really good moisturiser (I find Crabtree & Evelyn's La Source the best, but use whatever you have handy/like best). Then cover them in plastic bags (I prefer freezer/sandwich bags as they minimise rustling) almost like moisturiser gloves. Go to bed with them on and you'll wake up with soft hands/feet in the morning. It's great - I honestly swear by it!
 
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Don't have smell prob as I wear gloves for riding and yard wk. Find tack cleaning (I known :eek:) helps especially using traditional soap as has glycerine in it. If I have cracked fingers put cream on and plasters overnight - does the trick. Also australian heel balm wonderful but pricy - looks like whale fat!:D
 
Another vote for wearing gloves during the dirty work. Thin latex ones work well as you still have grip and no loss of dexterity
 
Vixen Van Debz said:
A great way to repairs dry, sore hands (as well as feet) is to slather them in really good moisturiser (I find Crabtree & Evelyn's La Source the best, but use whatever you have handy/like best). Then cover them in plastic bags (I prefer freezer/sandwich bags as they minimise rustling) almost like moisturiser gloves. Go to bed with them on and you'll wake up with soft hands/feet in the morning. It's great - I honestly swear by it!
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LOL what does the person you share you bed with think of you with plastic bags on your feet...... OH said you can do the same for cracked lips :D thats love for you !

I love bodyshop hemp handcream its fab and the only thing that works for me.
 
I totally forgot to wear gloves this weekend moving yards, which included lifting rubber mats... my hands are still vile although at least the smell has gone now!

I have some fab gloves at the yard that are like gardening gloves, I have a pair for mucking out and a pair for riding as they're really grippy on the reins, plus when it gets really cold I can layer them over wollen gloves...

Although it helps if I remember to wear them!!
 
He sleeps in the spare bed those nights funnily enough! Harsh comment about dealing with cracked lips! lol.

I've used and liked the Hemp range at TBS too - the hand moisturiser has been on offer as part of their handbag favourites so I picked up some cheaply. It might still be on offer now, I'm not sure.
 
Dougalsmum said:
My heels crack like mad too, feels like i'm walking on glass sometimes. Not found anything man enough for that job. My skin is so hard I think I could nail shoes on the damn things. How very attractive...
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Mine do too even though I have no hard skin and keep them soft. Sooo painful.
 
A work colleague recommended using bio oil on dried hands. She'd been using it on her scars and it says on the label it can be used for dry skin. She's been using it on her hands at night and said it's really been helping. However, bio oil is pretty expensive stuff but worth a try!
 
Years ago my Mum worked in the school kitchens, then they used to use soda crystals in the washing up water, her hands used to be so sore and cracked. Her supervisor who was getting on a bit said try lard, warm your hands up in water, dry, rub lard all over and put on rubber gloves. It worked for Mum, as it is animal fat, and we are animals I suppose that is why it worked. Mind then you smell like a roast dinner instead of horse pee, but it is worth a try.
 
Oh I love this post - at least I don't know feel alone with my calloused sandpaper hands. My OH is a farrier and he always tells me that it feels like himself touching him with my rough hands!!

I remember buying some satin sheets once from bid up TV thinking they would different in the bedroom. Well can you imagine the fun and games with 2 pairs of sandpaper hands and satin sheet!!!!!! They had more snags in them than you can imagine and you couldn't move for dragging the sheet with said rough hand.

Do you all suffer the same problems putting on tights and silky tops/dresses? Absolute nightmare. I work from home now so spend the day in jods or jeans but on the odd occasion I need to wear tights I have to glove up to put them on without gaining a million snags in them.

The rough hands solution is to ALWAYS wear gloves - I don't though so it's a good job I am not a surgeon. Nitrile gloves are great when I remember to wear them. And massive vote for UDDER cream - really cheap for a massive tub - light pleasant fragrance and works brilliantly even on cracked heels - you can get this from any farm supplier grain merchant. But again only works if you religously apply it and I think horsey folk are usually too busy to be fussing over creaming hands. Roll on the summer - hands stay lovely for 6 months and I feel positively feminine.
 
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