This Might Disclose Something About My Hand Washing Standards Pre Virus.

[sandyRoe]

The skin on my fingers is cracking with all this washing. Would a hand cream help and which one?

[diddlydo]

Be very careful with E45 cream and do a small test patch first as some people are allergic to it. Both my son and my mother came out with an incredibly sore and red rash when they used it.

[waterboatman]

Thanks for that. :o}

[ducksie]

Sandy, I had the same problem as you, so much so, my hands were full of what was like little paper cuts and going to the sink caused me such anxiety with the stinging, Neutrogena swiss non scented hand cream was suggested by someone for me to use, I bought it, lashed a load of it on before bed with a clean pair of cotton socks, next morning my hands were much better, my public health nurse called and told me to use the soft bar soaps instead of the pump anti bac soaps, I've not had a problem with my hands now, I did have some 'Cyril's Handmade Soap' goats milk/oatmeal and honey and I believe that helped a lot too, that is from his website, it's excellent thought as I normally suffer with cracked skin anyhow. Whatever it takes to keep your hands from cracking Sandy, do it, it's so painful when they crack and break, take care x

[rowanwitch]

Covid hands

I used to wash my hands as you do
before preparing food, after the loo
Before eating or drinking
Or doing white knitting
if I did something outside
Bringing earth back inside
Which if you know me
Is quite frequently

Now I wash them when I come in
Before I go out and even when
I pick up a letter that's dropped through the door
And then it seems I wash them some more
While I am out, it's alcohol gel
Over again but it's all very well
now I am washing them
Such a lot more
My nails have gone soft
My hands are quite sore
I've used lots of hand cream
I've slathered it thick
But to be honest
It gets on my wick

I've just washed up
so I rub some more in
Then go for a wee,I
do it over agin
Half an hour later they are
washed before tea
The hand cream makers
Rub their hands with glee
All over the country
Demand, well it's soared
Profits looked great
And all over the board
So we'll all pick some up
In essential supply
Vaseline and Okeefes
Still on the shelves lie
Atrixo, and others
It won't be long
Til supplies start to run low
And people catch on
And buy in bulk
they will use so much more
When long frequent washing
Makes all our our hands raw.

Unwanted presents
We finally need
It's languished in boxes
And we didn't pay heed
But now it is welcome
It finally stands
Proud by the sink
For our poor covid hands

[ducksie]

I like that Rowan :)

[tiggerblue10]

I use Cetraban which is widely available now. I first used it when prescribed for Little Tiggs. He was around 2 and had childhood eczema which completely cleared up after about 2 years.

It's a bit pricey but I only need a small amount. I have OCD about hand washing anyway and suffer with dermatitis and Cetraban seemed to work straight away.

[Bobbisox1]

I heard hand cream is really good as it acts like a barrier against the virus, not allowing it to enter the skin, the cream blocks the creases in the hands

[woofgang]

getting back to basics, make sure that your hands are thoroughly dry and free of soap as this is more likely to cause them to crack. As I understand it, the virus enters the body through mucus membranes (eyes nose mouth) not through body skin. At the beginning of the lockdown when I was still caring for my old unwell dog, I calculated that during approx 16 waking hours I washed my hands approx 28 times and I have no soreness or cracked skin....but I am a professional handwasher (retired NHS) and an obsessive dryer

[rowanwitch]

The drying bit is so important