My 4 year old's hands are very badly chapped. Her skin is bright red up to her wrists. This happened last fall/winter, too. I've started putting lotion on her hands before she goes to bed at night, but she says the lotion hurts. (I know how bad that stings because my hands are red, dry & cracked, too. Maybe it's hereditary!!) Anyway, I need suggestions for how to treat her hands so that they will heal and not hurt her. If I can find a product that doesn't sting, she'll be more likely to keep up the routine so they don't get this bad again. Any ideas??
My daughter's hands were chapped, and so, my grandma told me what to do, and it does NOT sting! Take vasoline, and rub them into her hands, at night, leaving a thick film on them, and then have her wear a pair of white gloves to bed. Her hands will be soft, in the morning. If you do not have white gloves, then a pair of white socks can be used. It truly works. When my hands get chapped, because of winter dryness, I do the same thing. Good luck!
I use Vanicream- it contains no dyes, perfumes, lanolin, paraben or formaldehyde. Very gentle and does NOT hurt at all! You can get it from the pharmicist at Walgreens... they keep it behind the counter. This is great for daily use and is not super heavy either nor is it greasy! It also is not super expensive and a little goes a long way!
I also for the last 2 nights have been using A&D ointment on the tops of my hands where they got so dry from constant washing while I was shopping on Friday. Normally I would not have to since the Vanicream works but unfortunately I have OCD and did not bring my lotion with me on Black Friday :)
Hope her little hands feel better soon! Blessings to you and yours!
a salve or lotion made with mostly natural ingredients might be the way to go for severely chapped hands -- it should take the sting out or at least not be nearly as bad as some lotions. burt's bees has a great hand salve i use on my hands or feet sometimes when they're in need of healing, and you can find their products at most retail stores nowadays. there are also a plethora of wonderful handmade products out there that contain herbs or other natural ingredients that are great for healing. bee balm from clear hills honey is great on my chapped knuckles (http://hyenacart.com/clearhillshoney/index.php?c=0&p=18725). another great product by a wonderful herbalist at dreamseeds organics uses comfrey to help heal is here (http://hyenacart.com/dreamseeds/index.php?p=94206). i have not tried the following products but they are also from upstanding work at home moms who make wonderful bath and body products and have received numerous raves and positive feedback are also worth a look -- ultra salve from frost fish cove soaps (http://hyenacart.com/FrostFishCoveSoaps/index.php?p=70977) and also the organic knitters/healing balm from smoky mtns apothecary (http://hyenacart.com/prod_details.php?id=61995&vid=821). one final idea that is probably cheaper and easier to find is lanolin -- lansinoh is the most common brand i think in local stores, and it would be found most likely in the baby section near the breastpumps. lanolin has great healing and soothing properties and i know i've used it on sore nipples as well as baby diaper rashes and it has helped skin be soothed and heal very well. hope something above helps your daughter out! best of luck.
Try vaseline. It won't sting. Apply it before bed, in the morning, and before going outside.
Good old fashioned olive oil or coconut oil works wonders. Products with mineral oil will clog the pores not allowing the skin to breathe or heal properly. I once read an article about 10yrs ago about a 100 year old French women, they asked her what was her secret. She said olive oil, I put it on all over my skin, I eat it, it works inside and out. (and looking from her pic, you would have never guessed she was 100yrs old. :)
I personally use coconut oil before bed, it does work wonders.
Good luck!
Jasmine W. MPH
Wellness Educator/Lifestyle and Wellness Consultant
Is it possibly eczema? Might want to check with her doctor. If you haven't already, make sure you are using a gentle cleanser in the bathroom she uses - cetaphil is good. Avoid anti-bacterial formulas. I also avoid all scented laundry products.
Aquaphor is good, and I also use Lansinoh (the breast ointment) for really stubborn chapping (lips) for overnight use - it's very sticky, though, so you'd have to put her hands in socks or gloves or something. But I have a similar issue with the palms of my hands, and the best cure for it is to avoid the outbreaks by avoiding harsh soaps (for me, I have to make sure to use gloves when washing dishes.)
My daughter had that and I got her a jar of aquaphor. Every single night, with barely dried clean hands, she rubbed that into her hands and cuticles etc. It gave her great relief. ALso, Renew by Melaleuca is remarkable. I can help you get that too. Good luck! Stephanie
I used Bag Balm on the hands before bed and then sleep with cotton gloves or a cotton sock over the hands. Bag balm won't sting, it's very much like vasoline. You should do it too! That might make it fun for your daughter, a "see, mommy's doing it too" kind of thing.
Also, keep a bottle of shea butter lotion by the sink and after she washes her hands put the lotion on them.
Good luck!
I use Renew by Melaleuca and it's great. It doesn't hurt at all. Let me know if you need help getting it!
Ella
Shaklee has a shea butter made from natural ingredients that works really well. My best friend and sister have both had that type of problem with their hands, and this was the product that worked best for them.
Also, the stinging is most likely a result of how badly chapped they are. The pain is the body's response to the badly needed moisture being absorbed. After a few days of use, the stinging should go away and the routine should be easy to continue.
you can find the shea butter cream at www.shaklee.net/rkklemm
You've just described my daughter's hands! Don't use lotion. Most have too much fragrance. Aquaphor works great. I put it on her hands after she falls asleep (she won't keep gloves or socks on to sleep). By morning the redness is almost completely gone. Unfortunately I have to do this almost every other night (a lot of hand washing at preschool and at home). (For a good lotion without fragrance, try the Arbonne baby care lotion. I love it and use it all the time.)
My brother in law was just telling me what his mom used to make him do when he was little. She would put vaseline on his hands, then cover them with a sock while he slept. He told me he hated it, but when he woke up, it was like brand new hands!! :)
Hi Diane,
I just had this problem. For the past month my hands were extremely dry and cracked. I started putting vaseline on every night at bed time. That did the trick, no more dry hands!
Marie
I know this all too well...my hands used to get so dry this time of year they would crack and bleed (yuck). This was due mostly to having my hands constantly in water and shampoo all day with my old job. Anyhow, that being said, I would switch to good old fashioned soap around the house for one. No anti-bacterial soap, it's really detergent, and very drying. I like Dr. Bronners...you can buy it at target, and even dilute it in half with water. You can use it for a bunch of other stuff too, pretty cool. The next thing I would is get a hand salve or balm...I like burt's bees hand salve, or the other thing that works great, and is completely mild in Lasinosh Nipple Cream. It's more cost effecctive too, and works great, especially if you sleep with gloves on after application. Hope this helps.
I developed moderate eczema on my hands when I was sixteen. It sounds like a pretty serious case, so I recommend taking her to a dermatologist. I have a mild steroid cream prescribed to me that I use on occasion, but I also use 100% Pure Shea butter from L'Occitane to control it. It's expensive, but I buy a big tin and it last a long time. Most hand lotions out there have alcohol in them, that's why they sting her hand. They sting mine too!
If she lets you put the Shea Butter and cotton, moisture gloves on overnight, that should help tremendously. I still recommend seeing a doctor though. Good luck.
I generally start out using Eucerin creme (the tub). If it gets worse, I will use more AND vaseline then put my hands in terry cloth mitts while I sleep like Michelle P said. It really does work, sometimes it takes a few days.
You can use Aquaphor too (works great on chapped lips as well) - this is made by the same company as Eucerin and is similar to vaseline. I use this as well, but it is pricier so I typically use the Eucerin/vaseline when it is really bad to start with as I use a lot and the Eucerin & Vaseline tubs each hold a lot.
Michele
Fairly new product called Vaseline Clinical Therapy lotion. Depsite the harsh sounding name, it doesn't feel intense or sting, but it really works. I have the cracked, bleeding hands (well, HAD, until I started using this a few weeks ago). I use it on my toddler as well and she's sensitive to perfumed lotions, clothing tags and sock seams, so if this lotion doesn't bother my ultra sensitive little muffin, it should be OK for your little girl. It costs about 6 dollars for an average size bottle at Target. I personally have done the vaseline with gloves at night and would say this lotion is much more effective. Best of luck.
My child uses foderma serum for her red chapped hands. Schools do a great job at with hand washing, especially during cold and flu season. However, my daughter’s skin becomes so red and chapped. Foderma does a phenomenal job with helping sooth and repair her damaged skin.
My child uses foderma serum for her red chapped hands. Schools do a great job at with hand washing, especially during cold and flu season. However, my daughter’s skin becomes so red and chapped. Foderma does a phenomenal job with helping sooth and repairs her damaged skin.