# Manky wintery hands and eczema. ;(



## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

i have eczema and then in winter it becomes a horrid beast. Ugh! Right now my hands and feet are horrible dry, cracking, itchy, peeling, a tad bleedy occasionally and this all makes them ultra sensitive and water makes it worse. I do have a sterroid cream i use. Then i have a GOOD hand cream. I also sometimes will use the handmade udder cream that i make. I have also used lard before on them at night. Anyone got anymore tried and true things that work when your hands get bad? Right now they are itchy, peely and just plain old hurt. I sleep in cream and socks every night but cannot do gloves. I despise how the cream and socks makes them feel slimy in between my toes lol! And i really hate sleepin in socks but it is what it is.


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## GodsGarden (Feb 6, 2015)

Sorry your feet and hands are so bad. That sounds really rough. 

I don't have much to offer other then last year during kidding my hands got soooo bad. I used lanolin. I can't stand the smell so I do put some exam gloves on after.


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

I use homemade udder cream too. Also a hard lotion bar that I put in deodorant tubes for the backs of my knuckles. Milk soaps are helpful. Lanolin helps.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm so sorry that sounds painful!
My hands are dry and my skin is cracked around my fingernails on my right hand. My thumb is super sore. I have scrapes and cuts and have had lots of splinters from pulling hay from round bales.
I use something called Work hands and usually they heal up within a few days but I haven't been real consistent with using it. Pulling chunks of ice out of water buckets the last couple of mornings definitely hasn't helped.


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## jschies (Aug 15, 2014)

Another thing to try.... Wet your hands, then put on lotion, then a little Vaseline. It seems to trap the moisture in and stays on nicely.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I use goat milk lotion that I make out of goat milk soap. My hands would peel and bleed from my palms - much better this year. But I started early - in November - so getting a jump on it early in the season I think it really helped....


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

a few of my kids have it bad..dry cracked painful hands. I make a goat milk lotion that seemed to help but not completely so made a lotion bar and that worked great. We add tea tree and lavender EOs to the bar . It's so easy to make. Here i what we use
3 oz bees wax
1/5 oz coca butter
1.5 oz shea or kpangnan butter
3 oz sweet almond, Jojoba, olive oil or oil of choice
20-50 drops ess oil. ( we do 15 drops each lavender and Tea tree)
start by melting the solid butters and bees wax in double broiler. Add liquid oil , whisk to blend well...remove from heat and add ess. oils..whisk well and pour into molds. 

to use hold the bar in your hands to warm up a bit. Rub like a bar of soap..then work the lotion in. I have my kids use several times a day.


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

happybleats said:


> a few of my kids have it bad..dry cracked painful hands. I make a goat milk lotion that seemed to help but not completely so made a lotion bar and that worked great. We add tea tree and lavender EOs to the bar . It's so easy to make. Here i what we use
> 3 oz bees wax
> 1/5 oz coca butter
> 1.5 oz shea or kpangnan butter
> ...


My recipe is very similar, the olive oil I use is infused with comfrey and I really think that helps so much!


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

happybleats said:


> a few of my kids have it bad..dry cracked painful hands. I make a goat milk lotion that seemed to help but not completely so made a lotion bar and that worked great. We add tea tree and lavender EOs to the bar . It's so easy to make. Here i what we use
> 3 oz bees wax
> 1/5 oz coca butter
> 1.5 oz shea or kpangnan butter
> ...


This is super close to my udder balm. . I also use my goat lotion too.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

CBPitts said:


> olive oil I use is infused with comfrey


Thats great...I also infuse calendula in olive oil...its nice too.


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

happybleats said:


> a few of my kids have it bad..dry cracked painful hands. I make a goat milk lotion that seemed to help but not completely so made a lotion bar and that worked great. We add tea tree and lavender EOs to the bar . It's so easy to make. Here i what we use
> 3 oz bees wax
> 1/5 oz coca butter
> 1.5 oz shea or kpangnan butter
> ...


My recipe is very similar, the olive oil I use is infused with comfrey and I really think that helps so much!


happybleats said:


> Thats great...I also infuse calendula in olive oil...its nice too.


Me too. Those are my favorite additions to everything that goes directly on skin!


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## cristina-sorina (May 4, 2018)

Sfgwife said:


> i have eczema and then in winter it becomes a horrid beast. Ugh! Right now my hands and feet are horrible dry, cracking, itchy, peeling, a tad bleedy occasionally and this all makes them ultra sensitive and water makes it worse. I do have a sterroid cream i use. Then i have a GOOD hand cream. I also sometimes will use the handmade udder cream that i make. I have also used lard before on them at night. Anyone got anymore tried and true things that work when your hands get bad? Right now they are itchy, peely and just plain old hurt. I sleep in cream and socks every night but cannot do gloves. I despise how the cream and socks makes them feel slimy in between my toes lol! And i really hate sleepin in socks but it is what it is.


I'm so sorry that sounds super painful! My hands aren't anywhere near as bad as what you're describing so I don't think that I can give you much advice.

When I do have issues with my hands (especially from constant hand washing in the hospital) I use O'Keefes Working Hands, that usually helps them get better more quickly.


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

When mine get so very dry and cracked I use Glysomed extreme repair. The nice thing is it’s not sticky like my homemade salve.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

My wife has eczema on her hands. she is also recovering from knee replacement surgery. she was appliang N.at-ur-ulz CBD ugli butter. (night) 
www.Naturulz.com
it didn't help her pain but it realy helped her eczema.


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## stansj (Jan 27, 2017)

Hi,
I suffer with psoriasis and dry skin. Like you, in the winter scalp and hands would be dry,cracked, and bleeding. I started making goat milk soap and it has really changed my life. Now in winter I can wash my hands as much as I want and not worry about aggravating it. I no longer have to use my steroidal scalp meds. Basically it prevents natural oils from being stripped off skin...also doesn’t have chemicals or detergents in it to irritate skin. I would get a soap that has a decent super fat to it since you have really dry skin. If you message me, I can tell you where to get some quality soap if you don’t want to make it.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I've discovered that what you put inside yourself is way more important than what you put on. Once you figure out what your body can actually use without having to stress over what it can't, this kind of thing just goes away.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

I've been using this and it's helped my hands and feet quite a bit. I put it on a couple times during the day and before bed. Just be careful not to rub your eyes. It stings.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

goathiker said:


> I've discovered that what you put inside yourself is way more important than what you put on. Once you figure out what your body can actually use without having to stress over what it can't, this kind of thing just goes away.


So you are saying what you eat can affect dry hands? What would you suggest eating?


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

stansj said:


> Hi,
> I suffer with psoriasis and dry skin. Like you, in the winter scalp and hands would be dry,cracked, and bleeding. I started making goat milk soap and it has really changed my life. Now in winter I can wash my hands as much as I want and not worry about aggravating it. I no longer have to use my steroidal scalp meds. Basically it prevents natural oils from being stripped off skin...also doesn't have chemicals or detergents in it to irritate skin. I would get a soap that has a decent super fat to it since you have really dry skin. If you message me, I can tell you where to get some quality soap if you don't want to make it.


I do use my handmade gm soaps.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

goathiker said:


> I've discovered that what you put inside yourself is way more important than what you put on. Once you figure out what your body can actually use without having to stress over what it can't, this kind of thing just goes away.


We eat a pretty clean diet. . Very little processed foods and fresh fruits and veggies every day. I cook 95% of our meals from scratch. And i have taken some things out that i know do not do well with me. What foods helped you? Maybe i am missing something?


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

GoofyGoat said:


> I've been using this and it's helped my hands and feet quite a bit. I put it on a couple times during the day and before bed. Just be careful not to rub your eyes. It stings.


This and okeefs are like water on my skin. :/.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Sfgwife said:


> This and okeefs are like water on my skin. :/.


Well rats...I was hoping it would help. Have you tried bear or bacon grease yet? they both smell but do work. My grandma told me that her parents used bear but she couldn't stand the smell so she went with bacon ...


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

Clean foods help but diets for winter skin help should include a lot of fiber, vitamin a, and healthy fats and oils. We (my family) use sweet potato a lot as it’s so high in vitamin a, coconut oil for cooking, avocados, fish high in omega fats.

Couple a good winter diet with care in what you put on your skin can really minimize dryness. Milk soaps with high super fat levels, Shea or coconut butter or lanolin lotions, and being aware of the major drying factors in your daily routine. I do a lot of outside work in the winter and something as simple as wearing gloves can make a difference.


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

An additional thought on milk soaps. Not all milk soaps are created equal. 
The specific oils and fats used to make soap all have their own factors. Coconut oil and lard/tallow are drying while hemp seed oil, neem oil, and emu oils are super hydrating.


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