flakey dry skin

hmmm.......have you tried neutrogena hand cream or lubriderm? they are pretty good. ok this might be umm....to femine for you, but you can buy spa gloves or just some latex medical gloves, or winter gloves and put a lot of lotion on your hands then the gloves on and go to sleep. it works pretty well. when i get into my running period i do the same thing with socks so i won't get blisters.

I have found Gold Bond lotion to work remarkably well.

Another vote for bag balm. We have used it in our household for years for a myriad of cuts, abrasions and chapped skin. Be warned though it smells awful!

Originally posted by Gil Be warned though it smells awful! The stuff I buy at Wal-Mart doesn't smell bad at all. It's called "Udderly Smooth," and it comes in tubes. I haven't tried the stuff in the jars, or any of it packaged for farm use, so maybe some of the other brands stink. Open it up and smell it before you buy it. Another note on the gloves. I had someone tell me NOT to put latex surgical gloves over cracked or broken skin, because it supposedly can contribute to fungal infection that can actually increase the severity of the cracking. She told me to get the cotton gloves instead, because they allow oxygen to circulate through them. She wasn't a dermatologist, however, so I don't know how reliable that advice is; but you can actually buy breathable cotton gloves in drug stores that are packaged for this exact purpose. Socks sound like they would be a good substitute, but I'm pretty sure they would drive me nuts. It sounds uncomfortable with the fingers all sticking together inside there and constricted by the tube.

I have found Lubriderm to work well and they have it with out fragrance so no one else will know. Plus it comes out without feeling greasy which is a good thing. You might also try washing with a body lotion and not regular soap. I found Dove works well. But don't tell anyone I told you that! ;)

Udder cream. I'm serious. I don't know if it's available over there, but here in the States you can buy udder cream, also called bag balm, at WalMart and drug stores. It's the same stuff rubbed on cows' udders to relieve the chafing from milking. Since I was a kid my hands, and particularly my fingers, would crack open and bleed during the cold, dry winter months. I used several different kinds of lotions without satisfactory results. But I found that if I put the udder cream on my hands right before I go to bed, the cracking stops and my hands are much better. If you have a really severe case, you can also buy thin, disposable cotton gloves that you put on your hands after you coat them heavily with udder cream. The gloves allow you to really coat your hands without rubbing the stuff off (where it does you no good) and all over yourself and your bed in your sleep. If you can't find udder cream or bag balm at a drug store somewhere, you might be able to find it at a feed and seed store out in the country if you live near any small beef farmers. It will be packaged slightly differently, but it's the same goop.

Shaky's right udder cream is great! And both Jennifer and Shaky are right about using gloves and socks after you coat your hands and feet with the stuff.

Just for my own small research project I am going to buy the udderly smooth at Wal-Mart and check its ingredients against the ingredients in our bag balm, which we get at a farm store or hardware. Once I took it to our physician and asked his opinion as to why bag balm is so effective on cuts, scrapes, etc. He did not have a clue !!

I can tell you the ingredients. Tell us if they're different from the bag balm from the farm store. I was under the impression it's the same stuff. "CONTAINS: Allantoin, Dimethicone, Lanolin Oil and Propylene Glycol in an Emolient Base." And for everyone else's benefit, here are the directions on the tube: "DIRECTIONS FOR USE: Wash udder and teat parts thoroughly with clean water and soap before each milking to avoid contamination of milk. Use clean individual towels for this purpose. Apply to the udder after each milking, massaging into the skin. For teat cracks apply in sufficient quantity to fill crack and cover surrounding area. Apply uniformly to chafed area and bruises to maintain skin suppleness. For aid in softening swollen udders following calving, apply liberally twice daily with gentle massage. May be used for chapped or chafed skin. Do not use in or near eyes. "WARNING: Do not use on parts affected with cow pox, as such use may contribute to the spread of the infection." I figure if you have cow pox, you probably shouldn't be swimming, either.

after the mad cows disease a few years back,(im from uk)is this udder cream available outside us?>