This Is the Only Hand Lotion That Cures My Dry Skin
I keep a bottle in my kitchen at all times.
iprogressman/Getty
For years, I've suffered from dry, cracked skin during the winter months. And this year, thanks to copious amounts of hand-washing and hand-sanitizing, as well as seemingly endless dish-washing, my dry skin problem is likely to extend into spring and potentially summer. And I know I'm not alone.
Countless friends and family offered different hand lotion solutions — inlcuding a variety designed for "working hands." I've tried them all to no avail. After running out of yet another failed bottle, I decided to try a pump of my nightly body lotion: Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Unscented Lotion. A week later, my hands were no longer cracked or painful. It felt like a major victory in days spent looking for small wins.
During that week, I also changed how I was using my hand lotion. Instead of applying the lotion as many times as I could remember, I aimed to apply a generous slather every night right before bed. Washing my hands a dozen times a day seemed to be leading to useless moisturizing moments, because I would inevitably be washing away any lotion seemingly minutes later. Making an effort to moisturize right before bedtime seems to give the lotion a solid seven-plus hours to work its magic before I attack my skin with soap and water in the morning.
In my completely unscientific and non-expert opinion, unscented lotions work more effectively than scented varieties. If you have sensitive skin like I do, fragrance can lead to redness and irritation, which is even more painful when skin is already dry. Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Unscented Lotion is unscented and is designed for those of us with sentitive skin and comes with the National Eczema Seal of Acceptance.
Finally, the biggest win with this lotion is its non-greasy formula. Unlike other creams and lotions, a dime-size amount of lotion is enough for both of my hands and absorbs into skin almost instantly. My hands feel nearly dry after about three minutes — which is a small price to pay for smooth skin.
If you're looking for a lotion that might cure your dry, cracked skin for the foreseeable future, this is an affordable, effective option. A 32-ounce bottle costs around $8.50 and can be found at most major drugstores and big-box retailers.
Related Links:
