Hand washing and eczema

[Ausmumof3]

With all the talk of health issues and hygiene lately I've been on a hand washing campaign. We also have a new pet that requires feeding multiple times a day and between that and the nappy changes my hands are starting to look like I took to them with a cheese grater! What is the solution to this? I have heard to wash with Sorbolene instead of soap but I don't see how that gets them clean. Any tricks?

[sbgrace]

My husband really struggles with hand eczema in the winter.

 

Make sure you dry them completely every time. You don't want even a bit of moisture left to be evaporating. This is probably the biggest thing here, and something I don't see mentioned often. Similarly, avoid wet work (dishes without gloves for example) when you can. Water really is the enemy. Gloves that cause you to sweat underneath, though, are just as bad.

 

Find a lotion that works for you and grease up at night. You can do it during the day too, but stuff is hard to wash off if you're washing frequently. My husband does really well with this cream, which is available locally too here anyway. http://www.amazon.com/Neutrogena-Norwegian-Formula-Cream-Fragrance-Free/dp/B000052YP6 It heals things up, though not immediately, when he flairs. It also keeps things under control, as long as he dries well, in the winter. My son does better with Waxalene. 

 

My hands react to a lot of soaps. I don't react to California Baby Super Sensitive or Vanicream soaps. I can get the Vanicream via my local drug store. This reaction to whatever is in soaps started in my late 30's. I had never had issues prior. Are you getting blisters? If so, it might be worth trying a safe soap to see if it makes a difference.

[Guest]

Food prep gloves for use during nappy changes. Rubbermaid gloves for pet feeding. These are quickish tasks and shouldn't cause sweating.

 

California Baby cream for every time you wash your hands.

 

:0)

[Thia7278]

Plain ivory soap and Dermarest Cream (excema one).

[Pippen]

I second the gloves! I keep a box in my kitchen.

[Momof3littles]

Soap with SLS rips up my oldest child's hands once the weather is cool.  I look for sulfate free hand soap.

 

We've had good luck with this borage oil lotion http://www.amazon.com/ShiKai-Therapy-Childrens-Fragrance-8-Ounce/dp/B000FIJ2VK

 

We avoid alcohol based hand sanitizers as those make his hands look burned. 

 

[snickerplum]

We're big fans of aquaphor here! It's a tad greasy depending on how much you use, but it helps heal and calm. It's the only non-prescription product we can use on dd6. Fragrance will more than likely irritate.

[Pawz4me]

We're huge fans of Aquaphor, too.  The stuff is like a miracle.

 

One thing I try to do is always put on rubber gloves to wash dishes.  That one thing makes a huge difference for my hands.

[Tap]

Soap loosens the bonds between dirt and the item being washed.  That is why we use it.  Non-soap cleansers like Cetaphil, do the same thing, they just do it chemically instead of with what we consider 'soap'.  Cetaphil is so gentle you don't even have to rinse it off the skin.  Now, if your hands are actually dirty, you would want to rinse it off, or else the dirt will just dry back on the skin, but it can be wiped off onto a towel to avoid excess water touching the skin if desired.

 

 

DD gets eczema in the creases of her arms.  In the shower, I use a squirt of shampoo and a squirt of conditioner for her shower gel. She hates lotion, so using the conditioner on her skin works wonders! Maybe a 2 in 1 product would work for hand washing as well? 

[Kareni]

For dish washing, my daughter uses thin cotton gloves under her latex dish washing gloves.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[fairfarmhand]

I use the Dawn hand renewal and that does help quite a bit. Also use Nivea cream at night and several times through the day.

 

I've also used gloves, like when I was washing my milking machine and jars and stuff.

 

Can you use latex medical gloves for diapering? They are relatively cheap.

[mamaraby]

Definitely use gloves - disposable for diaper changes, reusable for dishes (Williams & Sonoma has some really nice ones for cleaning/dishes). Dh has tried every hand cream/lotion under the sun and had only marginal success with them. He's been using Okeefe's Working Hands cream that I bought at the local garden center this spring and found it works better than anything he's tried - http://okeeffescompany.com/

[zoobie]

Diluting the soap in the foam pumps helps me. Definitely nothing antibacterial or with SLS. Put lotion on while your hands are damp. The concoction that works for my two with really dry hands is Aveeno Baby lotion with a small squirt of glycerine.

[fruitofthewomb]

My dd has this problem I think. Her hands turn bright red (looks like she is wearing red gloves) and are so rough & dry. So is this a form of eczema?

[Tammyla]

Be careful about the GLOVES you choose.  Many will make things 100 times worse.    

 

We use Dove sensitive skin, plain white bars for handwashing.  I also purchase thin, clear gloves at Sam's; they're for food handlers.  I can slip them under rubber gloves or just use them for lots of things like food prep. etc. to avoid extra hand washings.

[gingersmom]

I used to have latex free gloves at the sink for me. I used to buy them at Costco.

 

My eczema was so bad there was no way I could have used soap/water on them multiple times a day.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I cannot use anything with anti bacterial anything.  I use plain soap.  If I use the anti bacterial soaps it chews my hands up. 

[Rachel]

My 6 year old struggles with this but his eczema isn't severe. We don't use anything antibacterial and no hand sanitizer (which he is frequently given a hard time about by adults). I have him wash his hands with Cetaphil in the winter and I check to make sure they are dried completely. I use Norwegian Formula hand cream on his hands too.

 

I have heard Vanicream recommended a lot as well.