Dry Skin on Hands - your solution?

[g_s_223]

Winter seems not to want to let go in my part of the northern hemisphere, so I was wondering if any here find their hands get dry skin, typically after playing, and what remedies they might have?

I've tried some types of vegetable oil, and some creams, but no perfect answer as yet. Some "hand models" swear by almond oil, might try that next...

[outin]

I sometimes have such dry skin in winter that my skin feels tight when playing. So what I do is soke them with hand cream before playing, let it be for a couple of minutes and then ligthly wash them to prevent the stuff from getting to the keys.

This is what I use (have used for 20 years and never found anything better), very effective for dry skin and not "greasy":
https://www.cederroth.com/en/Trademarks/Personal-care/Skin/HTH/#
The universal cream is best for dry hands in my experience.

[quantum]

I find applying cream immediately after a shower, or any activity that involves your hands and water (such as washing dishes) to help lock in the moisture. 

You could also try increasing the humidity in your home to some extent. 

[Bob]

Raise the humidity level in the room.  Good for you and your hands.  Bad for the piano if the humidity keeps changing.

The two ways I've found that really work...  Boil water.  Either on a stove or get a little single electric burner.  A gallon of water added to the air will definitely have an effect.  Second way - hang 20-30 moist/damp towels around.  It smells like laundry and cools the room a bit but it works. 

No more dry air.  No more skin problems.  Assuming you're sticking around in that environment.

You could make sure your place is sealed up.  Seal the windows.  Run the shower.  Same idea.  Sealing the windows is good if it's drafty.  The shower is so-so for effectiveness.

[faulty_damper]

Mary Kay, Satin Hands hand softener.  This is incredible stuff!  I don't know what kind of ingredients are in it but this is... WOW!!!  I got a free sample pack of it and it's AMAZING!  You'll find yourself saying "WOW, this is AMAZING stuff!"  It does exactly what it says it'll do AND MORE!!!  It's like magic from Harry Potter, just a dab and you'll feel INCREDIBLE!!!  It doesn't feel greasy at all, it feels like your normal skin but in MOISTURIZED form!  Before God blesses you, ask him to put on Satin Hands by Mary Kay.  It'll make his blessings 10X MORE Powerful than regular non-moisturized hands.  Rub it on your Buddha's tummy to make him 10X MORE jolly!  it'll make your hands feel like a baby's bare butt without diapers!

It's fragrance-free.

https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Satin-Hands-Fragrance-Free/dp/B0042AI63W/ref=pd_sim_bt_4

 

[faulty_damper]

Hmm... now that I look at it, there are actually two products: a hand softener and a hand cream.  I don't know if I used the softener or cream.  I assume it was the softener because my hands just felts so buttery smooth and soft, but I may be wrong.

[faulty_damper]

I just used my last sample pack that I was saving.  It's the cream not the softener.  The hand softener is actually greasy and is in a mixture of petrolatum.  The cream is white-colored and non-greasy.  Get the cream.  It retails for $10 for 3oz.

https://www.marykay.com/en-US/Body-Sun/Product-Type/Lotion-/-Cream/Fragrance-Free-Satin-Hands-Hand-Cream/160303.partId?eCatId=10729

[outin]

I don't know where you people live, but if the outside temperature can be around -20 in the winter creating humidity in the apartment is really hard and I wonder if it would be enough. Of course if one never goes out...

In the piano room (which is small) I have an automatic air humidifier with a sensor. I have set it at 40%. This time of the year the air is so dry that the water tank is empty after 5 hours or so. I would probably need to keep the shower running constantly to keep the humidity up in the whole apartment. Without the humidifier the level often goes below 16 which is the limit of my meter...

I just don't think humans where meant to live up here 

[hfmadopter]

I just don't think humans where meant to live up here  

I've often wondered how you guys stand it up there , it's bad enough here in New England and we are waaaaaaaay down and over there compared with you up and over there ! Nothern Maine is rediculous too, my wife, family and I love it there in the summer but to winter over seems silly to me. Winter starts a month or two before we see it in our area, lasts a month longer, any given day 20 deg colder all winter, three ft of ice on the lakes. Ya right, I'm all set with that !


To the forum in general:
We have a product at work I use called Hand Medic, comes in dispenser form that hangs on the wall or pump bottle or a squeaze bottle. The carpet guy has it on his truck and we have the 500mil dispenser on the wall. He brings in entry way throw carpets or treads if you will, hand soaps and this cream. It's a very thin cream, soaks right into your skin and appears to be totally gone but so is the dry skin.   Hand Medic:  
https://www.amazon.com/BOTTLE-GOJO-HAND-MEDIC-CONDITIONER/dp/B0006GDATG

At home my wife keeps Lubriderm for sensative skin in the house . Similar idea, pretty much soaks in in a few minutes , leaves basically no greasy touch ( the Hand Medic is not greasy at all and soaks in very quickly, fwiw). Lubriderm sensitive skin : https://www.amazon.com/Lubriderm-Moisture-Lotion-Normal-Sensitive/dp/B00112AEN4

Incidentally, something I did not realize till recently. Did you know that many hand creams and skin lotions are dated products ? They have expiration dates and that date is not just that they may run out of effectiveness but also they can contaminate themselves causing skin rash, even infection. Just a heads up !

[g_s_223]

Thanks for the input. I have a humidifier panel which hangs on a radiator, but it seems to have negligible postitive effect. Unfortunately the relative humidity seems stuck around 23-27% at the moment, and it appears the pinblock of my piano has shrunk as at least 3 strings will no longer stay in tune and will require replacement of the tuning pins with oversize replacements .

I did buy some almond oil, the other suggestions not being available in the UK, and it does seem to work OK so far, q.v. link