Now that summer is gone, my hands tend to get really dry. I wanted to pass along this tip:

when you're done caking for the day/night and are cleaning up, lather up your hands with your favourite lotion (I like Gold Bond Ultimate Restoring), then put on a pair of disposable gloves. The heat from the water while doing dishes will make the lotion absorb and when you're done, your hands will look instantly better. It's like a hand-treatment (I pretend I'm at the spa minus the relaxation - lol)

also, if my hands are *really* bad, I put Vaseline on my hands before bed and sleep with a pair of cotton gloves on. That works wonders too!

Anyone else have hand-saver tips?

Yes! I have washed my hands so often they just scream out. I now wear gloves, all the time I'm doing cake work.

I don't know how true this is. But a doctor once told me that the only thing skin will absorb is water. So when you are applying things like lotions and creams, their purpose is not to absorb in and moisturize the skin. Their purpose is to seal in any moisture that is already present in your skin...keeps it from evaporating out. So putting creams, lotions and Vaseline on dry skin is pointless. You have to wet the skin first, then seal that in with lotion. This is why it's good to put lotion on right after you get out of the shower.

Two other tips she gave me. Best way to moisturize your skin is to do it from the inside by drinking lots of water, all the time. And never take a hot shower. Hot showers heat you up to the point you start evaporating moisture rather than absorb it. Take warm showers.

Thank you all!!! My chronically cracked and bleeding hands thank you, too!

I agree that any lotion/moisturizer is best applied on damp hands. That dies make a huge difference.

Last winter my hands were constantly cracking and bleeding from all the time I had them in water. One day I couldn't take the pain from it anymore and rubbed some Crisco on them. Because my skin was sooooo dry, it absorbed the crisco right away, and no greasy feel. (and I've never been able to stand the feel of crisco on my hands). Within a couple days my hands were completely healed and much softer. I looked it up online after the 2nd time I had to do this. It suggested putting your regular hand lotion on first, then crisco so the crisco keeps the lotion in and your hands absorb the moisture from the lotion best. I found this has worked so well on all parts of my body to help with terrible itching I get from dry skin in the winter too. It has saved both my skin and my sanity. (oh okay, so I won't try to claim I have any sanity left.... lol)

I have super dry hands and calves year round. I put gloves on before I go outside in the winter, take lukewarm showers, drink tons of water and still hadno luck. When I asked my Dr about what type of lotion to use (since I've tried 9,456 different ones..) she took one look and said "no lotion that comes out of a tube or pump is going to work". She told me to get the super thick stuff in a jar. I ended up buying a tub of the Walgreen's brand of Eucerin (I think). It's super thick, but a little greasy. DH and I have nicknamed it "old lady diabetic crisco" after the stuff we'd see at my NaNa's nursing home! LOL Anyway, a little dab goes a long way, and I only have to put it on about every 2-3 days. It's made a huge difference and wasn't expensive at all.

I've only tried using mineral oil on my hands when it gets dry too. But anything you guys here have tried are worth trying out. Thanks for sharing!

Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream, just before you go to sleep (because it's greasy). Fantastic product! Not surprising they are celebrating 100 years of the stuff this year.

Like others on this thread, I have very dry skin in the winter and my hands and feet will crack and bleed. I'm not sure how widely available this product is but there is a cream called "Bag Balm" Comes in a tin with black and white cow print.

Yes I am a farm girl but I will tell you, this works wonders on any dry skin. My son has his hands in water at a restaurant all day and swears by it too! Try your local walmart first