Gardener's Hands

[Jasmine]

I do! It's a bit of a standing joke with my friends. I wear gloves for everything that involves dirt or water...well, nearly everything!

[Amo]

I think we did have this discussion before MRH. I wear them when appropriate but prefer not to. Only got ourselves to blame really ;D

[Missredhead]

Sept 16, 2008 8:59:03 GMT Jasmine said:

I do! It's a bit of a standing joke with my friends. I wear gloves for everything that involves dirt or water...well, nearly everything!

me too.. ;D

[Deleted]

I wear gloves when gardening sometimes, but I find for a lot of the work I do I don't get the dexterity I need. Especially potting and planting in the ground. And besides, I really LIKE the feeling of the earth on my hands - I think that's kind of why people (well, some people get going with gardening in the first place.

Lately I've been using a dead sea mineral hand cream from Awakening Skin Care. I found out about it actually because the local gardening expert where I live (California) did a bit on the news about her favorite hand creams, and this one was her favorite of all. I've been really happy with it - it doesn't make your hands greasy, it almost feels like your hands are made of silk after using it.

You'll have to get it on their website, and it's a little more expensive than some other products, but about the same price as the Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy. And it is "paraben free" which I did some reading about and it turns out that parabens are chemical preservatives that are carcinogenic. So now I try to avoid those products that have them.

Hope this helps! - Dave

[Barbara]

welcome dave, that sounds good, might try that when my nivea is all done ;D because i only wear gloves, when working in the compost bin.

[Amo]

Hi Dave and welcome to the forum.

I've done a search and it looks interesting!! (Lots of samples too ) It's on my list to buy but I have to use up some of the others first. OH is going a bit crossed eyed at all the lotions and potions appearing

[Chuckles]

The other day whilst purchasing a stock of Wilkos cheap rubber gloves for gardening the conversation turned to hand creams and my friend swears by this www.eucerin.co.uk/dry_skin/5_urea_hand_cream.asp not one I've tried but they do a free sample ;D

UPDATE I selected the Dry Skin sample but the hand cream was not on the list so I've gone for a face and a foot cream sample.

[Amo]

;D ;D

I bougth an on offer Chrissy pressy from Crabtree and Evelyn the other day and they sent through a sample gift pack of hand creams all 25ml tubes too! Should keep me quiet for a bit anyway.

[Rosefriend]

Nov 6, 2008 9:09:16 GMT Chuckles said:

The other day whilst purchasing a stock of Wilkos cheap rubber gloves for gardening the conversation turned to hand creams and my friend swears by this www.eucerin.co.uk/dry_skin/5_urea_hand_cream.asp not one I've tried but they do a free sample ;D

UPDATE I selected the Dry Skin sample but the hand cream was not on the list so I've gone for a face and a foot cream sample.

This is a brand that is sold in German chemists - not so cheap - good quality and definitely something to try, to my mind.

RF

[Amo]

I have Eucerin in the cupboard, thought I'd seen it somewhere!! OH has it for some dry patches he has on his cheeks and I remember having it for my tattoos.

[Chuckles]

Found a pot of this today lurking in the cupboard Honey and Butter Hands and Feet Butter it's Body Shop and is good.

[Jasmine]

I've found a good handcream by mistake! I picked up the wrong pot in Lush at the weekend and got Helping Hands by mistake - it is very good though.

[Ladygardener]

The protect and perfect range from boots do a hand cream which is really good but expensive. I tried a sample of it and was very impressed. Worth checking out when you're next at their counter.

[Tig]

I have suffered from terrible cracked skin on the ends of my thumbs for a couple of year, it is usually only a problem when I am potting up and planting out (I can't wear gloves - just takes me twice as long to do anything )

I've finally found something that works

Scholl cracked heal repair cream! It isn't expensive, I have used it last thing at night and first thing in the morning on my finger and thumb tips. Within a few days all the cracks were healing, and now (7 days later & doing plenty of mucky gardening in between) smooth as a babies bottom

Magic stuff.

x Tig

[Chuckles]

Oooh Tig cracked skins sounds painful OH suffers with it in winter so I'll tell him about that cream. My hands just look dirty all the time, you know when the dirt gets in the lines. Nails are stained soil colour ;D

[Tig]

I probably don't help myself Chuckles, because my hands are usually just like you describe , and if I have to go somewhere where mucky looking hands will be frowned upon I often stick them in a bowl with bleach and use the nail brush to scrub the lines and nails clean ;D

x Tig

[Missredhead]

doesn't the bleach make your hands itch Tig?

[Tig]

Nope! Feels a bit warm though if I don't dilute it enough

x Tig

[Mowhay]

Gosh Tig that's a bit drastic ?

[Tig]

No wonder my finger tips crack eh?

Fortunately these days I don't have to do 'functions' much, but I don't like turning up at 'appointments' looking like I can't afford a bar of soap!

x Tig

[Chuckles]

Needs must sometimes a Tig. You do have to be careful though especially if you have senstive skin. I've just had mine in some which I'd diluted to wash a couple of old dish cloths out that I use in the GH it has made a start on getting mine clean I'm meeting a friend tomorrow for a bit of girly shopping and theres nothing worse than when you go to pay for something and see your own mucky hands and nails as you hand over the dosh ;D

For the more faint hearted sugar and olive oil are supposed to be good for getting the grime out. I also just use a heavy cream and let it soak in and then wash and scrub with soap and a nail brush, sometimes it takes a couple of sessions of this to really get them clean.