Help for cracked and bleeding hands

I learned a few things while working for USPS: Handling all that paper dries out your hands. Mail is dirty, even when it looks clean, and newsprint will turn your hands black rather quickly, then smudge any other paper you handle, so I found myself washing my hands a lot. When you spend a lot of time outdoors in all weathers, you hands get even drier.

I tried every lotion and hand cream I could find. The most effective cost about $12-15 a jar, and all had one thing in common: they listed petrolatum as the active ingredient. That's right, good ol' Vaseline. I can get a small jar of the off-brand petroleum jelly for $2-3 or a big jar for $4-5. Dab a tiny bit as needed, just to the areas that need it. Gently spread it, just enough to cover the area. Don't try to "rub it in." Lotions and hand creams don't "moisturize". The most effective ones don't contain water. They seal in the water that is already in and between your skin cells.

Generally, my hands are driest on the backs, especially around the joints. When they are dirty, the dirt is mostly (sometimes entirely) on the palms. Focus your scrubbing where the dirt is. If you have a smudge on your thumb that you're trying not to spread to other papers, just wash that smudge. There will be time for a thorough cleaning later