My hands feel like sandpaper in the winter, and hand cream doesn't help

Girls' Life, Dec, 2000

Believe it or not, hands can get so dry that dead skin cells actually build up and keep moisturizer from penetrating and working its magic. Get those mitts on the road to recovery in two easy steps. First, get rid of dead skin by exfoliating in the shower. Scrub hands every other day for a couple minutes using an alpha-hydroxy acid product.

Then, slather hands after every washing with a formula containing a moisturizer (look for ingredients like glycerin or oil and an exfoliator (like hydroxy acid). Jergens Skin. Smoothing Lotion works great and so does Freeman Ultra Hand Care. Be sure to keep hands covered when you're outside, and use rubber gloves while washing dishes or cleaning your room (hey, it could happen). See ya later, alligator.