Any obsessive handwashers out there?

russ_watters

But few of them more than 40 years. Modern hygiene and sanitation is one of the great advances of humanity that is primarily responsible for the doubling of human lifespans over the past 120 years or so.

ChiralWaltz

I have had some real problems with dry hands and cracking cuticles in the dry winter seasons since I was a child. Aveeno is the best brand I know, recommended by a friend of mine. No messy residue, soaks in quickly, no fragrance, and it lasts a while. It is also extremely cheap compared to other products on the skin care market.


It has 139x 5 star reviews on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Aveeno-Active-...owViewpoints=1

If I'm really hurting (can't type, write or whatever without wincing), I use the Skin Relief Formula. The SR Formula tends to be more greasy than Daily.

http://www.amazon.com/Aveeno-Active-...izing/product-reviews/B0013OJUY4/ref=dp_db_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

HeLiXe

I think this bears repeating

HeLiXe

lol
I have an aunt who says "dirt can't kill you unless it falls on you" in large quantity of course.
Thanks Evo. Petroleum jelly does work wonders but I don't like the way it feels on my hands. The only time it doesn't bother me with gloves is when it is extremely cold like below 0C, but I might give it a try just to get my hands in a better state. Mineral oil also helps provide relief as it coats the skin, but I just prefer the lotion/creme texture. I also do not use hot/warm water to wash my hands because it really messes up my skin quickly.
Ah yes, Aveeno. Thanks Chiral Waltz. This is something that I see on a regular basis and I know I will have easy access to it.

phion

I always wash after taking my hand out of the pickle or olive jar, and especially the pepperoncini jar.

Evo

Do you wash it BEFORE sticking it into the jar?

phion

Not usually.

Evo

Yeah helixe, i hate the greasy feeling from petroleum jelly to, which is why I wear it at night.

Monique

Ok, but using a gel does not equate to hand washing (the topic). In addition, gels should have at least 70% ethanol to be effective and that's a sure way to dry out hands.

Curious3141

Using alcohol based hand rubs (gel or liquid) is at least as effective in disinfecting hands as handwashing. *Except* for two caveats - firstly, the handrubs don't work well when there's organic debris on your hands. So if your hands are visibly soiled, wash. Secondly, alcohol is completely ineffective against spores. So if you're worried about spore-forming organisms like Clostridium spp., then washing is the only way.

Monique

Yeah, and in the case of having dogs ones hands get mostly greasy.

turbo

A fragrance-free, gentle liquid soap like Scent-Away is pretty handy for showering, hand-washing, etc. It is antibacterial, but not harsh, IMO. The soap is formulated for hunters, to leave no scent that could alert your prey.

My wife and I dilute it it ~50% or so and keep it in pump dispensers at the kitchen and bathroom sinks. It's nice to have an anti-bacterial soap available after you have handled raw chicken, meat, etc.

AlephZero

"Life expectancy from birth" can give a misleading idea, because it is skewed by high infant mortality rates, and young infants are biologically quite cheap to replace. Compare the changes in life expectancy for age 0 and the less dramatic rise from age 10: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005140.html

For example in 1850, the expected age at death for a white male was 38 years at birth, but if he survived to age 10 it had increased to 58 years. Compare with the most recent data in taht table (2004) where the corresponding ages are 75.7 and 76.3 years.

It's a reasonable assumption that Helix is already more than 10 years old, so the "doubling of lifespan" statistic doesn't apply.

rppc

No problem!

If you do buy it, I recommend that you put it on before you go to bed, so that you won't wash it off immediately afterwards.

I usually spread it across the top of my hands, then put on some old socks in my hands to prevent it from making everything around sticky and from getting into my eyes during the night.

FlexGunship

The first aid kit in my car, the one that I keep at home, and the one that goes with me on hikes contains many small tubes of cyanoacrylate. It is, by far, the best way to seal a clean wound. It can be a little annoying when it hardens, but it beats a Band-Aid(TM) by several thousand points. As a plus, I notice there's a tendency to leave more visible scars if it's a particularly deep cut.

I love finding the "20-packs" at Big Lots, or Ocean State Job Lot, or Family Dollar. So much cheaper, quicker, and convenient than adhesive bandages. Plus, I'm allowed to make fun of that Barry Manilow jingle (http://www.barrynethomepage.com/commercialjingles.html) because I don't use the product.

I know what I wrote.

EDIT: Also, I don't like to use lotion on my hands much because then I get comments from girls along the lines of "Your hands are so soft." Which is basically an insult... and should serve to explain why I need my scars to be more prominent.

turbo

I don't wash my hands obsessively, but I do wash them every time, in certain circumstances. Got to put away clean dishes, silverware, or utensils? Wash up before doing so. Got to apply some triple-antibiotic ointment to an injury on my dog or myself? Wash up before. Too much soap or detergent can strip oils out of your skin, but there are times when you have to get aggressive. My grandfather always used Lava on his hands (heavy-equipment mechanic) though today there is Gojo that does the job for me when my hands are greasy. Nice orange scent, too.