Suffering From Sandpaper Skin & Cracked Fingertips

Dry skin is a common problem in the winter, and it can often lead to split, cracked fingertips. One of the most basic recommendations is to keep the skin well moisturized. But what moisturizer is best to avoid sandpaper skin? As you will read in a moment, dermatologists love super greasy gooey gobs of cream. And we do not doubt that it works. But if you have ever rubbed petroleum jelly on your hands, you know that everything you touch will end up slimy.

What Do Our Readers Do to Ease Cracks and Dry Skin?

Q. My skin is in terrible shape. This winter has dried out my skin, nails and even my lips. The tips of my fingers are so dry that they have split open and are incredibly painful. Even typing on a keyboard hurts.

I have tried the instant glue on the cracks and while it helps a little it does nothing for the dry skin. I have tried first aid cream and hand lotions without any improvement. What else can I use to ease my sandpaper skin?

Heavy-Duty Moisturizers for Sandpaper Skin:

A. Dermatologists like grease. Ingredients such as petrolatum (petroleum jelly), glycerin, shea butter, mineral oil and lanolin are frequently found in brands the derms recommend.

Over the years, dermatologists we have consulted often suggest slippery creams and lotions like Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, Aquaphor or Eucerin. You may feel a bit like a greased pig, but these products can ease the discomfort of dry cracked fingers, especially if you smear the moisturizer on thickly before climbing into bed and then wear cotton gloves to protect the sheets.

Skin Creams Containing Urea for Sandpaper Skin:

We are even more fond of skin creams with urea. This is a natural compound that is found in the body (unlike petroleum jelly). When urea is included in a skin cream, it offers superb skin protection. Not only does urea improve the barrier function of the skin, it actually regulates gene activity to improve the skin’s defenses against bacteria.

This has been described in detail in The Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Another study confirmed that urea moisturizes skin very effectively and shows how it works (Mojumdar et al, Scientific Reports, Nov. 16, 2017).

Diabetes and Dry Skin:

People with diabetes are tough cases. That’s because they frequently complain of dry skin, itching, redness, scarring and edema. In one sense, people with this metabolic disorder are like canaries in the coal mine. They are vulnerable and can tell us a lot about what works for super dry skin.

An article in the journal Cureus (May, 2023) offers this advice:

“Skin care, especially foot care, is crucial in diabetes. Emollients and urea-based creams are commonly used for foot care. The review highlights the importance of following a skin care protocol to prevent skin-related complications in diabetes.”

They go on to state:

“Moisturization is a key component of skin care in diabetes. The guidelines highlight using suitable moisturizers and emollients to maintain skin integrity and prevent dryness. Regularly applying these products helps minimize adverse cutaneous events, such as cracking, itching, and skin infections. Emollients like urea or lactic acid are often recommended to enhance hydration and prevent excessive dryness.”

A New Urea Cream Enters the Market and It’s 20% Off!

We spent the last several years getting our natural products wizard, Charles (Chuck) Friedman to develop a lovely urea-based cream. He has over 50 years experience creating some of the best selling personal care products on the market.

Chuck was Scientific Director for Burt’s Bees from 1994 till 2003. While there, he formulated some amazing natural products. He was Director of Research Services at Revlon and formulated hypoallergenic products for Almay. He was also Senior Chemist at Estee Lauder.

Chuck is the wizard behind all our body care products. That includes our most popular Aluminum-Free MoM (Milk of Magnesia) Roll-on Deodorants, our People’s Pharmacy Bed Soap and Leg Soap and of course our Pomegranate and Berry Natural Lip Care.

After a great deal of testing, we launched (with Chuck’s help) The People’s Pharmacy Urea Skin Relief. We are offering a 20% discount because we sense that spring is on the way. Here is our first daffodil!

Early Daffodil

To get the 20% discount on our “Intensive Skin Therapy with 20% Urea,” please put the code spring20 into the discount code box or gift card when you check out. This sale is good until the first day of spring, March 19, 2024.

Other Uses for Urea-Based Moisturizer:

One unexpected bonus from using a 20% urea cream came from a reader:

“I developed a skin condition on my lower leg for which my dermatologist recommended skin cream with 20 percent urea (OTC). The area was near some spider veins, and during the course of treatment the spider veins faded where some of the urea cream got on them.

“I began to cover the entire spider vein area with the urea cream and now they are almost completely gone. Have you heard of using urea cream to treat spider veins?

“The change was really dramatic. I assume it was due to the action of the urea on these superficial veins.”

We make no guarantees that our People’s Pharmacy Urea Skin Relief cream will help fade spider veins. But since we shared this story we have heard from a few others:

RLM wrote:

“I applied the cream at night before bed. The patches began to fade in 2 weeks and were almost totally gone in another 3 weeks. My doctor was surprised at the results and assumed it was due to the keratolytic action of the urea on the superficial veins.”

Other people with spider veins have tried using urea cream on them, and not everyone gets good results. However, the The People’s Pharmacy Urea Skin Relief  is great for those with sandpaper skin.

Readers Respond to The People’s Pharmacy Urea Skin Relief:

Barbara says:

“I just ordered this cream because I trust Joe and Terry based on years of subscribing to their very helpful emails on various products & research! I agree with Jim’s comment from January 21, 2024.

“I have also enjoyed ordering, reading, & learning from your helpful books for years:)

“Thank you for letting us know that you added the ingredients, as I have allergies too & very helpful to know what is in a product:)

“Also, please put your cream in the Store link so it is faster to find and order from you.
Thanks again for being so helpful in your research and advice for years!”

Carole is enthusiastic:

“This cream should have “miracle” in the name. My feet, specifically the heels, were literally as dry as sandpaper, I would scratch myself in bed. I tried this cream after the first night I saw a difference, after a couple of nights they were perfectly smooth. I don’t usually spend this much for skin care but I will never be without this cream. Peoples Pharmacy is my go-to for every ailment, condition and supplement usage, I’m happy to be able to support you and grateful to you for creating such useful and beneficial content and products.”

Deb reports:

“I’ve been using this every morning and evening for about 6 weeks now and I’m so impressed by the noticeable difference of my dry skin! Doesn’t take a lot to make a big difference- GREAT job you guys! Will definitely stick with this instead of the lotion recommended by the dermatologist.”

Jim chimed in:

“I was skeptical of this but I trusted Joe and Terry based on years of listening to them. Dry cracked skin has been a constant winter problem for me; this worked to stop the problem in a day or two. No greasy feel like many other “solutions” I’ve tried. I’m buying a second 2 oz tube for another location where I spend a lot of time. Thank you both.”

Debra wonders:

“Does the urea come from animals? Was this lotion tested on animals?”

Debra, the urea does not come from animals, and the lotion was not tested on animals.

Rima asks:

“I’m interested in this product but can only use fragrance-free products, with as little detectable scent as possible. Does this product have a scent of any kind when first applied?”

Rima, the cream has no fragrance and you will not detect any scent.

Linda also has a request:

“Can we have a list of ingredients before we buy it?”

Here you are, Linda:

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Urea, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Citric Acid.

Not everyone loves The People’s Pharmacy Urea Skin Rellief cream. A few people have complained that it feels tacky on their palms. Anyone who is disappointed can get a full refund, no questions asked!

What Works For You?

We would also like to learn what you have been using for your dry skin, cracked fingers and chipped nails. A number of people tell us that instant glue is what helps their cracked fingertips heal. Others use lip balm on those cracks.

What works for your dry lips? Have you ever tried our Pomegranate Natural Lip Care or Berry Natural Lip Care (both developed by Chuck!).

Please share your own success story below in the comment section. And remember, if you opt for our new People’s Pharmacy Urea Skin Relief, you have to put the discount code SPRING20 into the discount code box when checking out to get 20% off either our 2 oz or our 6 oz Intensive Skin Therapy with 20% urea. Here is a link to all our body care products. Just scroll to the bottom of the page to find Urea Skin Relief.