any alternatives to hand lotion for dry skin ?

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ok, so daughter has dry skin and can't stand any sort of lotion~ she can actually make the noise it makes when you put lotion on . she says lotion is disgusting.......i wouldn't be bothering with this, but her solution to the problem is to groom herself like a cat~ licking herself
we've tried talking to her about how licking is unsanitary.....how i would look if i walked around licking myself.....she still absolutely refuses to use lotion........any alternative ideas would be greatly appreciated

maybe oil, such as almond oil, extra virgin olive oil, etc. there are also cream soaps that might reduce the problem (works for me)

daughter hates anything oily on her skin.......what do you mean by cream soaps ?

Have you tried lotions with various bases? Personally, I can't stand the feel of most lotions (I agree with your daughter, they do feel disgusting), but the butter based ones (sometimes those come under body creams instead of lotions, but it works about the same) feel completely different to me.

soap bars that contain cream. if you wash with them skin tends to be less dry than otherwise, they also normally have neutral pH (which makes them irritate the skin less), they usually have 'cream' somewhere on the packaging and you can find them at any supermarket. I too suffer from dry skin, and always hated creams and so on, mainly because my skin takes ages to absorb them compared to most people. i have always found the cold sensation associated with room-temperature cream very uncomfortable. maybe using warm oil (thus avoiding the cold feeling when it comes in contact with skin - also higher temperature makes it less viscous, which might make it less uncomfortable), applying it in small amounts with lots of rubbing so that it gets absorbed more quickly might be more comfortable for her. maybe baths with some oil in the water could also help, esp if you find one with a smell she likes.

Licking will dry the skin worse. I have a problem with my right index finger drying out in the winter because it's the takeup finger for my dental floss. Saliva will take the oils right out of the skin.

Soaking her hands in warm, lightly salted water for ten minutes a day after school may help (restroom soap is harsh). Rosewater and glycerin smells good and is not supposed to be oily. Maybe Bed, Bath & Beyond has moisturizing soaps that will work. Most oily-feeling lotions have lanolin

As far as cheaper stuff, I'm finding out Softsoap with lotion is not working for me. Neither does Purell with lotion (which also smells like booze).

Licking is the catch-22. It feels good while they are doing it, but it chafes the skin and makes it worse. My son does this all the time.
We use store-brand Lubriderm, fragrance-free, hypo-allergenic. It's not oily. He still uses baby soaps. Cetaphil is also a soap-free cleanser and lotion that doesn't feel oily.
Pop has eczema too, so we have to stay on top of the dry skin. The school nurse actually suggested he had MRSA because of his rash.

Have you tried using one of the newer hand creams made with shea butter? Shea butter smells nice, is very soothing, and softening to one's hands. It doesn't feel oily or "greasy" like most lotions.

I never use anything now unless it is made with shea butter...

shea butter makes me itch. I can't use it at all. It's in a lot of stuff now. I love parafin (wax).

I've used baby wash instead of soap in the winter...less harsh...or stick to bar soap that contains lotion.

They have some moisturizing body mists that aren't greasy too...Neutrogena rainbath is one and I know their are more.

Good luck...my son had an issue with cream for awhile and problems with eczema too...thankfully he no longer refuses lotion as he's learned that even if it feels nasty it keeps him from going crazy itching in the middle of the night...lesser of two evils finally I guess.

Dove is a good moisturizing cream soap to try.

I have severely dry skin due to hypothyroidism and since I have a ton of allergies lotions are out of the question. So...I have a humidifier in my apartment, which does seem to help a bit. When my skin is really bad I'll sit in the bathroom with the shower on. You may want to try that with her.

i hate lotions too, because they're oily.. i use aloe vera after sun gel for my dry skin. you might try and see if that works for her, too..

netorogena makes a fisherman's hand cream that comes in a little tube, and body shop makes a hemp oil hand creme that comes in a metal tube...both of these go on a little oily, but absord almost immediately (esp. the neutrogena) so they don't stay greasy feeling and a tiny tiny bit goes a long way...don't know if that would help or not.

kate

ACK!! ! I have always hated the way lotions feel, and I cannot stand the feeling of anything greasy on my fingers.

Here's what I do. Palmer's Original UNSCENTED Cocoa Butter lotion is a thick substance, it is not greasy. I wipe it on my legs, then rinse and dry my hands after. My hands stay nice and smooth, but I feel nothing on them. It's the lotion for those who hate lotion!

Also, if that's just not an option, I like Bath & Body Works creamy shower soaps. They work great! Super soft skin without any residue at all.

I, too, have issues with the oily feeling of moisturisers. Unfortunately, to a degree I eventually concluded you just have to suck it up and deal - the oily feeling is not as bad as skin getting so dry it cracks and you end up with blood running over your hands. But you can minimise it, a bit, with the right products.

This is really good stuff, for instance.

Honestly, I found this one... not quite oily, but it leaves an irritating waxy feeling on my hands. I couldn't use it. I found The Body Shop's Almond Oil Intensive Hand Rescue to be better. Use very little, and try taking your daughter to the store if she can manage to try it out from their sampler. The Almond absorbs for me, at least, almost completely very fast. Bath and Body Works' moisturisers are very, very good - probably the best I've tried, although their scents are particularly strong. Use very sparingly - they're pricey, but they do last a long time because you need so little. Again, take her to the store to try them out.