Diabetes and Cracked Fingertips: Everyone's Hands Need Help

David Mendosa Living With It Medical Journalist Living with Diabetes and Author of Fitness and Photography for Fun, www.mendosa.com/fitnessblog After earning a B.A. with honors from the University of California,... Send Message Subscribe: David Mendosa

Monday, March 17, 2008
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People with diabetes are like everyone else, only more so. This realization has been slowly growing in my mind as I began to appreciate that while we talk all the time about how those of us with diabetes need regular exercise, good nutrition, and weight control, everyone needs that too.Even the compl...

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Other ingredients to avoid...
BoulderDiabetic
Monday, March 17, 2008 at 11:23 AM

David,

Interesting how we live/think in parallel universes! I was reading this past weekend in Dr. Bernstein's book (page 72) about his advice for only using animal or vegetable oil lubricants and to avoid mineral and petroleum base products as our body won't absorb them. Why do we need petroleum products getting absorbed anyway? I wondered. He also states, "do not use products containing urea or mostly glycols". But Why? I don't have a clue.

I checked all the creams I've been using. They all miss the mark. My favorite foot cream prior to getting diagnosed, Chattem's Gold Bond, my winter body anti itch cream, Nature's Gate Colloidal Oatmeal, my pharmacy recommended Profoot Heal Rescue, my daughter's favorite, America's First Lady Peppermint Foot Lotion and the diabetic recommended sample I received in the mail, Neoteric Diabetic Skin Care, all have urea if not various mineral and glyco combos even if they are vegetable based.

At vitamin cottage, our local affordable health food store, they are featuring rapeseed and almond oils at the moment. Labels relate the benefits of pouring it all over one's body (I envisioned that great massage I could use) in addition to it's food grade quality making it good to cook with it (for some). The chef on D-Life recommends the former for it's high heat tolerance, but I haven't heard any other diabetes experts recommend eating rapeseed. Back to lotions, Bernstein only appears to recommend olive oil as a foot cream. Which makes me wonder, why not bath in olive oil once a day, if not for the expense?

So final question to you: Does the cream you've mentioned/recommended in your article meet Bernstein's stringent criteria? Do you know of his rationale behind his restrictions? Why is urea on the "bad" list, yet most commercial and health-food products contain it?

re: Other ingredients to avoid...
David Mendosa
Monday, March 17, 2008 at 12:28 PM

No, I don't know about Dr. Bernstein's criteria. I have heard him say, however, that olive oil is an inexpensive form of hand and skin cream. I would use it except that I don't like the greasiness.

David

re: Other ingredients to avoid...
nonegiven
Monday, March 17, 2008 at 06:31 PM

I don't know what urea is but maybe glycol will turn into glucose and throw off BG tests? I use coconut oil sometimes, it doesn't have anything in it but actual coconut oil.

re: re: Other ingredients to avoid...
BoulderDiabetic
Monday, March 17, 2008 at 10:16 PM

A local pharmacist told me this evening that urea takes off the thin top layer of rough skin, possibly making a diabetic's hands, feet etc. more vulnerable to cuts or infection. The petroleum products may seal off the skin and so moisture from within is held under the non absorbing sealing layer, thereby making your skin moisturized by it's own liquid.

-Barry

re: re: re: Other ingredients to avoid...
David Mendosa
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 12:34 PM

Dear Barry,

Good information. Thank you.

David

Diabetes and Cracked Fingertips: Everyone&#39;s Hands Need Help
verdungal
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 02:13 PM

Hi David:
I just checked on the website of Dermal Therapy products that I use which contain: urea, silk amino acids and alpha hydroxy acid (lactic and malic acid).

The lactic acid (alpha hydroxy acid) stimulates the skin's production of collagen, a process that improves the growth of new basal cells (skin cells) that rebuild a naturally occlusive, protective skin barrier.
Enhancement of the skin's natural barrier is important to keep moisture in and infectious agents out. This new skin growth displaces the old dry cells through exfoliation so the skin feels very smooth and elastic.

Dermal Therapy formulations contain both lactic and malic acids, to improve the exfoliation of dead skin cells. The amino acid derived from pure silk protein restores skin tone

Urea causes hard dry skin cells to "unpack" and expose their water binding sites, thus enabling the cell to absorb and retain additional moisture. This action is also known as hydrotopic solubilization and several independent clinical investigations and studies prove that it works.

It's a little like taking the plastic wrapper off a sponge so it can absorb better!

This product works great for me
Joan M

Dry cracked hands and feet
smereau
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 11:48 AM
I have been using Bee Bar from Honey House, the ingredients listed are: shea butter, jojoba, beeswax, lanolin, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, vitamin e. and frangrance. I like the lanendar and vanilla, but it is available unfragranced as well. This is a bar available in a large and a small bar, it is initially a little oilly but I work it in and it does absorb. I like it for my hands as it seems to form a barrier to water. I was told by the developer of this product that it has natural antimicrobial properties.

Hand Cream
Chris B.
Friday, March 21, 2008 at 01:12 AM

Have you tried "corn huskers Lotion"? that stuff is awesome. not greasy either. dries in just a minutes and provides great protection. I have used it for years.

Chris

re: Hand Cream
David Mendosa
Friday, March 21, 2008 at 12:45 PM

Dear Chris,

That's totally new to me. Thank you. Can you tell us what its ingredients are?

David

re: re: Hand Cream
Chris B.
Friday, March 21, 2008 at 06:38 PM

Corn huskers lotion has:

Water, Glycerin, SD Alcohol 40, Sodium Calcium Alginate, Oleyl Sarcosine, Methylparaben, Guar Gum, Triethanolamine, Calcium Sulfate, Fragrance, Calcium Chloride, Fumaric Acid, and Boric Acid,

And I now see that it has one of the "Parabens" that you mentioned.
According to Wikipedia:

"Some parabens are found naturally in plant sources, such as Methylparaben from the fruit of the blueberry shrub, where it acts as an antimicrobial agent."

Hope this is helpful.

Chris

re: re: re: Hand Cream
David Mendosa
Friday, March 21, 2008 at 07:28 PM

Dear Chris,

Yes, it is helpful. Thank you.

I certainly don't know -- I don't think that anyone does -- whether the parabens are dangerous or not. But just because they come from natural sources it doesn't mean they are safe.

David

Treat from Inside Out Too
RussC
Sunday, April 13, 2008 at 04:19 PM

In addition to the remedies in the article, don't forget to stay hydrated even in the winter time. Drink those eight glasses of water every day and help treat the dry skin and cracks from the inside ou

Dry and cracked hands and feet
Indra Gill
Friday, May 02, 2008 at 11:48 AM

Whenever I develop painfully cracked hands or feet, I always keep instant glue on hand. A drop of instant glue onto the crack stops the pain immediately because the nerves are no longer open to the air. Try it. It really helps!

Stay well.

Indra

Care of hands/feet
Barbara
Sunday, May 04, 2008 at 10:06 PM

On advice from my determatologist at Oregon Health Sciences University, I only use Cetaphil Cream and lotion (also available at Costco). Free of lanolins, parabens and frances. Has worked extremely well for my hands and feet - diabetic for 30+ years. Previous use of much more expensive creams and lotions didn't do the job nearly as well!

Product Safety
loganwc
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 02:06 PM

Wow, seems every product made is dangerous. I always wonder how much it takes to be toxic? I often conclude that nothing is as dangerous, statistically, as getting into my car and driving to work.

re: Product Safety
loganwc
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 02:30 PM

Tom's of Maine article is interesting . . .

http://candleandsoap.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=candleandsoap&cdn=homegarden&tm=71&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.tomsofmaine.com/toms/ifs/propylene_glycol.asp

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
David Mendosa
Thursday, June 05, 2008 at 10:18 PM

Joan Mercantini, who has made lots of valuable comments here, outdid herself today in a comment directly to me. She brought the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to my attention. This unit of the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization, has a tremendous website at http://www.safecosmetics.org/

This site has careful evaluations of hundreds if not thousands of cosmetics. I just ordered the hand cream that they rate as one of the safest, if not the safest. Check it out!

David Mendosa

safe cosmetics
Alice Gurlucavich
Monday, March 02, 2009 at 02:18 PM

  

Looking for the best all natural, then look no further try Afterglow Cosmetics simply the best in all natural and organic cosmetics. Afterglow offers a variety of products from organic lip gloss to all natural mineral foundation. If like to look beautiful but don't like to damage your body then check out http://afterglowcosmetics.com you'll enjoy what you find!

Alice