Something I find works really well and even the store brand hand cream will work somewhat although I like the St. Ives oatmeal and cocobutter one the best. Wash your hands as normal with soap and rinse then squirt on the hand lotion just as if it was soap, rub around and rinse again just as if you were using soqp. I rinse the palm part well and the backs less so. Then dry. The hands don't feel near as dry but since you rinsed the palms well they don't feel sticky. Prevents a lot of cracking. But yes that is such a painful condition it makes you dread going near water and for sure no purell when you have cracks - no alcohol unless I feel like screaming.