How to garden without destroying my hands?

Hi Heather. I'm Cindy. Try using gloves when doing your digging and other outdoor work. They may feel awkward at first. But once you get used to them, they're not so bad. For really dry hands I would recommend moisturizing them with Vasoline every night. Some people even put cotton gloves on their hands overnight to give the Vasoline to soak in. Aveeno makes really good products too.

I always wear gloves, the rubber coated kind one the fingers and palm. It doesn't always keep your hands perfectly clean, but definitely doesn't need the scrubbing and toothbrush to the nails as when I don't where gloves. When I know I'm not going to be getting too dirty, then I go with gloves, like today, I just pulled trees and a few creeping weeds. I go as far as leather gloves when I am pulling weeds along the fence line, I have weeds that come from other yards that sting you , poisonous, etc. that I inherit from the neighbors yards.

leather work gloves. Petroleum jelly, a lite coat before the gloves go on.

Maybe purchase some "udder cream" or "dads favorite hand lotion" n then put gloves over!? Or apply after!!

A really inexpensive way to moisturize extremely dry damanged skin is to pierce (with a stick pin) vitamin E capsules, and squeeze out directly on to the (clean) skin. Rub in gently. Do this at night before getting into bed, and wear light washable gloves as it may stain your bedding. Yes, the vitamin E will feel somewhat greasy but it will be aborbed into your skin while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning, gently rise away any residue that you still may feel.

Vitamin E oil is what hospitals use for burned skin.

It comes in different strengths and sizes of capsules, brand and store-name. Get the least expensive you can find. For this application, it all works equally as well.

Costco and pharmacies sell nitrile (non-latex) gloves now. I wear a pair under my gardening gloves, and sometimes take off the garden gloves if I need more tactile sense. At night slather Bag Balm (for cows' udders!) on your hands and wear the nitrile gloves to bed; they'll be healthier in the morning. (also much easier to keep fingernails clean)

That's what gardening gloves were made for... :-)