After years away from magic I'm slowly starting to play with cards and coins but find that my hands are even dryer than they were just a few years ago.

This makes any move, especially with cards, nearly impossible as my fingers slip across the cards as if they were a frozen lake.

Any advice on how to deal or a product to use for super duper ultra dry hands?

D.

I've had good luck with "Chamberlain's Golden Touch" lotion. (Weeks & Leo Co. Inc. Des Moines, Iowa 50322 Phone: 1 877 974 7167 www.chamberlainlotion.com

I think that I paid about $5.00 for an 8.5 oz. bottle. Buy it at drug store! (some magic shops will "rebottle" it in very small bottles, and charge $5.00!

Everyone's body chemistry varies!

Thank you for the tip Dick.

Question: do you use it to moisturize your hands through the day/night or do you apply it before starting to work with cards/coins? If before working, how much and how long do you wait until it absorbs and how log does it last?

Best,
D

O'keeffe's Working Man's Hand Cream. A tip I received from Glenn Morphew.
I use it daily and about 5-10 minutes before performing. Works great for me and available
everywhere.

I find that, because of my molecular composition (I am really from the planet Mung), Chamberlain's works best for me in the warmer months and O'Keefe's is best in the colder drier months. Go figure.

Cheers!

You may also try the stuff that banks use to count money. Forget what it's called right now - but office supply stores carry it in small tins you can fit in your pocket. Easy to post some on your finger tips

Try different moisturizers - everyone is a little different.

Hudson

The stuff the banks and other offices use is SortKwik. I get it at Staples.

I would recommend getting some flower water (preferably rose water) and mix it with equal parts of each of glycerin and rubbing alcohol. I have had decent results with lilac water if rose water is hard to get.

I use O'Keefes. I apply it about a half hour before performing. Works like a charm.

Ray

One tip I got from someone who researched the matter a bit: people's hands are different. One of the products mentioned above, or anywhere, may work for one person, but not for you. As Stanyon pointed out, a product may work differently at different times of year or climates.

You may need to experiment to find what works best for you.

Again, I repeat what others have said (to "reenforce"). Everyone'a body chemistry is different!

I use Chamberlain's Golden Touch, before a show. I keep a little atomizer bottle in the prop case.

Best wishes..........

For the entire hands (palms, fingertips, etc...) Zim's Crack Creme in a spray bottle (the tube creme doesn't work for me) is about the only thing that works really, really well for me. Glycerin & Rosewater (comes in a bottle labelled that way) is second place.

For just fingertip application, Michael Skinner's Edge Creme I find to be much longer lasting than Sork-Kwik (both are effective at what they do).

Again, your mileage will definitely vary, you may wish to try them to see how they work (along with the other recommendations) till you find what is best for you.

Just tried O'Keefes and I like how my hands feel in general but for coin/card work I think it made my hands too soggy and make working with coins in particular very difficult as the coins got stuck in my hands (too much friction)

Ordered some Chamberlain's and liquid chalk to give them a try...

D.

An extra vote here for O'Keefes. I've tried many over the years and I've found O'Keefes to be the best without much of an oily feeling.

Norwegian formula by Nutragena is also nice but certainly has an oily feeling for a while.

Byron.

My update: tried Chamberlain’s a few times las week. Sprayed 2x and give it about 30 seconds and hands feel very soft and smooth, not too much grip but enough. Only problem, with my super dry hands at least, is that it lasted for about 10-15 minutes.

Trying O’Keefes again by applying much earlier and giving it about 10-15 minutes to absorb so hands and cards don’t feel so soggy.

hope this helps.
D

Experiment!!!!! Everyone's body chemistry, is "different"! The local climate is, I'm sure, a factor, also.

Today I got an order of liquid chalk. Applied a tiny drop (less than a dime in diameter) and rubbed my hands together. Once the chalk dried up (about 20 seconds), my hands felt pretty good. Like the feeling that it leaves me with better than O'Keefe's and Chamberlains, but... my hands look like I was wearing white globes!

So back in the mail it goes as a return....

I prefer sortkwik because you can put a dab behind the ear and simply touch the ear in conversation thus adding some to the finger tips. I only use it on my finger tips and it is very effective. Good luck.

The stuff that people like for gripping cards imparts a tackiness to the hands, not really a moisturizing phenomena. The suggested commercial compositions (e.g., Chamberlain's, Sortkwik) all have glycerol as the active ingredient. Just spreading a few drops of a composition of equal parts of glycerol, rose water and alcohol does the trick nicely for me-just a few drops.

Alternatively, you can purchase an excellent and inexpensive toner called PERFECTLY PURE ROSE AND WITCH HAZEL TONER (Google "Perfectly Pure") that also contains glycerine (same as glycerol)and is alcohol-free. That also works very nicely. I find it far superior to the Burt's Bee's rose water/glycerine toner that some here recommend.

Experiment with Okeefes-small amount where its needed and drying time..you don't need it all over your hands just on contact points.

You stole my comment haha! Was just wanting to say the same thing.
I use o'keefes and it sounded like the op was using too much, which is a mistake I made at first too.
Experiment with the amount, definitely!