I have the same exact problem! In fact, I've had it so long that I have forgotten how painful it really is. At first, when I was about 14, just one of my cuticles dried up. I assumed it was because I had slammed that nail in the door, but eventually it happened to more nails. In high school, within about a 3 month period, all the rest of my cuticles dried up except one. Now, just recently (age 22) the last cuticle is drying up and it is really freaking me out. I have never been to a dermatologist, but I am definitely going to one now. I have been to a family medicine doctor who prescribed me steroid cream, but this only seemed to make the problem worse. Also, I've noticed a get dry, flaky, skin on some of my fingers now. I wonder if it is an autoimmune thing. Like you mentioned, I have tried all sorts of lotions. Everything from Gold Bond to 24 Hour Moisturizers to Cocoa Butter Lotion to Olive Oil to Utter Cream to Avon to Mary Kay to special cuticle gels to freaking Dead Sea Salt Mineral stuff that's supposed to help and absolutely NOTHING helps. I have one question, though. Have you noticed that your fingernails get bumpy now that the cuticle is not there to guide the nail growth? I have searched the internet and asked tons of medical students, several doctors, and nobody seems to know what causes this. I wonder if it is bacterial, too. Another thing I noticed is that the tips of my fingers get swollen and tingle sometimes (I'm a healthy 22 year old). My hands, especially fingertips, are extremely sensitive to cold. Best of luck to you, even though this post is a few years old. If you happen to have figured out something that helps, please let me know. I'm going to the dermatologist soon, though. Thanks! One last thing, do you happen to live at high altitude? Maybe that has something to do with it??

Natal - Oh, I know. IMO Photoshopping like that shouldn't even be allowed. I always say anyone can be beautiful with the help of a makeup artist, hair extensions, spray tan, fake eyelashes, airbrushing, etc. :) So far I haven't spent a bunch of money on any product in general. I know most have big price tags with empty promises. I am a sucker for infomercials though so I have to stay away. lol My last purchase years ago was the bun and thigh roller! Nuff said. The appealing thing to me was that brand isn't pricey and I've heard AHA is good for your skin and dermatolgists recommend it? Since I bought all that I'll finish using it but I guess I've always figured in my mind a little wrinkle cream or serum can't hurt. An example that comes to mind often..Poor DH doesn't have much hair left on top of his head. At one point, he was using Nioxin products. I found it interesting that they have different steps to their line. System 1 is for fine, natural, normal to thin looking hair. System 2 is for fine, natural, NOTICEABLY thinning hair. There's probably reasons but I can't wrap my head around why you wouldn't just jump to system 2 if you were having this issue. Same goes with face products. Olay has a bunch of different systems. When I considered trying some of theirs it recommended the total effects. My mind wondered why I couldn't just buy something for skin that was already wrinkled thinking it would help more. Again, that may not be the case and I haven't done any real digging around but that's how I look at it. Jen - My t zone gets pretty darn oily so I also couldn't figure out why I was always hearing moisturize. Even oil free doesn't make sense to me really. Cooper - I figured you'd get what I was saying since you're not far away. There's not that many in the state. Even the ones I was 1st hoping to get into were a good hour away. I'm honestly a little leary of putting chemicals on my face in general and I think part of me doesn't want to know what's in them. This includes sunblock even though I've been using that on my face. The food we eat, the air we breathe.. I know that was windy but I'm feeling blabbery tonight. I really should be wrapping presents!

I have done this for years with Kohler. In fact, I had the second dispenser put in for exactly this purpose. Keep in mind what pllog says, though, thin lotions only. The only downside is having to refill the darn thing, but its better than staring at the ugly lotion bottle on the counter! Enjoy!

It may not penetrate, but the purpose is to keep a barrier between the moisture in/on your skin and the air - so that the moisture can't evaporate so easily - my doctor told me that for very dry skin, cream is much better than lotion, it should say "cream" on the jar. I use Clinique moisture online for my face and Walmarts off brand of Eucerin cream in a pot for the rest of my body. I used the Eucerin brand cream and then tried the off brand and there was *no* difference, except for a radical savings price wise. I slather it all on *while I'm still damp from the shower* I only dab off the big water droplets. It won't be nearly as effective if you dry off the water. I have very dry skin, by following these directions it has really helped, for me anyway.