Dry Hands

[Steve Mills]

One of the many things that go with age is the oil in the skin.

Like many people, I continue to hunt for the "perfect" lotion. A couple of days ago I ran across Mike Skinner's Lotion at Hocus-Pocus. It wasn't real expensive, but certainly more than a tube of creme at the local drug store.

Is anyone familiar with this? Is it something different or just repackaged Jergens?

Thanks!

Later.....
Steve

[Guest]

I suffer from overly dry hands...murder if you work with coins and cards...Frank Garcia's Manipulation Lotion solves the problem perfectly. A very small amount gives the hands the tackiness needed to work. Try it...$10 for a nice size bottle that will last you a year. Tannens, and I think Stevens Magic Emporium carry it.

[Richard Kaufman]

I think that buying hand lotion retrofitted with the pictures of deceased magicians is probably not the best way to spend your money. :)
The Skinner stuff is marketed by a regular company (can't recall the name) and just has its label replaced.
The stuff that Marlo and Jennings used religiously is called "Chamberlain's Golden Touch Lotion." The company is located in Des Moines, Iowa, 50322. It contains various types of alcohol, water, and glycerine and worked extremely well for them.
That's where I'd look!

[Pete Biro]

Larry Jennings, who was a plumber by trade, used an over the counter substance called "CORN HUSKER'S" -- BIG bottle, not much $$.

[Glenn Farrington]

Oscar Munoz swears by a certain lotion. But I'll let you get in touch with him to fing out what...good taste keeps me from printing it here.

[Glenn Farrington]

I meant find instead of fing...damn those freudian slips.

[Richard Kaufman]

Pete, Larring Jennings used "Golden Touch" for all the time I knew him (1982 until his death).
Glenn: why don't you just edit your posts if you make a mistake? Click on the piece of paper icon and edit the post, then click on the Edit button and that will post it.

[Dave Shepherd]

Oh, no, I think Glenn meant for us to know that he wrote "fing" originally.

See, I think I know what product he's talking about, and...

Okay, no more, or I'll get in trouble...

[opie]

What you are looking for, gents, is Walgreen's Glycerine and Rosewater--a big bottle for a few bucks....I emptied a tiny breath freshener bottle and filled it with the Walgreens stuff to carry around with me....a friend of mine puts the stuff in a small nose spray bottle, and that really works great....

Just be sure to put it on and rub it in well before you start your sleight of hand things...opie

[Pete Biro]

Larry didn't want the east coast guys to really know what he used... :D

I dont' recall the time frame, but Larry used Corn Huskers when I was around him and he recommended it to me. :genii:

[Lisa Cousins]

From Chapter 13, "Tips 'N Hints," in Bertram on Sleight of Hand, here is a tip (or perhaps it's intended as a hint):

"Some magicians complain of having dry hands. This makes certain manipulations difficult and uncomfortable. Here is simple exercise which I have found beneficial. Clench each hand by bringing the tips of the four fingers back to the heel of the hand, as far as possible. Press the fingertips firmly and draw them back across the palm. Open the hands, stretch the fingers outward. Clench the hands again and repeat the above actions several times. The palms and fingers will soon feel moist.

"I have passed this information on to a number of magicians who later reported that the exercise was beneficfial and eliminated the need for creams and glycerine mixtures prior to their performances."

[reed mcclintock]

If I may I would like to offer a suggestion on this very subject. I to suffer from very dry hands. My friend George olson Turned me on to this stuff called "Crack Creme" I tis hands down in my opinion the absolute best. No oily feel after applied, lasts for hours and gives me that just right texture for cards and coins. You can do seconds like no ones businees. It is also not sticky. give it a try. the url is
www.crackcreme.com
let me know if this helps at all.
cheers ;)

[Arnie Fuoco]

The key ingredient in all these is glycerin. I have tried Chamberlain's Golden Touch ( $6.50 a bottle at http://www.estgallery.com/index.html?gifts.html~home), Frank Garcia's ( $ 10.00 at Tannen), Gary Ouellet's ($8.50 at www.camirandmagic.com) and they all are about the same--they work fine. If you really want maximum tackiness, Abbott's Palm Grip is almost pure glycerin. If you can find a drug store that sells glycerin you can make your own by cutting it with rosewater until you get the feel that is right for you.
Arnie Fuoco

[Guest]

Although glycerin is an ingredient shared by the three lotions you mention, only Chamberlain's has sorbitol, a sugar adept at retaining moisture, and gives Golden Touch the edge.

Not mentioned often, but an interesting alternative to coating dry hands with oils is Na-PCA, manufactured by Twin Labs. It is a concentrated solution of the sodium salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a moisturizing factor found in human skin. Na-PCA draws H20 from the air to moisturize the skin.

Keeping yourself well- or even hyper- hydrated also improves dry hands.

--Randy Campbell

[Jeff Eline]

I attended a lecture where Vagsil was recommended for dry hands. He kept a small amount in an eye dropper bottle and applied one or two drops before he began. I haven't tried it for an extended period of time, but I did try it that evening. And I know it sounds strange but it seem to work.

[Guest]

I've mixed up my own, used Garcia's (which, if memory serves me correctly, smelt startingly similar to Golden Touch, albeit green instead of yellow, and was the same ultra-liquidy consistency), and used a few pharmacy bought brands. I keep going back to Corn Huskers. Neutregena is nearly identical, but much thicker, so I stick with CH, and have been very happy.

--A

[Rick Schulz]

I've tried the Golden Touch lotion - it leaves my hands feeling too oily and smelling like I've just come from the beach. Any suggestions?

[Richard Kaufman]

Golden Touch does have a distinctive aroma, that's one of the reasons (aside from the fact that he TOLD me) that I am certain he used it.
If your hands are oily then you either used too much, or don't need something that strong. You must allow a few moments for it to sink in, and Jennings rubbed his hands vigorously together for a few moments after applying it.

[Chris Aguilar]

I've had really good luck with a product called "Cetaphil". You need to get the stuff that comes in the small tub to get the most effective stuff. It's quite thick, but soaks in quickly and leaves your hands non-oily and non scented. Doctors recommend it a lot for dry skin. Available at most pharmacies here in the U.S.

[Rick Schulz]

Thank you for the information. I'll try the Cetaphil, as it may work better for me than the Golden Touch (anyone interested in a couple bottles, under different labels?). As always, I am in your debt.

[Steve Hook]

Glenn:

Oscar was selling Golden Touch at a recent lecture, so that's probably the one. I tried it and found it oily but didn't, as Richard mentioned, rub the hands vigorously ala Larry Jennings. Back in The Day, I used the glycerin mixed with rose water (why rose water??), as mentioned here, too.

For the young guys who can't understand why all the fuss, as much as you might have what you <think> are dry hands, when you get "a little older", the hands can seriously dry up. It's an odd thing. Coins fall from the palms like manna from the sky.

Steve H

[Guest]

Here's what I do. I use "Neutrogena". I use it before I got to bed and first thing out of the shower. If your hands are overly dry. I would suggest and have done this myself. Soak your hands in as hot a water as you can. After you have gotten your hands good and hot and the pores are open. Dry hands and put on your moisturizer of choice. Again, mine is Neutrogena. Vagasil does work well to by the way. Hope this helps!
Jeff

[Pete Biro]

Why is this so complicated? Larry may have used Golden whatever, but he also used AS HE TOLD ME... Corn Huskers. Give it a try. It is cheap and comes in a large bottle.

FYI: Listerine bottles will hold whiskey and look like the same stuff when seen in your dressing room. :D

[Richard Kaufman]

Emma uses Cetaphil every night, plus something called "Aquaphor." If you really want to slip and slide like a greased piglet, try the latter. Coins will squirt from your fingertips across the room and stick to the wall.

[Raj Madhok]

Another vote for Cetaphil Cream . As a dermatologist here's a few other tips for dry hands:

1)Avoid deodorant or antibacterial soap.
2)Avoid prolonged use of hot water for washing.
3)Lubricate with cream (not lotion) after hand washing. Creams are water-in-oil immersions, lotions are oil-in-water and may actually dry the hands if they have a high alcohol content.
4)Wear gloves if you're the chief cook and bottle washer at your house.

Raj

[Terry]

I bought my wife-to-be one of those hot wax treatment kits last Christmas. It is supposed to restore moisture to the hands. Anyone try this yet? I may try it and let you know.

[Bill Evans]

Originally posted by Steve Mills:
One of the many things that go with age is the oil in the skin.

Like many people, I continue to hunt for the "perfect" lotion. A couple of days ago I ran across Mike Skinner's Lotion at Hocus-Pocus. It wasn't real expensive, but certainly more than a tube of creme at the local drug store.

Is anyone familiar with this? Is it something different or just repackaged Jergens?

Thanks!

Later.....
Steve

Steve...the only product I ever saw Michael use was an office product called Lee Paper Cream that comes in a small pink container. Michael always kept it in his sock and never went anywhere without it. It's fairly strong so you might not need too much unless your hands are really dry. Hope this helps.

Bill

[Brad Henderson]

In a lecture by Richard Turner, he advocates good ole' Baby Oil.

[George Olson]

One of the funniest things that ever happened to me concerned my dry hands!

In the middle seventies I performed at Timberline Lodge (a wonderful ski resort)every Christmas Season. At an altitude of 11,000 feet the air is very dry, so I came up with an idea to smear my hands everynight before bed with "Bag Balm." Then I'd put on a pair of white work gloves and retire.

Each morning when I got up, I would do mirror practice for an hour or so. To set the scene: 1. one of my best buddies ex-wife had been a Playboy Covergirl, and he sent me an autographed copy of some kind of anniversary issue with a fold out cover of all the ladies that had graced the magazine;2. On the night stand nexxt to my bed was (a.) the magazine, (b.) the greasy white gloves, (c.) the biggest tin of Bag Balm you've ever seen.; 3. I'm sitting at the mirror with my back to the bed; 4. The maid walks in to do my room, spots the scene on the night stand and immediately left the room saying something. I tried to explain, but there was a language barrier. For the remainder of the gig, the housekeeping personnel gave me a wide berth.

To this day, some of the folks that used to come up there remind me of the story when they come in my current venue.

Bag balm lives! I still use it to this day. That and EMU Oil. According to the literature is has a cureative property. Those little "nerds" you get around your finger nails go away with regular use. Add to that, Golden Touch and Crack Creme and you have an excellant therapy program for you hands.

I recall Eugene Berger in one of his tomes speaks to the importance of "Hand Maintainence"

So long,
got to wash and lube my mitts!

GO

[Pete Biro]

Related, but off text.

I used to replace the "Sanitized for your protection" paper strip on the toilet every morning... maid would think I was maybe not feeling well???

[George Olson]

I used to put one around my "close-up" pad....
"'it's a clean act....'"

Got the idea from Steven Wright when I saw him live at a Merv Griffith show!

GO

[Pete McCabe]

One thing you can do to keep the moisture level high on your hands is stop washing them with soap. Conventional soap -- this includes virtually anything that acts as a detergent -- dries the skin.

Soap also leaves a thin film on your skin which can't help with manipulations. Zest, which isn't actually soap in the classic definition, eliminates the film. But it still dries your skin.

[Steve Mills]

Originally posted by Reed McClintock:
If I may I would like to offer a suggestion on this very subject. I to suffer from very dry hands. My friend George olson Turned me on to this stuff called "Crack Creme" I tis hands down in my opinion the absolute best.

Reed,

According to their site, it should be available at Walgreen's and Walmart, but I struck out today at both places.

I'm really not secure enough in my manhood to ask for this too many more times!!

Later.....
Steve

[George Olson]

Steve:

Send me your address, and I'll drop a bottle in the mail!

GO

[Steve Mills]

Thanks a million, George.

I emailed you with the info.

Later.....
Steve

[reed mcclintock]

Sometimes they dont have it. I am secure enough I dont care its like buying the special products for my wife. She never has asked me to but if I had to I would hope the cashier would know they would not be for me. lol or would they, never mind that was a weird statement lol

Hey George, Steve gave me an idea for the last time I performed at the castle, I didnt do it but came close.
Wrap up your close up mat with those strips of paper they put across the toilet in a hotel bathroom. walk out with the mat set it down after your introduction and look at the mat and say I like to start fresh before every show. peel it off gently with the finger tips and hold it gingerly to the side wait for the reaction and people to get the joke, then drop to the side as if you were dropping it in the garbage can, and roll your eyes as if you were very proud of your bad gag. It gets a laugh like you would'nt believe. I just felt self consious about that particular gag because everyone at the castle is so refined and we are just a couple of guys from Portland OREEGONE. lol

[Guest]

I got "Corn Huskers Lotion" today at walmart and am so happy I did. I don't have to worry after I do dishes or shower anymore....a small dab takes care of my hands till I get soap on them again. I love it.

[Terry]

Re "Crack Creme" - I found it at WalMart last night but not where you would expect it. It was not with the other skin lotions, but was with the neosporin and other anti-bacterial products. 2 applications so far and it does smooth the skin, the smell is a little loud. It smells vaguely familiar to another product, just can't remember what.

[Guest]

I've used Glyceryne and Rosewater, and nutragena, Both available from Boots over here, and also Sortkwik from http://www.cards4magic.co.uk/acatalog/, used for money counting. For me Sortkwik is too sticky, Glyceryne and Rosewater dries out too quickly and Nutragene is perfect, However, I am aware that everyone's hands are different so one of the others might be perfect for someone else.

Cheers

Andy

[scott snider]

Crack Creme? Couldn't find it at WalMart after asking for it. Asked for the "other Crack Creme" Vagisil and you should have seen the look on the ladies face as she led me to its location. I am sold on this stuff after trying it out last night. I was doing stuff with cards that these dry hands handn't done in years. Thanks Vagisil.