since it came up in another thread, i'd like to ask you guys a question - i do wash hands a lot... at work (bad chemicals are no good), and at home before handling valo... these facts and the dry air in colorado make my hands look like the top layer of skin decided to go for vacation. i'm really hesitant though to use hand lotion, especially when i touch valo....

any suggestions?

any unscented aloe lotion would be safe or vitamin e tissue oils. I would think anything scented would bother a birdie.

I use Aveeno hand cream (green and tan bottle)and put it on at night. I've been doing this for years.
My hands are bad, and always have been. Ontop of that I am allergic to alot of lotions.

aloe is a good idea... i tried the putting lotion on at night strategy - i forget after 2 days

My son gets really bad chapped hands once we leave summer and the allergist told him to soak his hands in luke warm water only for a minute, pat dry then apply a lot of vaseline then put on cotton gloves for the night. His hands come out so nice and soft in the morning. I just wish he did it more often, he's 12 and I can only nag him so much!!!

I use the Neutrogena Norwegian Fisherman (think it is actually called Norwegina formula but the ad campaign stuck in my mind) hand cream. Doesn't seem to bother the birds or cats and does well with the ravages of organics and latex gloves.

I love Burts Bees,
they are Earth-friendly, natural personal care products based on herbs, flowers, botanical and essential oils, beeswak and clay. <--from website

sure glad somebody asked this. I can't use spit anymore!!

On thing that will help is to avoid sodium laurel sulfate products like most hand soaps and shampoos. (Google "sulfate free shampoo" to learn more about this harsh detergent that MANY are sensitive to, it is in just about every shampoo and handsoap). You can buy products without it if you look. I'm currently using Mastey sulfate free shampoo, and tom's natural handsoap; my scalp and skin feel better than it has in 10 years.

Hopefully that will give you less dry skin to begin with.... if you still have an issue then, stay natural with aloe, tom's natural products, and I *think* most of the burts bees stuff is all natural too. If you can pronounce all of the ingreadients, it's easier to find out if the birds would be sensitive to it!