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When it is really cold, I have problems with my skin getting thicker and cracking. Using the pumice or an emery board can thin the skin to help healing. The problem with skin is that it is basically leather, and dry leather cracks. You want to get rid of stress risers if the skin is too thick, You want to condition the leather to make it pliable, and if the cracks really hurt, you want to get rid of the infection that slows healing.
I soak my fingers in epsom salts and water to heal the infection, and you only have to do this once or twice to promote healing. Then I use the emery board or a sharp knife to thin the skin around the cracks, then I moisturize.
I use one of those hand salves that has beeswax in it. The ordinary hand lotion rises right off, but the kind with bees wax can last a whole day, even if you wash, as long as you don't use super hot water. Put it on before you go to bed, let it sit for a minute, and use a tissue to wipe off the excess. It takes a while to soak in.
I expect aloe would be as good as epsom salts, but I work outside and get really dirty hands. Epsom salts sanitizes the dead skin as well as the living tissue, and promotes circulation because of the hot water, but it can hurt initially.
If you aren't working outside in the cold without gloves, I would say the moisturizing is the most important part. But if your skin is really thick, you need to thin it.
I think the deal with a lot of us is that hash chemicals and cleaners over the years has killed the fatty layer of the skin that keeps the hands moist. That is much more of a problem during the times of the year when it is cold and dry and we don't sweat through the hands. But it is literally true that some of these chemicals just kill off a layer of the skin, and we subsequently need more protection.
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