the end is where I begin

If there's something that I've struggled with nail-wise it would be having dry hands and cuticles.  I was/am always bothered by them since the skin around my nails became hard and generally made me embarrassed of my hands.  I never really did anything about them because I, and I am admitting this, hate lotion.  I'm not someone who uses lotions for long periods of time--I absolutely detest body lotion for odd reasons.  I've been conditioning myself to use hand lotions for about a year now and I do use them often, but it just still did nothing with my cuticles--they were still hard and I still found myself cutting them (something you really shouldn't do!).  I'm also a bit afraid to use new products on myself, just like how I'm often afraid to try foods I've never eaten before, due to allergic reactions.  Going through a year of allergic reactions and medical issues will make a person phobic--and I've pretty much become that.  I'm a lot better than I was last year (last year was the worst!), but I'm more cautious than phobic now.
Anywho (I'm getting off topic!), I decided to finally do something about my dry cuticles.  Taking pictures of your hands makes you even more self-conscious when editing them and you see all the nasty rough patches.  I went to Longs/CVS and scoped out my choices and, boy, were there a lot!  I didn't know what to get.  I knew Sally Hansen carried a good amount of nail care (not just polish) items so I started and ended there.  I had seen The Beauty Department put the pen cuticle oil on their list of nail necessities, but I decided, instead, to get the more inconvenient bottle.  I picked up the Sally Hansen VitaSurge Cuticle Gel due to it having vitamin C in it; that's what basically sold me.  I've been using a vitamin c based lotion since last November and it's done wonders for my dark spots so I figured, what the heck.  I've been using this product for only about two weeks, but there's a definite improvement in my cuticles!  However, I do notice that if I don't do it often, my hands dry out really fast and they come back. DX  I've also made it a point to do a routine exfoliation after a manicure (about twice a week) and to frequently use my hand lotion--especially at work.  Doing this routine really makes it feel like I'm pampering myself...especially the hand scrub.  It's amazing!

Routine:

1. True Blue Spa Sugar Hand Scrub
2. True Blue Spa Paraffin Super Softening Hand Lotion
3. Sally Hansen VitaSurge Cuticle Gel