For consistent use, I found a cream at a local fastener supply that I really like called Universal Protect from a company called Dreumex. It's designed as a pre-work protective cream and leaves a palpable coating on your hands that isn't greasy, increases grip and lasts. For cracked skin, the best thing is a balm I make myself, but there are alternatives (they're just more costly).
In a pinch, you can use a stick lip balm like Chap Stick for cracks. It will help them heal quickly, but it's not so great for coating your entire hands. Another emergency option is beeswax hair ointment which can be found at supermarkets and dollar stores, usually in the section with hair treatment products for people of African ethnicity.
My cracked skin problems started in the 1990s when I was running a coffee house in Poland and the only accepted disinfectant for cleaning was chlorine. That's nasty at best, and even nastier when your hands are constantly wet from washing throughout the day. Anyway, my skin would crack and bleed very often and none of the creams on the market helped. Out of desperation I tried a beeswax lip balm that was available there. It worked like magic. Cracks healed in a matter of days, and didn't come back. The downside was the cost. I have large hands (size XXL for most gloves) and using the balm as a protective coating got to be expensive. The recipe I came up with is a blend of beeswax and olive oil, heated up till the wax melts and mixed as it cools so it forms a thick balm at room temperature. I don't remember the proportions, but you could try 2 parts beeswax to one part olive oil, mix and cool, and test the mix. It should be thick enough to coat your hands, but not so thick that you have to press hard to apply it. Slightly thinner than Butcher's wax consistency is what you're aiming for.
In my opinion, that's the best that nature or science has to offer and I recommend it hands down.
