Contact dermatitis normally shows up first as red, itchy dry skin. Additional exposure can lead to open sores.(posted 9269 days ago)The best thing to do, is to wear gloves. I suggest you DO NOT use latex gloves, but if you do, use unpowdered gloves. There are some serious latex allergies that can develop and cause serious problems. There have been some deaths attributed to latex allergies in the medical field.
I prefer Nitrile gloves. You can get them through an industrial safety supplier (check the Yellow Pages).
I do not suggest the use of barrier creams, as they have to be matched very closly with the hazard. Also they have to be reapplied as they wear off, and it is hard to tell when to do so. DO NOT use barrier creams AND gloves together.
For background, my profession is occupational safety and health.