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If you've ever had dry skin, then you know how much it can itch and feel irritated. Cold weather can make it worse, but even humid weather can be bothersome. To alleviate your dry face and skin, make sure that you are following the proper dry skin care routine.

Dry skin care is not just about moisturizing, however. Dry skin has a lot to do with whether or not you are maintaining habits that can help or discourage proper skin moisture. Here's what you should do to soothe your skin.

Choosing the Right Type of Product

There is a difference in the type of product you should use if you have regular dry skin or really dry skin. If you have the first type of skin, you can use a creamy moisturizer on a daily basis. However, if you're trying to treat extremely dry skin, then you should attempt using a mineral oil or even a non-comedogenic oil like olive oil.

Modifying your Cleansing Routine

If you don't have the right dry skin care routine you'll begin to notice that your skin feels tight and itchy no matter how much moisturizer you use. As with any type of skin, you will need to cleanse, tone, exfoliate, and moisturize. When choosing your skin care products, make sure that they are alcohol and fragrance free.

Cleanse with a cream or oil product; avoid using a soapy cleanser. If you clean your skin using soap and water it will become irritated and dry. However, if you use a cream cleanser you can clean your skin without stripping away its natural oils.

Next, exfoliate your skin with a gentle product. Experiment a bit and try making your own exfoliant by mixing oatmeal and honey or grapefruit juice. The oatmeal will help soothe your skin while the honey or juice will help remove dead skin cells.

The last step of this skin care routine involves applying the appropriate moisturizer for your degree of dry skin. If your skin feels tight or itchy during the day, you can freely reapply your moisturizer as needed.

Daily Skin Care Habits

If you still feel that your moisturizer is not relieving the dryness of your skin, maybe there are some daily habits you should modify. Let's take a look at one of the things that may be aggravating your dry skin.

Long showers can help you unwind after a crazy day at work, but they can also make your dry skin worse. Hot water can strip your skin of natural oils so keep showers short and make sure to use warm water.

Moisturize as soon as you get out of the shower to lock moisture to your skin. If this is not possible, dry off as much as possible because when water evaporates from your skin it will take your body's natural moisture with it.