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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. If you want to alleviate your dry face and skin, you'll have to make sure that you are following a proper dry skin care routine.

If you thought dry skin care was just about moisturizing, you could be mistaken. Dry skin has a lot to do with adopting habits that can help maintain your skin hydrated. Here are a few things you should do to soothe your skin.

Choosing the Right Type of Product

The type of products you should use if you have regular dry skin or really dry skin are very different. If you have the first type of skin, you should use a creamy moisturizer. However, if you have extremely dry skin, try mineral oil or even an edible, non-comedogenic oil (e.g. olive oil).

Modifying your Daily 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. Before purchasing your skin care products, make sure that they are both alcohol and fragrance free.

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

After having cleansed, exfoliate your skin with a gentle product. Be a bit daring and try making your own exfoliant by mixing oatmeal and honey or grapefruit juice. The oatmeal will soothe your skin while the honey or juice will help slough off dead skin cells.

Finally, apply the appropriate moisturizer for your degree of dry skin. If, during the day, your skin begins to feel tight or itchy during you can 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 are a great way to relieve stress, but detrimental for dry skin. Hot water strips your skin of natural oils. Therefore, take shorter showers with warm water.

Moisturize your skin (entire body) 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. When water evaporates from your skin, some of your skin's natural moisture also goes with it.