Perhaps your skin has been feeling rough and thickened lately. Or maybe it's especially itchy, particularly if the weather has turned colder outside. These itchy spots may be more evident on your hands, arms, legs or face. You scratch and scratch, only making the area more red and now flaky with dead skin. Yet the problem persists. The bottoms of your feet, even your belly, may be itchy. The most likely cause of all of the above: dry skin.

Not all skin conditions are alike. Some are much more severe than others, requiring the skill of a dermatologist to diagnose eczema, rosacea, ichthyosis or other medical conditions. Keep in mind that dry skin not only feels uncomfortable, but it also shrivels up your once-plump skin cells and creates wrinkles, just like a grape losing its moisture turns into a wrinkled raisin.

Should you look into the mirror and find dull, limp skin on your face, then it's time to eliminate all the dead tissue which have become layered on your face and exfoliate the skin to create the youthful fresh layer beneath to the top.

But don't forget, you have to exfoliate, although not to overdo it because over scrubbing will aggravate the problem and disrupt the skin complexion. Exfoliation can be achieved with commercial scrubs easily accessible and available in shops. But do-it-yourself face scrubs are not only seen to be a normal practice, but are cheap, environment-friendly and above all, make the skin rosy, fresh, youthful and healthy.