as the weather gets colder my face gets so dry..is there anything I can do to exfoliate because using moisturizer alone doesn't seem to do the trick.

please help!

you can use sugar or mix your face wash with some baking soda

Try using a non-water based moisturiser as it will dry up your skin even more in the cold. I get 'cold-rash' which looks red and dry and awful, and I've been using a waxy/greasy moisturiser (from a pharmacy) and it helps. I think exfoliating your skin hard will only irritate it further.

yes, it is red and raw looking and flakes...i dont understand..in the summer my skin is great but this climate...yuck! anyway, I rarely put any kind of moisturizer on my skin and find oil based one's really heavy...I wonder if there is a happy medium.

I've got seriously awful, problem skin , and I live in a cold climate. The moisturizer that I think is just amazing is by Aveda
>http://www.aveda.com/products/product.asp?ITEM=21305

I bought a tube last year and am only about 1/2 through it. It's oilfree, but has aloe in it, so it keeps your skin moist, even when the weather is cold (it snows -plenty- where I live and I was outside quite a bit last winter!) Plus, it's alcohol and fragrance free (which is a plus, if you're like me and all the sins of your past life are being avenged through your complexion.)

I totally recommend it.

....ok...I'm rereading your post...maybe the sugar mixed with honey (and a little water)? Both the honey and the sugar will help moisturize your skin, the honey will soothe the itchiness and help melt the sugar so it's not so scratchy.

Also -- maybe you could switch face soaps to something a little more mild? My dermo (with the skin of an angel) swears by Cetaphil, and Purpose is very good too (they are both soap-free.)


eta: they say to use and rinse, but you can also use a teeny amount (like about size of a bean) on your face to leave on.

Found this...>http://www.kalmaderm.com/eczema-treatment.htm
Also, read some other stuff about protecting your child's skin during cold weather and it said; avoid water based creams!' I know, some of the greasy ones feel like vaselin on your face and are disgusting, but I know I had one once that didn't, just can't remember the name of it!!! I'd go and talk to a pharmacist about it if I was you. Specialists/dermatologists can be expensive (if you have to pay for them where you live, that is). It's quite an awful thing to be suffering from, as you can't cover it up in any way. Foundation/powder doesn't work as it just makes it look worse because of the flakiness!!! Good luck with the creams and hope you find one that helps you!

I have really dry skin too, but I'm prone to short break-outs. My favorite skin tip, which I tell at any given chance:

Mix equal parts olive oil and honey with ground regular oatmeal. Put in a splash of apple cider vinegar. Rub it on, leave on for a few minutes, then rinse. (I mix about 1/2 cup at a time and keep it in the fridge in a yogurt container. Heat in the microwave for a few seconds before using.) It cleans your pores, gets rid of red bumps on the tops of arms, and moisturizes, all at the same time!

If you want to shell out $$$, go to DHC website. All of their products are incredible- and made with olive oil.

A good greasy-type is the Neutrogena hand cream, designed for Norwegian fisherman out on the cold seas!

I remember my mom had it when I was growing up, so I don't know the exact name, but it was like petroleum jelly.

Also, I wouldn't recommend exfoliation - that will just leave the baby skin cells out to get hurt by the weather, and the cycle will keep repeating itself. I'd stick to treating the skin you've got, and leaving that nasty outer layer on until the skin underneath is ready. But if you've got a special occasion, then go for it.

thixle: is it one part oatmeal too?

Just add enough oatmeal to make a paste... hehehe it's not an exact science. Don't worry, if it sticks to you, you've got it right.

If you have health coverage or live in a country like Canada (like me) get a referral to a dermatologist!

After a year and a half of having occasional scaly red spots on my face I got advice and cream from my dermatologist that fixed the problem. Plus I had a scetchy mole removed.

It was worth the 6 month wait for my appointment!

EmmaK

I've used a cream called Repair... dunno if you can get it where you live, but it's truly magical. You only need a tiny bit, it lasts forever. I have very allergic skin, which gets worse when dry, and this stuff soothes it, and yep, repairs!

I get flaky dry spots on my forehead in the winter. The best skin routine I've found is just soap and water on a facecloth. The facecloth does a good job exfoliating the dry skin flakes and I use dove soap with moisturizer. You might want to do a moisturizer/SPF cream after that as well.