We all deal with dry facial skin every once in a while. And the hectic everyday life a Bengali lives in does itself no favours. The best way to tackle dry facial skin is to gently clean your face to remove dirt, excess oil, and then moisturising to help strengthen your skin. Here are some tips to guide you through this process.

Cleansing your face
Wet your face with some warm water. Take care to avoid hot water or anti-bacterial soaps as these rid the face of its natural oils. Look for a gentle, alcohol-free cleanser and massage it around your face. Leave it on for a minute then rinse your face with warm water. Use a soft towel to wipe your face.

Moisturising your face
When it comes to moisturising, use a product that is designed for your skin type and provides sufficient moisturisation and UV protection for best results. Apply a facial moisturiser every day to keep your skin hydrated.

Prevent dry facial skin problems
It's really important to establish a good skin care routine and maintain it every day for the rest of your life. Some other tips to remember is that you should not use very hot water. In fact the colder it is the better; hot water can dry out your skin by stripping it of its natural oils, so it's best to use cold water to tighten cuticles and pores, which will prevent them from getting clogged.

Cold water can stop the dirt from getting into the pores in your skin and even the scalp. If you must use hot water though, keep the shower length to 10 minutes maximum.

Another helpful tip to keep out skin breakouts is to stick to ointments and creams when it comes to moisturizing products. These are less irritating than lotions. Try to find creams and ointments containing oils like olive or jojoba oil.

Other ingredients that work really well to prevent dry skin are shea butter, lactic acid, urea, hyaluronic acid, dimethicone, glycerin, lanolin, mineral oil and petrolatum. If you can, keep a small non-greasy cream with you and apply it every time you wash your hands.

As Bengalis, we use our hands while eating and dirt or food gets stuck under our nails. That can become a haven for bacteria so be sure to get all the dirt out when washing your hands.

Take care to use unscented cleansers or face washes. Scented products with antibacterial additives can be very harsh on the skin in cases of prolonged usage. Avoid using toners, peels or other products containing alcohol since it is very drying. While exfoliating, make sure you do not scrub too hard or too much as it is known to irritate and thicken the skin.