TOP 5 FOOT MOISTURIZING TIPS FOR MEN

1: Exfoliant and Moisturizer

Keeping your feet well moisturized should be part of your daily routine, just like your shower, but an occasional exfoliation will help to remove dead skin cells and smooth rough patches.

After -- or during -- your shower, rub the bottoms of your feet and heels with a pumice stone to remove dead skin and patchy spots, and follow up with a thick moisturizer. Don't have a pumice stone? Sandpaper will do the trick. A good exfoliation a few times a week -- don't overdo it -- can lessen the need for thick creams to heal calluses, dry heels and soles.

Sound like a lot of effort just for feet? Skip the pumice stone and pick up a foot cream that lists salicylic acid, lactic acid or urea in its ingredients -- these are all known to make skin smoother and are tough enough to handle even the thickest spots on feet in just one step.

2: Treat Cracked Heels

When feet get dry -- and we mean arid -- the heels can become cracked and may even develop fissures in severe cases. This super-dry skin is a condition known as xerosis. You're also upping your risk of cracked heels if your shoes don't fit properly -- anything that rubs on the heel can cause problems.

Aside from looking unpleasant, cracks and fissures in your heels pose a health concern if you don't treat them. They're an open invitation for bacteria to invade, causing potentially life-threatening infections. Regularly slathering on foot cream can help prevent -- and treat -- cracked heels.

3: Prevent Blisters

If you're a runner or if you spend a lot of time walking or hiking, you have additional foot considerations, such as blister prevention. Blisters can become a problem if there's friction in your shoes (make sure both your socks and shoes fit properly), and the problem can worsen with sweat and heat.

While a powder can help reduce the sweat factor, you'll need a product to prevent blisters. Popular blister-preventing lubricants include petroleum jelly and stick-formatted products such as Body Glide. Apply them to your feet before running (or whatever your activity may be) to help prevent blisters from forming, and note the same lubricant can be used to temporarily ease the pain of a blister before you're able to treat it.

4: How to Moisturize Your Feet

Your feet will get the most out of a moisturizer if you use it just after washing them, preferably while they're still a little damp. Wash your feet in warm, not hot, water to avoid additional moisture loss from your skin -- a good tip for your whole body, not just your feet -- and use a moisturizer that's alcohol-free.

Take note: Be sure to keep the spots between your toes dry. Moisture between the toes, whether it's lotion or water left over from your shower, a swim or sweat, can attract bacteria, which increases your risk of developing fungal infections like athlete's foot (Athlete's foot is a fungal infection caused by a group of fungi called dermatophytes.

Dermatophytes are part of the normal flora living on your skin, but when they encounter a warm, humid place -- such as the damp spots between your toes -- they can begin to overgrow. Problems with dry skin and athlete's foot? Look for antifungal lotions instead of powders)

5: The Right Moisturizer: Does It Have to be Foot Cream?

There are a lot of moisturizing options, so do you have to use foot cream to soothe dry, cracked feet? Yes and no. If you want to buy one do-it-all moisturizer and use it on all your dry body parts (including your feet) you'll still be better off than not using any moisturizer at all.

 However, lotions, balms, creams and serums are often specially made with a specific skin area and type in mind. Eye creams, for example, will have ingredients that won't sting the delicate skin under the eyes. It's similar with foot creams. They tend to be thicker than body lotions, and many contain ingredients that can penetrate thick soles like other moisturizers can't.

TOP 5 HAND MOISTURIZING TIPS FOR MEN

1: Treat Calluses

Anyone who works with his hands or who can tear it up on the guitar knows the consequence --calluses. Calluses are nothing more than areas of skin that have thickened due to ongoing friction, but they can be painful, and they can be hard to get rid of once they form.

While treating a callus requires more than a good moisturizer, it's an important part of the process:

• Keep calluses covered (bandages, gloves, whatever works) to help to reduce friction
• Soften calluses by soaking your hand(s) in warm water
• Exfoliate thickened skin with a pumice stone
• Slather on thick moisturizing cream to help keep calluses supple and less prone to increased thickening and pain

If a callus is painful and doesn't begin to improve even with your self-care attempts, a visit to the doctor can easily take care of the condition.

2: Moisturize After Washing

You know that keeping your hands clean can help reduce the number of colds, flu and other infections you get, but all that hand washing can lead to dry, cracked hands. Don't forgo hand hygiene (lather up well and scrub for at least 20 seconds) in the name of softer skin -- instead, add a hand lotion to your washing routine.

Researchers in Germany found that moisturizer applied to hands immediately after washing them -- applying it to damp hands will help maximize how much water is sealed into skin -- and after every hand wash did have a noticeable impact on skin dryness in about two weeks. In fact, they noticed softer skin after just two days.

3: End Eczema

If you think dry skin is nothing to worry about, consider instead worrying about patches of red, inflamed skin on your hands called eczema. Eczema can be a chronic or allergic condition, but it can also appear on skin that's irritated, dehydrated or sensitive. What's worse is that treating it can be difficult.

Moisturizers can play an important role in preventing hand eczema as well as treating the condition before it progresses to the point that you'll need prescription medications. Look for moisturizers with ingredients that provide a barrier between your skin and the environment, such as jojoba or other oils, lanolin and petrolatum (petroleum jelly).

4: Prevent Skin Cancer

Frequent use of hand creams is key to keeping handssoft and smooth. If you're going to spend the time and money to do so, why not also protect your hands from damaging UV rays? The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that roughly 120,000 Americans will develop melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer, this year alone [source: American Academy of Dermatology].

If you spend any time outside -- whether it's for your job or while taking care of yard work -- it's important to be protected with a sunscreen, minimum SPF 15. Even something as seemingly innocuous as driving can increase your risk for developing skin cancer. Researchers have found that drivers have a higher rate of skin cancers of the head, neck, arms and, yes, hands than passengers.

5: Choose the Right Product

One walk down the aisle in your local store will clue you in that moisturizers aren't all the same. You have a lot of choices: Will it be fragrance-free, chemical-free or oil-free? And what's the best type of lotion for hands?

When it comes to buying hand moisturizers, look for thick creams made for specifically for hands instead of thin lotions intended for the whole body -- body lotion will work, just not as well. Moisturizers that contain ingredients such as oils and petrolatum (petroleum jelly) help seal water into your skin, while ingredients such as glycerin or alpha-hydroxy acids attract moisture from the air to your skin.

In addition to reading the ingredients list, don't forget a price check. Inexpensive moisturizing products often give you an equal or better result than their pricey counterparts, and they sometimes come in more economical sizes

HOW SHOULD MEN DEAL WITH SENSITIVE SKIN?

These days, men are expected to be more sensitive than ever. But while sensitivity of the heart and mind are desirable, sensitive skin is just a pain in the … well, skin.
Sensitive skin, in the context of this article, refers to skin that's prone to irritation. This can manifest as redness, burning, itching or dryness in reaction to changes in temperature and weather conditions, new skin-care or household products, stress or diet.

 Sometimes, these reactions can be a sign of a treatable dermatological condition and should be checked by a doctor. Eczema, psoriasis,rosacea and contact dermatitis are some of these conditions.
Sensitive skin can affect all parts of the body, but facial skin gets the most exposure to the elements, skin products and razor blades.

 Of all the skin on the body, facial skin also gets the most action as we push and pull it into expressions of amusement, curiosity, disappointment, surprise and sadness -- sometimes within the space of a few minutes. On the other hand, the skin on the rest of the body has to endure constant friction from clothing (unless you live in a particularly warm climate or are of the nudist persuasion), especially at the wrist, neck and waist, where clothing is the tightest, or where it rubs most, like at the elbows and knees.

Men's skin problems aren't very different from women's -- dry skin, acne and hives can happen to anybody -- but their skin is different in some ways. Men's skin is thicker (perhaps explaining their unwarranted reputation for being insensitive), tends to have larger pores and produces more oil [source: Goldman; Goins]. Ironically, producing more oil doesn't protect men from dry skin, which is more common in men than women [source: Goldman].

Despite these differences, pampering sensitive skin is the same for both sexes. Read on to find out what you can do to soothe and protect your sensitive skin.

THINGS THAT AGGRAVATE SENSITIVE SKIN

People don't usually cause themselves aggravation intentionally. Still, we can't always control everything in our lives. Many of us may have developed skin care habits, including using questionable skin-care products, that we forget to question, so it's important to learn how to recognize and minimize potential skin irritants.

Skin-care products are often to blame for sensitive skin conditions -- even ones marketed to sensitive skin can cause problems. If your skin is sensitive, you'd do best to avoid anything that contains perfume, alcohol, soap, antibacterial or deodorant ingredients, retinoids or alpha-hydroxy acids [source: WebMD]. Even some fabrics or fibers can irritate sensitive skin, especially wool. Choose cotton, silk, rayon and linen instead [source: WebMD].

Another sensitive-skin trigger is stress, which causes your body to release stress hormones and chemicals that worsen inflammation and make your already sensitive skin even more sensitive [source: American Academy of Dermatology]. Stress can also disrupt the skin's natural water barrier and impair its ability to repair itself [source: American Academy of Dermatology].

Too much sun exposure can damage the surface of the skin and aggravate sensitivities. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more when you're going to be out in the sun for longer than 15 minutes. In addition to sun, hot, dry air is a particular problem in the winter when many of us have the heater going all day long. Don't overheat your home, and use a humidifier during the winter, even in moister climates.

Heat from the sun and dry air are common culprits, but even hot water in the shower or bath can inflame the skin. Bathing too often can strip the skin of its natural protective oils, letting irritants in.
Smoking doesn't do anybody any favors, least of all those of us with sensitive skin. It bothers skin by drying out its top layer and introducing all kinds of toxins. If you need help quitting, here's a helpful Web site.
Now that you know what NOT to do, here are a few tips to help your sensitive skin heal. First, be sure you follow a good skin-care regimen that includes cleansing, moisturizing and applying sunscreen. Moisturize skin within three minutes of cleansing it.

Another key to lessening sensitivity is to shave in the shower, or just afterward, when your skin is well hydrated, hair is softened and pores are open. This makes shaving easier, as does letting shaving cream stay on your face for at least a minute. Using a sharp blade to shave helps minimize the number of potentially irritating strokes you need for proper hair removal [source: Gillette].

CHOOSING SKIN CARE PRODUCTS FOR MEN WITH SENSITIVE SKIN

Men's skin care products are a $227 million dollar industry in North America, and the market for these products is growing worldwide [source: Balfour]. It turns out that men enjoy pampering their skin with healing serums, lotions and creams.

For men with sensitive skin, remember that the goals of this burgeoning industry aren't necessarily compatible with your goal of minimizing skin problems. Pay no attention to the sophisticated ads for expensive product lines, and instead, learn how to choose products that will soothe and heal your skin. Good skin care doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming.

So how do you choose? Begin by looking for product lines that have been specially formulated for sensitive skin. And the fewer ingredients, the better. Also, try using only soap-free cleansers because soap can be irritating and drying to sensitive skin.

Another tip: Use only fragrance-free products. When fragrances mix with oxygen, they can become more volatile and cause skin reactions -- this also applies to scented household products [source: University of Gothenburg]. Natural products aren't necessarily better, either, since some natural fragrances and ingredients can be irritating. Natural ingredients that are considered safe and even soothing for sensitive skin include rose, lavender, chamomile, aloe and witch hazel [source: Scirrotto]. But even if a product contains ALL of these ingredients, always test it (see sidebar) before using it on your face or body.

When it comes to keeping your sensitive skin safe from the sun, keep in mind that many sunscreens use chemicals that can cause skin reactions. Look for one that contains only physical sunscreens like zinc oxide or titanium oxide [source: WebMD].

Once you've found the products that work for your skin, stick with them. If you find a particular cleanser that works for you, try other products in the same skin-care line. If you're tempted to try a new product, always test it thoroughly before adding it to your regimen

DIET AND LIFESTYLE TIPS FOR MEN WITH SENSITIVE SKIN

Skin-care products are just one aspect of healthy skin. Diet and exercise also play important roles in building healthy skin that can handle everyday stresses.

Inflammation is a key condition underlying sensitive skin. While drugs and topical ointments can temporarily treat the inflammation, changing your diet can minimize inflammation from the inside. An anti-inflammatory diet is rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, high quality protein from fish, chicken, eggs and nuts, as well as healthy fats from cold-water fish, olive oil, nuts and avocados.

 A variety of these foods will provide the right balance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein, omega-3s and monounsaturated fats to keep your skin in balance by helping the whole body function more smoothly. This inflammation-reducing diet will also supply plentiful amounts of B vitamins, which help reduce inflammation and increase skin turnover [source: Goldman; WebMD].

A pro-inflammatory diet -- a diet that promotes inflammation throughout your body and therefore in your skin -- contains a lot of processed foods. This diet will throw your sensitive skin into a temper tantrum, like a toddler who ate too much candy and will later crash and burn. Processed foods tend to have a lot more sugar, fat and salt in them than fresh foods.

They're also highly refined, meaning that they've been significantly transformed from the original food. Strangely, these foods tend to be white. They also tend to be soft and have few nutrients and very little fiber. White rice, white pasta, white bread, pastries and sweets, and white sugar are examples. If you're going to eat white foods, stick with white fruits and vegetables like cauliflower, parsnips, apples, jicama, potatoes (with their skins), onions and garlic.

Exercise is important to pump up blood flow to the skin, relieve stress and detoxify the body. Since the blood carries nutrients throughout your body, the better your blood flow, the more nutrients your skin gets. Better blood flow also brings more nourishing oxygen to the skin and increases collagen production, which helps plump up the skin.

 Using exercise to shake off the unproductive meeting you had at work or to think through the argument you had with your significant other will help control the damaging hormones that are released when you're under stress. Getting a good sweat going also helps your skin get rid of toxins that would otherwise accumulate and cause flare-ups. Just remember to stay hydrated to replace the water that you lose in your sweat [source: Bouchez]

HOW SHOULD MEN DEAL WITH OILY SKIN?

There's a big difference between oily skin and well-moisturized skin. One looks supple and kissable. The other looks like a mini oil slick took up residence on your face, especially around your nose, forehead and chin (also known as the T-zone). To tame the ooze and give yourself a healthier exterior, there are some things you should know about skin in general and oily skin in particular.

Oily skin isn't the result of yesterday's greasy burger. It can occur and persist for a number of reasons. Oil glands in your body produce a compound called sebum. When you produce too much sebum, it can clog your pores (the small openings in your skin) and create problems like acne.

The term "blemish" sounds too dainty to describe those upheavals that can cause redness, swelling and significant localized discomfort. If you leave acne alone, it may linger for weeks or months. If you go the do-it-yourself route and attack individual pimples by squeezing them, they can become infected and leave deep, permanent scars.

If you're a big oil producer, just keeping your skin clean may not be enough to avoid blemishes. That's the bad news. The good news is that you can attack the problem from a number of different angles. Before you start blaming your genes for that date-night zit the size of a beach ball, let's learn a little more about some important factors that can contribute to oily skin.

FINDING THE SOURCE OF OILY SKIN

You have more oil glands in your T-zone -- the area that extends across your forehead, down your nose and includes your chin -- than in other places on your body. If your skin is oily, you'll notice a sheen, occasional blemishes and even full blown acne in these areas. It's easy to think of the oil produced by your skin as the enemy, but you'd be in much worse shape without it.

It helps to keep your skin protected from the elements and is important for maintaining a healthy acid balance, a pH range that keeps most types of damaging bacteria under control. When you produce too much of a good thing, though, there may be a combination of factors involved:

• Heredity - If your parents or siblings have had problems with oily skin, you probably will, too. The amount of sebum secreted by your oil glands is a factor of heredity. The mechanism at work is a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that your body produces naturally. Too much DHT, and your skin will have difficulty handling the excess.
• Puberty - Increased levels of DHT and other hormones occur in both boys and girls during puberty and may continue into early adulthood. Your bouts with oily skin will become less frequent as you get older, and even though this may seem like cold comfort now, at least you're not suffering alone. Skin problems in teenagers are very common, and there are some effective treatments we'll get to in a minute.
• Diet - It can be reassuring to think if you lay off french fries for a couple of weeks, your discipline will lead to a glowing, smooth complexion. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. There isn't much support for the notion that a diet high in greasy foods leads to oily skin. Controlling your fat and sugar intake and eating lots of vegetables is good for whole body health, though, which will have a favorable impact on the health of your skin over time, but maybe not in the area of reducing oiliness and blemishes.
• Cleanliness - Keeping your skin clean is important, but it may be more challenging than you realize. If you have oily skin that's dirty, too, you're asking for more trouble than your poor face can handle. On the other hand, if you use harsh cleansers that disturb the protective acid mantle on your skin, you're doing yourself more harm than good. You could increase levels of bacteria that might lead to infection, or cause redness, flaking skin, dry patches or roughness -- all without solving the problem. You could also cause enough of a disturbance to encourage your skin to start producing even more oil in response. The trick is to find products that help clean your skin without exacerbating existing problems or causing new ones.

Although the items listed above are biggies when it comes to causing oily skin, there may be other contributing factors, too. You skin is the largest organ in your body -- well, on your body. It's affected by almost everything you do. Sun exposure, stress, smoking, drinking and not getting enough sleep may all contribute to oily skin problems.

Before you decide you can't have nice skin and a normal life, too, consider moderation and a common sense approach to skin care. Wear sunscreen, clean your skin regularly with a mild cleanser and explore some products and approaches that will remove excess oil gently.

CHOOSING SKIN CARE PRODUCTS FOR MEN WITH OILY SKIN

If it's hard to see yourself as the kind of guy who invests precious minutes twice a day on skin care, consider it insurance. Healthy skin looks younger longer. When you factor in shaving and all those sun worshipping activities you fill your weekends with, doesn't your skin deserve a little pampering? Don't wait until you're 40 to decide you should have done something about getting your skin into better shape. You probably already know acne isn't remotely sexy. Acne scarswon't do much for you, either, and they can be permanent.

There are products on the market today that approach the problem of oily skin in different ways. Some require a prescription while others are over-the-counter easy:

• Avoid harsh soap - If you think that a bar of soap is your best daily grooming friend, guess again. Most soaps strip your skin of natural fatty oils, and although this may sound good, over time, it causes skin damage and more problems than it solves. If you have to use soap on your face, opt for a mild, glycerin-based variety.
• Try oil absorbing preparations -Mud and clay masks can be very effective in reducing oil deep inside pores without causing the drying damage of regular soap use. You can also buy topical preparations designed to soak up excess oil, like spot treatments containing salicylic acid or benzyol peroxide. Spot treatments work best if you have just one or two problem areas, like around your nose or on your forehead. For more generalized treatment, look for products that contain alcohol, but use them in moderation. Skin astringents can help, too.
• Increase cell turnover - Topical retinoids (Trans-retinoic acid), are derived from vitamin A and stimulate the growth of skin cells. High oil production causes skin problems when oil, dead cells and dirt block up pores. Faster cell turnover keeps dead skin from contributing to blockages, keeping pores clear and reducing the number of clogs. The most well-known product sold in this category is Retin-A, but similar preparations are prescribed under the names Avita, Renova, Differin and Tazorac. One non-prescription option is Afirm. Skin care experts recommend using topical retinoids only in moderation. Major side effects to this treatment are increased sun sensitivity, dryness, irritation and flaky skin.
• Exfoliate your skin - Because a major complication of oily skin is clogged pores, anything that helps keep them open limits the opportunity for blemishes like whiteheads, blackheads and acne to develop. You can use an oatmeal scrub to maintain cleaner pores, but if you have major oily skin problems, using an exfoliating cream or chemical peel may be the answer. Creams that use glycolic acid or alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), loosen dead skin cells and make it easier to wash them away with regular cleaning. Because glycolic acid can be hard on your skin, though, it's usually sold as part of a skin care regimen that includes a heavy-duty moisturizer to protect and condition your skin after treatment.
• Use a moisturizer - People make the mistake of thinking that oily skin is naturally moist, but it isn't. Your skin needs more than just oil to stay supple and healthy looking. Although the oil on your skin helps trap moisture inside, if your skin is naturally dry, you could be producing too much oil and still be aging prematurely. Using moisturizer will help you balance any overly drying treatments you may be using, too.

Oily skin isn't fatal, but it can be embarrassing and set you up for repeated bouts of acne -- or worse. Most over-the-counter preparations are less concentrated than their prescription counterparts, and you may be on the right track with one of the methods above but just need something stronger. But, if you've tried one without success, consider visiting a day spa for a professional skin evaluation or consult a dermatologist.

5 SKIN CARE TIPS FOR MEN WITH DRY SKIN

1: No Dozing in the Shower

Most people start -- or end -- the day with a nice, long shower, or even a bath if there's time. It's a great way to relax, and it washes grease and grime off your body. But as you strip away those oils, you also remove a very important protective layer that helps prevent moisture from escaping through your skin.

If you can cut out tub baths entirely, doing so will improve your dry skin. You can also help improve your skin's condition by shortening your showers to just a few minutes and cutting back on the hot water. And be aware that soap dries out your skin. Try to avoid using soap unnecessary, such as soaping and scrubbing the backs of your calves after spending a leisurely winter's day inside reading. If you haven't broken a sweat since the last time you bathed, you can skip the shower entirely.

Another way to help your skin is to look for mild cleansers without any perfumes, and skip the heavy-duty soaps and strong antibacterial rinses. The stronger soaps are for people with more skin oil than they know what to do with, and you're not one of them. By following these tips, your skin can become what you most want it to be -- something you never have to think about.

2: Avoid Winter Woes

Even people with oily skin may have to deal with dryness during winter, especially if they spend much time outdoors. When temperatures plunge and winter winds whip up, skin -- and its ability to retain moisture -- takes a beating. During the winter months, the air is less humid than during other times of the year. In this way, the world is literally sucking the moisture out of your skin. Stopping that is no easy feat.

However, there are steps you can take to maintain healthy skin in the winter: stay hydrated. Give your skin its own chance to replace moisture lost to evaporation. Avoid being out in the elements when possible. When outside, protect your face, hands and any other exposed skin from the cold weather. Gently wash and moisturize your face once a day, and remoisturize later in the day. Look for an oil-based moisturizer that helps your skin seal in its existing moisture. These simple steps will help give your skin relief until spring rolls back around.

3: Don't Smoke

If you leave a trail of skin flakes wherever you go, you may want to limit your exposure to cigarette smoke. If you're a smoker and you need another reason to quit, here it is: Smoking is not only going to prematurely age your skin, it's also likely worsening or even outright causing its dryness.

When you're a smoker, your face spends a lot of time in contact with smoke. Just like the inside of a chimney darkens in due time, your face is going to begin showing signs of the near-constant presence of tobacco smoke, as will your hands.

 Smoking damages and dries out the skin. In addition to the dryness caused by the smoke, particles and pollutants in the smoke will settle on your skin and form a residue. In time, this residue will result in blocked pores, discoloration and generally unhealthy-looking skin. We don't need to cover all the reasons smoking's bad for you, but if your dry skin's driving you crazy -- or if you just want to look your best -- that's all the reason you need to kick the habit for good.

4: Wet, then Moisturize

Dry skin usually appears on the abdomen, arms, legs, hands or feet, but it's also common on the face, where it creates a sensation of tightness. While dry skin shouldn't be any reason for alarm, it can cause a minor revolution among your skin cells if it's left unchecked.

Dry skin occurs when skin cells that are near or past the end of their cellular lives clump together, creating tiny scales. The rest of your skin doesn't like this, especially since these scales leave spaces between them that can easily be breached by allergens, bacteria or viruses. The rest of the skin may suffer, either from contact with an allergen or from an immune-system response to the excessively dry skin. The immune-system response may lead to swelling and inflammation. This is dermatitis.

As we mentioned earlier, you can prevent dry skin by using moisturizer. However, moisturizer can actually cause problems if you don't wet your face first. Many moisturizers are occlusive, meaning they form a layer on your skin that keeps moisture from getting out. But if there's little moisture in the skin to begin with, you're just trapping in the dryness, so to speak. Always splash a little water on your face so the moisturizer will have something to seal in.

5: Use Moisturizer

Your skin has its own natural moisturizer, or at least it should. The surface of your skin produces a mix of lipids, oils and dead skin cells that come together to form a handy, protective layer. Most people need towash this layer off, lest it continue building up into an oily mess that wreaks havoc on their pores, not to mention their dating success.

Various health conditions (such as diabetes or kidney problems) can cause excessively dry skin, but more often genetics is to blame. Not everyone's skin produces lots of protective oil, and daily washing strips off what oil there is in the first place.

Moisturizer isn't terribly manly, but neither is complaining about dry skin. While some men only dampen their faces with tears of joy when watching the stirring finale of a monster-truck rally, moisturizer really can go a long way in giving the skin a healthier appearance. And when it comes to preventing dry, cracked skin, it's your first line of defense.

When it comes to moisturizer, some products are watery, some are oily and there's practically no limit to what ingredients they may contain. Try a few out to find one that works for you. Start with something simple and greasy, with a short list of ingredients. Through trial and error, you'll find one that keeps the itching and discomfort at bay.

5 SKIN CARE TIPS FOR MEN WITH ROUGH SKIN

1: Stress Less

The skin care regimen you follow and products you use can get you only so far. You also need to consider a holistic approach to keeping your skin smooth. In fact, did you know that when it comes to skin challenges, such as eczema, stress can bring on flare-ups?

So to make sure that you don't sabotage your other skin care efforts, put stress management at the top of your list. This may seem daunting considering just how many stressors we have coming our way daily, but it's certainly possible.

To curb the stress in your life, the first thing you need to do is put a name to it! Do you feel pressure from family issues, health concerns or your job? By identifying your stress, you can then determine if there are authentic steps you can take to mitigate it.

That said, some things may not be able to be changed. In those instances, add some healthy coping techniques to your life. For example, try meditating, getting physically active, playing or listening to music, practicing yoga and connecting with friends and family in social settings. Practicing these coping mechanisms will help your inner peace visibly shine through in the form of healthier skin.

2: Keep Irritants at Bay

All the moisturizer in the world may not be enough to protect your skin from the products and chemicals you can encounter on a daily basis -- either from your own home or on the job. In fact, exposure to household chemicals, especially exposure involving sensitive skin, can lead to a rash, swelling or redness.

Therefore, proceed with caution [source: WebMD]. Follow these steps to protect your skin when working with different chemical products:

• Keep your eyes open! Watch for warning labels, such as "danger" or "use in a well-ventilated area." Always read the labels on products and follow directions.
• Do not mix products together.
• Cover up with gloves or a long-sleeve shirt.
• Wash your skin after using a chemical product.
• Avoid hazardous chemicals completely, if you can. Why not give good old-fashioned baking soda a try instead?

3: Practice Product Prudence

When it comes to your products, what works for your sweetheart might not work for you. Although you don't have to go fancy, if you have different skin types, skin care options may be something you can't share.

Earlier, you learned what to look for in your moisturizers, but what about cleansers for rough skin? First, when it comes to facial and body cleansers, go with a liquid option over a bar, which can be tough on your skin. Second, shy away from added ingredients not well-suited to rough skin, such as alcohols, antibacterial detergents and deodorants. Instead, look for added fats and oils.

If your face and body are similar in skin type, try going double-duty and use the same product for both. And just as you can go with less-expensive options for your moisturizer, seek an affordable selection.

If you find that your skin care regimen just isn't taking care of your skin issues, you may want to consider some over-the-counter helpers. For example, creams with urea or cortisone cream for itchiness control can help sooth rough skin [source: Skinsight].

4: Wash Wisely

Do childhood nightmares of being known as the "stinky kid" have you scrubbing your skin off every day? If so, you need to wash more wisely to help your rough skin. Watch your method and your frequency.

As enticing as a steaming hot shower might be, stick with a milder water temperature. And keep your time under the water's spray at less than 15 minutes.

Also rethink how many times you put soap to skin. Sensitive facial skin needs to be washed just once a day [source: American Academy of Dermatology]. Underarms and genital areas need soaping every day, but most folks can clean the other areas of their body just two to three times each week [source: FamilyDoctor.org].

When it comes to your hands, though, the best way to stop the spread of infections, such as influenza, is to wash your hands after you use the restroom -- every time. So wash away, but be sure to moisturize your hands afterward.

5: Make the Most of Your Moisture

Just as you can't count on your pull-up bar or running shoes to make you physically fit without putting in the work on your own, you can't rely on your natural oils to keep roughness at bay. You have to put in the work -- moisturizing. And your skin's natural oils and yourmoisturizer have to work together.

Your skin has a nice coating of lipids -- basically fatty, oily substances -- that help keep it moist. When something strips that layer of lipids away, dry skin is the result. However, you can keep your skin's moisture intact by basically gluing it to yourself with the help of a moisturizer.

Your first step is getting your hands on a moisturizer that works for you. Head to your local drugstore, where you'll find plenty of economical options. You need a moisturizer that will help your rough skin, so go with a nice thick option without added alcohol or perfumes. Check for rough-skin-friendly ingredients, such as petroleum, glycerin and lanolin [source: Northwestern Memorial Hospital].

Your second step is actually using the moisturizer. Don't be bashful! Slather it on three to four times each day, including right after you shower and when you wash your hands.

Sandpaper may be great for refinishing a piece of furniture or smoothing out a patch job on a wall, but it's not something you'd want to be compared to your skin. Rough, dry skin is in no way a handy thing to keep around. It can be more than just frustrating with its redness, flaking, tightness, pain or itchiness. It can also be embarrassing, something that makes you tuck your hands in your pockets or hide those body parts more prone to roughness -- say, the front of your legs, arms and even your midsection [source:Skinsight].

That said, dryness is not the only cause of rough skin [sources: News in Health, Mayo Clinic, FamilyDoctor.org]. Several other medical challenges also comprise the rough skin category, such as:

• Psoriasis: Known for causing irritated and red skin, this condition is caused by an overactive immune system. Manifestations commonly appear on the feet, palms, back, face, scalp, knees and elbows.
• Keratosis pilaris: This skin condition causes small bumps and rough spots on thighs, arms and buttocks. Although not a serious condition or harmful, it does affect the skin's appearance.
• Eczema: Eczema is an umbrella term for skin conditions that cause rashes. Atopic dermatitis, which is a rash caused by an allergen, is a common form of eczema. Symptoms include inflammation, redness and itchiness.
• Regardless of the cause, there are self-care measures you can take to manage your rough skin -- or get rid of it completely. Read on to learn five skin care tips for men with rough skin.