Most people who think they know all about dry skin, chapped skin, chafing, redness and other signs of skin dehydration really don't. Take this quiz to make sure you know who your skin's enemies are.

The answers are located at the end of the quiz.

1. What is *not* one of the three most common skin types?

a.) Moist

b.) Normal

c.) Dry

d.) Oily

2. What is "combination skin"?

a.) Oily to dry

b.) Normal to dry

c.) Oily to moist

d.) Normal to moist

3. Which of the following is not one of the most common locations of dry skin?

a.) Lower legs

b.) Arms

c.) Thighs

d.) Tummy (front of abdomen)

4. Scaling is a symptom of dry skin that is also most commonly called what?

a.) Chafing

b.) Flaking

c.) Cracked skin

d.) Rough skin

5. Which of the following are worst for dry skin in winter (also called "winter itch")?

a.) Fireplaces

b.) Space heaters

c.) Radiators

d.) Forced-air furnaces

6. The best skin lotions for winter itch are:

a.) Thick and greasy

b.) Light and smooth

c.) Watery and clay-textured

d.) Spray on

7. In order to avoid chafing when drying off, you should:

a.) Only dry lightly; do not dry off all moisture

b.) Dry thoroughly, but pat yourself dry rather than rubbing

c.) Allow as much of the water to evaporate as possible rather than towel-drying most of it off

d.) Dry thoroughly and vigorously to dry as fast as possible


Answers:

1.
a. moist. The most common types of skin are dry, oily, and normal. Knowing your own skin type, you can find out the bath and body lotions that will work best at moisturizing your skin.

2.
c. normal to dry. Combination skin means that you have to use a product that moisturizes your skin without being so strong that it can make your skin oily.

3.
d. tummy. According to Medline Plus, the most common areas of your body to suffer dry skin are the arms, lower legs, thighs and flanks (sides of abdomen).

4.
b. flaking. According to Medline Plus, scaling, also called flaking, is "visible peeling or flaking of outer skin layers." Some of the worst sources of scaling are psoriasis, lichen planus, and athlete's foot.

5.
d. forced-air furnaces. According to Medline Plus, dry skin is often caused by the sudden switch from cold to warm air, and in particular the warm dry air of forced-air furnaces.

6.
a. thick and greasy. According to Medline Plus, thick and greasy lotions really do the best job of holding moisture into your skin.

7.
b. pat, don't rub. You have to dry off thoroughly to prevent losing skin moisture through evaporation, but rubbing the towel against your skin will damage your epidermis.