Ever wonder how something like a shower -- an activity that entails water constantly running over your body -- can leave you with dry, itchy skin? Well, it turns out there are several mistakes that many of us make while lathering up that rob our skin of its naturally hydrating oils.

But just how many of these shower sins are you committing? Read on to discover how everything from the way you dry off to the order in which you wash your body can deprive you of soft skin.

Here's news that brings new meaning to the term hot mess: Showering with scorching water can strip your skin of nourishing oils, leaving you with dry, flaky skin. Rather than indulging in a hot, steamy shower, opt for warm water temperatures, which preserve natural oils while still opening up pores and cuticles.

In our rush to get ready in the morning, we're guilty of vigorously rubbing our skin and hair dry with a towel. In the process, we can irritate skin and cause fragile, wet strands to break. Avoid these bath-time blunders by gently patting yourself dry with a towel and gingerly squeezing excess water from your hair. Sure, it might add a few more minutes to your morning ritual, but it will save you loads of time in terms of dealing with scaly skin and damaged hair. So go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back while you pat yourself dry for dutifully preserving healthy skin and hair.

Would you like to smell like a flower-filled meadow if it meant you had to have scaly skin? Yeah, we didn't think so. Along with sweets scents, fragrant soaps can leave behind flaky skin due to moisture-stripping, sulfate-heavy formulas. Instead, try reaching for a hydrating oil wash, like Skinfix's Cleansing Oil Wash. The product's combination of jojoba, grape seed and aloe leaf juice work to replenish rather than rob your body's natural oils.

Put down that shampoo bottle, ladies. While you may think you're ensuring a headful of healthy, shiny locks by lathering up every day, over-shampooing can strip your hair and scalp of hydrating oils. Live on the edge, and try going a few days without washing your hair. Just make sure things don't start to get funky. Dry shampoo can help with that, particularly if you suffer from a greasy head of hair.