You've probably heard that (kinda hackneyed) phrase: "Life's a bumpy ride." But that saying is meant to be taken figuratively, not literally. As hard as you try to keep your skin velvety smooth, it's pretty much a given that somewhere along the road you're going hit a rough patch.

Sure, maybe your arms are baby soft, but what about your heels? Guessing those might be in desperate need of a pumice stone rub. Or your knees? Are they mini-skirt ready? And then there are areas you didn't even know needed extra attention ... like behind your ears. Yup, that often forgotten area is a prime zone for dry, cracked skin.

But before you start feeling more reptile than human, we've gathered the best tips and tricks for warding off those annoying rough patches that keep you from having the smoothest skin of your life.

So instead of forgoing sandals because you're embarrassed by your cracked heels or just accepting that your elbows will always be Sahara desert dry, keep clicking for the cures.

Why is it that even if you have perfectly soft skin all over, your elbows still manage to feel like an elephant's back? The key is to use a really heavy-duty moisturizer like Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Skin Protectant. This stuff's street name should be "Vaseline on Steroids." It's made for use all over your body, but it works best on your dry elbows. For extra-soft effects, use right after you hop out of the shower, when your skin's still damp. The lotion traps the moisture, amping up the hydrating effects.

A quick and easy tip: If you work in front of a computer all day, you're probably resting your elbows on a hard surface for hours. It may sound simple, but always keep a cardigan on hand to give your bare elbows a break.

Gross fact of the day: Many of us have up to 80 layers of accumulated dead skin on our feet. Ew. That's, like, 79 too many. If your dry, cracked heels are so bad you're embarrassed to go barefoot, try this genius solution that beauty editors everywhere are obsessing over: Baby Foot Exfoliate Peel. Each exfoliate peel box contains gel-filled booties that you wear for one hour. Then you take off the socks, and your dead skin falls off � like a snake shedding its skin. Yeah, the process is kind of gnarly, but the results are fabulous.

If the exfoliate peel treatment sounds a little too intense for you, try something less invasive, like Margaret Dabbs Foot Oil. Simply spray on the oil and massage into your feet. It'll cure your heel callouses on contact. Also, if you live in a warm climate, try to avoid wearing sandals every day of the week. Switch 'em out on occasion for a pair of flats that protect your heels.

Knees are another one of those needy, high-maintenance areas that require special attention. Your knees can get dark and rough because of a buildup of dead skin cells, and while drowning them in a bottle of lotion may be your first course of action, it's just a Band-Aid solution.

Instead, try a scrub like Bliss Hot Salt Scrub. You can use it all over, but focus on your knees. This self-heating gel warms up as you massage it in, and the combo of heated glycerin and sea salt grains work to slough off dead skin, leaving your knees supple and soft.

Also, you've probably heard your mom say a million times as a kid, "Don't sit on your knees," but it's actually good advice. Being mindful of when you're sitting on your knees will keep them smooth and softer longer.

You may not think about it, but the skin underneath your wedding ring (or any ring you wear every single day) is highly susceptible to getting dry, rough, and itchy. Every time you wash your hands with your ring on, water can get trapped underneath, causing irritation.

Apply an emollient cream like Avene Trixera Emollient Balm to your ring finger, and it'll clear up the redness in a day. You can avoid having to treat this area at all by remembering to take off your rings every time you wash your hands.