Dry vs Dehydrated Skin: How To Tell The Difference
The concept of dry vs dehydrated skin is one I’m asked about a lot. At first glance, dry and dehydrated skin may seem like the same thing, but the terms are often misunderstood and misused in the skincare industry.
The key difference between dry and dehydrated skin is that dry skin is lacking in oil, and dehydrated skin is lacking in water. If you have dry skin, you’re likely to experience dehydration too, as this skin type is not very good at holding on to moisture. Oily skin has plenty of oil, so won’t experience dryness, but can be dehydrated. If your skin is combination then you could experience oiliness, dryness and dehydration all at once.
What Is Dry Skin?
Dry skin is one of the four main skin types alongside normal, oily and combination. Your skin type is predetermined by your genes and not related to your lifestyle or how you treat your skin. Within everyone’s skin there are sebaceous glands that create oil (also known as sebum) to keep our skin happy and healthy. This oil is made up of triglycerides, fatty acids, wax esters, squalene and cholesterol, and keeps our skin lubricated, elastic and waterproof. It also limits moisture loss. In dry skin, the sebaceous glands are underactive, meaning they don’t make enough oil. And with this oil in short supply, skin feels rough, tight, flaky and possibly itchy. It can be dull in appearance and lacking in vibrancy. As oil plays a key role in holding moisture in the skin, water evaporates quickly and leaves the skin dehydrated too. The result of this is taut, thirsty-feeling skin.
How Do You Know If You Have Dry Skin?
Roughness is one of the most obvious signs of dry skin. You may find that your skin feels uneven, or that it flakes, peels or even cracks. Makeup often looks patchy on dry skin and clings to the driest areas.
Itchiness occurs when dry skin is irritated or challenged by things like extreme temperature changes, hot baths and swimming.
Redness is common in dry skin, especially on the cheeks or chin. Extreme dry skin can cause stress and inflammation, which can lead to dermatitis and eczema.
Ashiness and a grey tinge to the skin is common due to a build-up of excess dead skin cells sitting on the surface of the skin. Dry skin clings onto these cells as a form of protection.
Irritation occurs easily in dry skin and often the skin struggles to absorb products too.
How Do You Fix Dry Skin?
Dry skin might be a long-term skin type, but treating dry skin in order to keep it comfortable is easy when you know how.
Swap foaming or stripping cleansers for balms and oils, and if you can, use them morning and evening. You will find they bring instant comfort and nourishment.
Avoid hot water as this strips the skin’s moisture levels. Tepid is best.
Introduce a hyaluronic acid serum. As we know dry skin is often lacking in water as well as oil, so you’ll want to replace this hydration with skincare. Hyaluronic acid works like a magnet to draw moisture into the skin. Spritz your face with a hydrating mist first as this will temporarily open up the pathways for your HA to deliver full results.
Seal in moisture and prevent it from evaporating by following your hydrating serum with facial oil and moisturiser. If you don’t like too many layers of skincare, just use a rich moisturiser.
Exfoliate to whisk away dead skin cells, but do so carefully and gently. I recommend either using a daily exfoliating toner or a gentle peel two or three times a week that you can leave on for 15 minutes and remove. I wouldn’t go straight in with an overnight peel until we have restored the skin’s moisture levels.
Stay away from retinoids (the ingredients family retinol belongs to) if your skin is flaky and feeling sensitised. Once your skin is stronger, you can re-introduce it to your routine.
Invest in ceramide-rich moisturisers and balms. Ceramides help to form the mortar that holds our skin cells together, and this is even more important when the skin is dry. By upping the skin’s levels of ceramides, water won’t be able to escape through the cracks, and environmental aggressors like pollution won’t be able to make their way in.
Wear SPF every day – even during winter. This will not only add an extra layer of comforting moisture to your routine but also protect your cells from UV damage. Look out for an SPF with pollution protection too for an extra shield.
What Is Dehydrated Skin?
Unlike dry skin which is a skin type determined by your genes, dehydrated skin is a skin condition that can affect any skin type. Dehydrated skin struggled to store and hold onto water in the upper layers of the skin (also known as the epidermis). In my 30 years of experience, dehydration is one of the most common skin conditions I have seen. This is because everyone is susceptible to dehydration – even those with oily skin. It can fluctuate weekly too, and some people may even find their skin’s hydration levels go up and down daily. Dehydration in the skin is caused by external or internal factors, and sometimes it can be a combination of both. External factors are generally things that you are exposed to daily, like your skincare routine (especially if you’re using the wrong products), medication, diet, and the climate and environment you live in. For example, your skin will be more dehydrated if you live in a pollution-packed city in a hot country. Internal factors could include things like hormones and stress.
How Do I Know If I Have Dehydrated Skin?
As dehydration can occur in all skin types, it can be more difficult to identify than dry skin. The key signs of dehydrated skin are:
Dullness and an all-round lack of radiance are big giveaways of dehydrated skin. Any surface will look shinier when there’s water involved, and skin turnover can also slow when skin is dehydrated – meaning dulling dead skin cells stay on the surface for longer.
Tightness and general discomfort are common complaints when the skin is dehydrated. When water is restored to your skin you’ll notice that it has more flexibility and elasticity, and won’t feel like it’s being pulled taut.
Fine lines are more prominent when our skin is lacking in water as there’s no hydration to plump them out. Think of it like the smooth, plump outer of a grape compared to a shrivelled raisin.
How Do You Fix Dehydrated Skin?
As dehydrated skin isn’t a skin type, it’s easier to remedy than dry skin. Use these solutions whenever you experience signs of dehydration, or daily to keep the problem at bay.
Choose a nourishing cleanser that won’t rob your skin of hydration. Products designed for oily skin can often leave skin feeling dry and tight. A nice cream cleanser will suit all skin types.
Stock up on humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. These will replenish the skin’s stocks of hydration by attracting moisture into the skin. To make sure they can work most effectively, seal hydrating serums in with a moisturiser.
Invest in an exfoliant. If your skin is clogged with dead skin cells, the products you use aren’t going to be able to penetrate through. A liquid exfoliant will dissolve the bonds that hold onto these dead skin cells, effectively giving your skin a spring clean. If you’re new to the category, start with poly-hydroxy acids like lactobionic acid. The larger molecule size makes them gentler as they can’t penetrate the skin as deeply as alpha-hydroxy acids like glycolic and lactic acid.
Shield skin with an antioxidant vitamin C serum for all-day protection. Free radicals (a type of molecule that damages healthy skin cells by causing them to oxidise) are generated by things like pollution, exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke – all of which can worsen dehydration.
Drinking more water may help. In the pecking order of your body, your skin is right at the bottom, so if you’re not drinking enough water generally, then your complexion will be impacted. If you think you could be dehydrated (which is common during the summer or after exercise) try drinking more fluids.
Don’t skip your moisturiser, as this is extra important when the skin is dehydrated. Choose one suited to your skin type and with a texture you like.
Wear SPF every single day. This advice is the same as for dry skin, as all skin types are susceptible to damage caused by UV rays. Sun exposure can dehydrate skin further, so making sure your skin is protected is even more important if you’re already experiencing this.
Thank You For Reading
I hope you have enjoyed this blog, please let me know if you need any help with your skin.
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Bye for now,
Fiona x
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