The Difference Between Dry Skin and Dehydrated Skin

Kimberley Medd, Head of Clinic at Face the Future, discusses the difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin.

"Dry skin is caused by a lack of oil in your skin, whereas dehydrated skin is caused by a lack of water in your skin. It can be hard to tell if your skin is dry or dehydrated (or both!), but there are a few little tell-tale signs you can look out for.

Dry skin characteristics: Roughness, Flaking, Cracked skin, Scaling, Loose skin.

Dehydrated skin characteristics: Less elasticity (your skin will take a while to ‘snap back’ if pinched), Fine lines, Cracked lips, Itchiness.

Sometimes it can be really hard to find a balance with your skin and keep it feeling hydrated and healthy, Kimberley shares her best tips on how to keep your skin healthily hydrated, always.

Up Your Water Intake

Your skin is made up of 30% water, and although drinking plenty of water won’t hydrate your skin alone, it will help your body to stay hydrated and will also help to support your essential functions, too.

Limit Alcoholic Drinks

Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it forces water out of your body and makes it harder to hydrate again afterwards. If you’ve experienced a heavy night of drinking, you’ll know that familiar dehydrated feeling the next morning, and you’ll have most likely seen the effects on your skin, too. So, whilst you might not want to cut alcohol out completely, it’s a great idea to limit your intake and ensure you drink water in between alcoholic drinks to help your body hold onto that hydration.

Hydrate Skin by Sticking to a Proper Skincare Routine

Cementing a proper skincare routine that’s tailored just for your skin type will make a world of difference to how your skin both looks and feels. A proper skincare routine ensures that your skin gets the vital ingredients it needs, when it needs it. It also helps to support your skin with the ageing process – aiding cell renewal and repair to leave you with a radiant complexion.

Take Supplements to Hydrate Your Skin from Within

If you’re wondering how to hydrate skin from the inside, then supplements are another great option. With ingredients like hyaluronic acid and essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6, your skin is supported from within.

Keep Skin Hydrated by Getting Your Beauty Sleep

You might not think that getting an early night has any impact on the moisture content of your skin, but actually, better quality sleep has been linked with increased moisture barrier recovery. And with a strong moisture barrier, your skin is able to retain moisture and hold onto hydration much more effectively. Not to mention, your skin cells renew and repair during the night, so the better and more consistent your sleep pattern, the better your skin will look and feel.

Weekly Exfoliation

Weekly exfoliation is really helpful in sloughing away dead skin cells and other impurities that have built up on your skin. It allows you to give your skin a deep cleanse which means that your skincare products can properly penetrate your skin and work at a deeper level. It also helps to promote skin regeneration which in turn improves the texture and tone of your skin. It’s important that your exfoliator isn’t harsh on your skin and that it doesn’t strip your skin of its natural oils. From chemical exfoliators that utilise ingredients like glycolic acid, to physical exfoliators that have texture from ingredients like microparticles, or even coffee, to help remove the debris, there are many options to choose from.

Cut Down on Salty Foods

Salty foods may taste great, but they’re actually super dehydrating for your skin too. If you have a diet that’s too high in sodium, you’ll notice the changes in your skin such as irritation and itchiness.

Moisturise with Naturally Derived Formulas

There are many different ingredients that help to replenish the hydration in your skin – great sources are avocado, shea butter, coconut, and even honey. With fatty acids and plenty of vitamins, these natural ingredients can help your skin to stay hydrated, leaving you with suppler, smoother, more radiant looking skin.

Assess Your Diet

What you put into your body really does show on the outside, too, so eating a healthy diet of nourishing foods really helps to improve your skin. Healthy fats from sources like salmon, sardines, and tuna are full of essential fatty acids that help to boost your skin’s natural moisture. Other great options are seeds and nuts – especially almonds, flax, macadamia, pumpkin, and walnuts.

Don’t Forget SPF

Protecting your skin from harmful UV rays helps to keep your skin healthy and your natural skin barrier strong. The sun’s harmful rays damage your skin barrier, making it harder for your skin to retain moisture and hold hydration. It’s important to wear SPF daily, even on cloudy, rainy days, as UV rays are always present.

Be Mindful of Hot Baths and Showers

We know that hot baths and showers feel amazing –especially when you’ve been outside on a cold wintery day, but they’re actually a key culprit in stripping your skin of essential oils and moisture, leaving your skin barrier impaired and unable to retain moisture quite so well. Lukewarm baths and showers that don’t last very long are the best for your skin.

www.facethefuture.co.uk