The Difference Between Skin Dehydration and Dryness
Written by Evan, Licensed Paramedical Esthetician, Acne Specialist - Book an appointment with Evan!
Have you ever noticed your skin feeling tight and textured but still feeling greasy or shiny? Or dullness and flaking or maybe even increased sensitivity? Dehydration is common with any skin type, and can cause a variety of skin concerns or worsen existing issues like acne and rosacea. Dryness, on the other hand, is sometimes a result of dehydration but usually describes an attribute of skin type which is a mostly genetic factor and refers to the level of oil someone produces naturally. Essentially, dehydration refers to the skin lacking water and dryness refers to the skin lacking oil. The good news is, we can address both of these concerns through internal and external means.
WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO STAY PROPERLY HYDRATED?
Our water intake has a big effect on our ability to stay hydrated throughout the body, but particularly within the skin because the body prioritizes the skin last when distributing water. So in order to see the difference in our skin, we have to be consuming close to, or exceeding, our ideal daily water intake. The amount of water you should consume daily differs from person to person based on genetic make up and activity level, but generally you should be consuming about half your weight in ounces of water per day. For example, if you weigh 150lbs, your daily water intake should be around 75oz. If you’re more active that day, then you would want to drink another 12 ounces for every 30 minutes of physical activity. Water needs can also change with the weather and environment such as heat indoors or outdoors. As a reminder, water intake affects much more than our skin. Water is responsible for assisting and facilitating important bodily functions which might affect your bathroom habits or energy level.
Here is a water intake calculator to help you determine how much you should be drinking per day!
IS MY SKIN DRY?
One way to tell the difference between whether your skin is dehydrated or just naturally has less oil production you can take a look at your pores to see if they look large or small. If you have smaller pores, you likely have a more dry skin type. This means that genetically, your skin produces less oil on average which comes with a variety of skin concerns such as texture, sensitivity and dehydration. The oil that our skin naturally produces provides a protective film that helps keep pathogens out and keep water in. When we produce less oil, our skin is more prone to evaporation of water, resulting in dehydration which then in turn worsens dryness and the cycle continues. This is why it’s important to properly moisturize for your skin type to achieve your ideal oil-water balance. For people with naturally dry skin, this might be a heavier cream or oil. For those with naturally oilier skin, they might only need a light gel cream.
IS MY SKIN DEHYDRATED?
So yes, dehydration can occur as a result of a drier skin type which naturally produces less oil, but there are plenty of reasons that someone with an oily skin type might be dehydrated. For example, that protective oil barrier may be depleted or damaged as a result of over-exfoliation or too many actives which would lead to more of that evaporation, a process known as trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL. For most people, dehydration comes from neglecting to include appropriate hydrators, like water-based toners or essences, into their skincare routine in addition to missing the mark for their daily water intake. Additionally, if our skin is lacking water, it is actually going to overproduce oil to compensate which may cause a weird combination of feeling dry but looking oily, or even increased breakouts. Dehydration also makes services like extractions much more difficult because the skin wants to hold onto any of the moisture contained in that breakout since it’s not getting any otherwise.
HOW CAN I FIX IT?
First of all, it’s important to understand the distinction between a moisturizer and a hydrator. Hydrators are different from moisturizers because they are water based and provide water based hydration for the skin cells to drink up, while moisturizers usually contain some amount of oil or occlusive to help create that protective barrier and trap all of that moisture in. In order for a moisturizer to properly retain water, we have to provide that water in the first place otherwise it’s like putting a band aid over the problem. Think about the analogy of a sponge and a plastic bag. If you put a dry sponge in a plastic bag, it’s going to be dry when you take it out. But if you put a wet sponge in a plastic bag, it’ll still be wet or damp when you take it out. In this instance, the sponge is your skin which is absorbing water, and the plastic bag is your moisturizer—the agent that seals it all in. The point is that we need BOTH for good skin health, and there are many options available.
Use a hydrating agent: Hyaluronic acid and glycerin are two great examples of hydrating ingredients because they are both humectants. This means that they draw moisture into the skin from the surrounding environment like a water magnet, holding up to 1,000 times their weight in water. For best results, keep in mind that products containing or featuring these ingredients should be applied to somewhat damp skin so that it can carry that hydration into the skin as it gets absorbed. Use a hydrating toner, essence, or mist beforehand to boost your hydration, or even use the remaining water on your face after cleansing.
Use the right moisturizer: Afterwards, use a moisturizer to lock in that hydration. There are different types of moisturizers that are meant for different types of skin as they contain varying concentrations of oil. The right moisturizer for you will depend on how much oil your skin naturally produces because it’s meant help account for any lack of oil production. Even for those that produce more oil naturally, it’s important to moisturize because our natural oils tend to solidify and contain bacteria that frequently leads to breakouts. So we can replace the oil our skin would naturally produce with a less pore clogging oil in a gel cream type moisturizer.
Work with your esthetician to find the best moisturizer for your skin type, which may include a different one for morning and night or change with the season. Hydration, however, is universal and there can never be too much of it regardless of time of day or weather. So use hydrating products as often as you can to offset dehydrating factors in the environment like heat or climate.
PRODUCTS FOR DRY SKIN
Totaloe moisturizer
