Dry Skin Vs Dehydrated Skin: Is there a difference?
Dry skin. Dehydrated skin. Aren’t they the same thing?
Well yes and no. The two terms are intertwined, but each has its own meaning and refers to slightly different skin issues. Dry skin is a skin type (like normal, combination, sensitive, etc), whereas dehydrated skin is a skin issue or condition that is occurring on that particular day/moment.
Dry skin = a skin type
Dehydrated skin = a skin condition
So how do we know if we have dry skin or dehydrated skin?
If you’re unsure about your skin type, there are tell-tale signs that’ll indicate to you what type of skin you are dealing with. People with dry skin typically have some or all of the following symptoms:
flaky or rough texture of the skin
itchiness or irritation
peeling skin
feels tight after washing
wrinkles when pinched or pulled
redness
On some occasions, dry skin can lead to acne and breakouts, particularly if the person isn’t doing any kind of exfoliation to remove dead skin cells. If you’re still not sure of your skin type - book a skin consultation and our skin experts can help you determine your individual skin type.
Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, can appear in some or all of these symptoms:
dullness
itchiness
darker under-eye circles
sunken eyes
“shadows” around the face (especially under the eyes and around your nose)
increased incidence or appearance of fine lines and surface wrinkles
Symptoms of dehydration can go beyond the appearance of your skin, so keep note of any:
dry mouth
faintness
lightheadedness
overall weakness
urination that is darker and less frequent
IMPORTANT: Dehydration can become a medical emergency in some cases. See your doctor immediately if symptoms of severe dehydration don’t improve.
Is it possible to have both dry skin and dehydrated skin?
Absolutely. The two often go hand-in-hand, and can often get confused for one another, and dehydrated skin can often go mistreated as just dry skin. But while dry skin is a skin type that people will deal with on a long-term basis, dehydrated skin is usually a temporary concern or issue that needs some extra love for a few days or a season.
Ways to Treat Dehydrated skin:
Dehydrated skin is something that’ll occur from external and internal causes like:
not drinking enough water
sweating too much
losing fluids (through vomiting or diarrhea)
having a fever
getting sunburnt
So here are some key ways to help treat bouts of skin dehydration…
1. Drink enough water
We always get told to drink enough water - and we really do need to!
Your skin is one of the last areas to visibly show the effects of dehydration, so if your skin is telling you it’s dehydrated - your organs inside will be thirsting for some hydration too.
2. Use hydrating skincare correctly
Skincare that hydrates the skin is made with humectants. Humectants are non-oil-based products like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, salicylic acid, alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), etc. that cling to water and keep it in the skin - so an essential product to be using if your skin is dehydrated.
What most people don’t know is that hydrators (humectants) should be the first thing you apply to your face after cleansing, and better yet - while your skin is still a little damp! That way they can effectively penetrate the skin, and any water that sits on the face can be a carrier and come along with it.
We love the SKN/A ‘Hydra Fusion’ serum - which is packed full of hydrating goodness and can be purchased at our Wauchope cosmetic clinic.
3. Get a skin booster treatment
A skin booster treatment is an incredibly effective way to get immediate hydration into your dehydrated skin. Skin boosters work by injecting hyaluronic aid directly into the skin via micro-channeling technology - so your parched skin is getting a much-needed “drink” to quench its “thirst”.
4. Exfoliate
Exfoliating is crucial when trying to replenish dehydrated skin - if you’re not removing the dead skin cells that are sitting on the surface, then it makes it difficult for any treatments of hydrating serums to penetrate the skin effectively.
We recommend gentle chemical exfoliation* 1-2 times per week, or - for severe dehydration - we highly suggest incorporating a dermaplaning treatment for the ultimate exfoliation.
*For chemical exfoliation, we love our Exfoliating Luxe Serum which can be purchased in our Wauchope clinic (pictured).
5. Adjust your skincare accordingly
Our skin’s needs often change throughout the year (depending on where you live and how varied each season of the year is in your local area), so we can’t use the same product in the same routine day-in-day-out and expect it the be effective all year round! So be sure to modify your skincare based on its needs at different times of the year (or if things aren’t improving or making a positive difference to your skin).
While you might think the opposite, it’s actually Winter time that our skin is more prone to becoming dehydrated - the dry, cool air can really such the moisture right out of you. So you may need to adjust your skincare to counteract any increase in dehydration.
You may need to include a thicker facial moisturizer in your routine (to help lock in your hydrating serums, and prevent moisture from escaping), or even do some hydrating overnight masks or intense hydrating treatments to keep your skin’s hydration levels up.
For ultra-hydrating treatments, we recommend our SKINWAVE Hydrafacial treatment or our new Skin Booster treatment.
How to treat dry skin:
Dry skin, being a skin type, is often an ongoing issue for some people. But there are ways to help live with this potentially uncomfortable skin type…
1. INvest in good skincare
It goes almost without saying that good-quality skincare will produce good-quality results. So don’t waste money on multiple cheap products that will likely not be giving you optimum results, instead go see a skin specialist and get product recommendations that’ll suit your skin’s particular needs.
We offer in-clinic skin consultations where we can not only give advice on products to help solve your skin concerns, but also any treatments that might help you get the results you want sooner.
Book a skin consultation HERE.
2. Hydrate & Moisturise (they work together!)
Most people think that moisturizers alone are what add moisture to your skin - that’s not true! Hydrators and moisturizers work together to form the ultimate skin moisturizing team. The hydrating serum adds water and hydration to the skin, and your moisturizer is what locks it all in and prevents moisture from escaping.
So if your skin is severely dehydrated or dry, then be sure to use the two products together for an effective result.
3. Incorporate a deep moisturizing sleep mask
This is especially true during drier times of the year like in Winter when your skin will be more prone to dryness. So as well as using a thicker moisturizer during your daily routine, incorporate a moisturizing sleep mask every week or so (or more, if required) for some deep moisturization.
4. Check your environment
If the air in your home is very dry - that’ll also increase the chances that your skin will be dry too. So if you need to, invest in a humidifier in the part of your home that you spend the most time in (move it around if you need it), this will add moisture to the air and help prevent your skin from drying out.
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If you think you might be suffering from dry skin or are feeling like your skin may need a boost of hydration, book in for a skin consult and we can help diagnose your skin needs
