Yes! they are not the same thing. Dry skin and Dehydrated skin are two different thing. You can have oily skin and dehydrated skin. In order to have healthy skin it needs to be both hydrated and moisturized giving you that natural radiance. When your skin reaches this state it will give you that dewy youthful glow you have been looking for.
So let's understand the difference...
Dry skin is a particular type of skin while dehydrated skin is a skin condition. Dry skin occurs because you have less oil or moisture in your skin mainly because your skin is producing less sebum than normal. Lack of sebum means the skin has less lipids to retain moisture and you don't have a strong barrier to protect your skin from external conditions. Dry skin is something that you will sustain for most of your life. While dehydrated skin is a state in which your skin is and it is something that can be fixed.
Dehydrated skin is skin with less water. It can be caused by many factors but some of the most common factors are weather, pollution, diet and caffeine intake all of which can led to reduced water retained in your skin.
So, how do you check if you have either?
Pinch your cheeks and if it wrinkles with gentle pressure and doesn't hold its shape; it means that your skin is desperate for water. Your skin may feel tight, look dull and may seem more wrinkled than usual in places you don't remember having them, all this topped with dark circle under your eyes. Redness and inflammation can also be signs of dehydrated skin.
While Dry Skin is flaky and uncomfortable. It can be seen near your eyebrows and around your nose and mouth. Rubbing your skin can sound and feel like grinding fine sandpaper. A sure sign of dry skin is if your pillow and towel are full of snow flakes
So, how do we treat this?
For dry skin use a heavy oil-free moisturizer that doesn't clog your pores which is non-comedogenic. There are several options to choose from like Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream it has one of my all time favorite ingredients hyaluronic acid and leaves your skin nourished and supple. Then Palmer's Cocoa Butter Solid Original formula is another good option. If you are suffering from chronic dry skin then this is a must have brand. It will do wonders for your skin. Lastly if you are looking for something that is not too greasy and good for sensitive dry skin then you can opt for Clarins Hydra-Essential SPF 15 cream. Please check before buying the product it should say cream, they have the same product with the same name and packaging in a gel format. Somehow the gel didn't work that well for me, not saying it is a bad product just that read the product details before buying. Also make sure that you are increasing the number of anti-oxidants in your diet
Here are some don'ts.
1. Stay away from cleansers that make your skin dry after washing or make your skin feel tight, even foaming cleansers are bad. Use gentle cleansers like Cetaphil or Cerave.
2. Stay away from leave on masks that take away your skin's natural oil such as clay and charcoal masks
3. Stay away from products which have alcohol or alcohol denat. Just throw them away.
For dehydrated skin aim for serums that should be applied before using any moisturizer. A must have ingredient that your serum should contain is hyaluronic acid. Your skin produces hyaluronic acid naturally but that is not sufficient which is why you need to supplement it to keep dehydration away. Use products with hyaluronic acid stimulators like The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5. It contains avocado peptides which increases your skin's ability to produce its own hyaluronic acid.
Drink water! Drink water ! Drink water! I cannot emphasis enough the need to drink water on a regular basis. And I don't mean once every 2-3 hours no your skin needs this vital resource more regularly than that. So try to make it a point to have a glass of water every half hour.
Lastly, don't underestimate a humidifier. In fact this is listed as one of the top beauty must haves in South Korea. So buy one today!
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II DISCLAIMER: Every skin is different, not everything works for everybody. I recommend you test the product before completely using any new product. II