Is Your Skin Dry or Dehydrated? Here’s How to Tell the Difference

Is Your Skin Dry or Dehydrated? 

This blog is to help you know the difference between dry and dehydrated skin, as well as some extra tips that aren't product related, but has more to do with other lifestyle factors to keep in mind. 

What’s the first thing you do when your skin feels dry? 

Instinctively it may be to just add more moisturiser. The initial irritation may go away immediately, but almost always comes back very quickly - just for the cycle of adding more product to continue. 

This ongoing cycle can easily result in a drawerful of products that just does not seem to work.

Once you know how to distinguish between dry or dehydrated skin you'll be in a much better position to decide what's best for your skin. 

- Dry skin is a skin type andis characterised by a lack of lipids (oil). 

Symptoms of dry skin include:

• Dry
• Rough
• Flaky

- Dehydrated skin is skin condition and is more about about a lack water in the top layer of the skin (stratum corneum).  

Symptoms of dehydration include:

• Tight
• Sensitive
• Dull complexion
• Presence of fine lines and wrinkles

- Any skin type (dry, normal, combination, oil) can be dehydrated. Personally I have a normal/combination oily skin type, but that doesn’t stop my skin from getting dehydrated at times.  Dehydrated skin is a 'skin condition', not a skin type. 

- Skin conditions can stem from your skin type, hormone fluctuations, or unhelpful skin care practices like over exfoliation or other environmental and lifestyle factors that may affect your skin barrier  These skin conditions can for example include acne, redness, dullness and dehydration.

Once you determine your skin type and condition (if any), the next step is to choose a skincare regime that targets your problem areas.

Adding a facial oil to your skincare routine helps keep moisture in the skin while protecting it from external environmental stressors and damage. All skin types can benefit from using a nourishing, natural facial oil - if it's the right oil and if it's used in the right way. 

Our body produces oil naturally, but as we age our oil production decreases over time. Our skin is partly made out of lipids (Essential Fatty Acids) and it needs oil to maintain a balanced complexion. 

Our best-selling Glow in A Bottle works wonders for both dry and dehydrated skin.  

It’s absolutely packed with Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) -  true skin superheroes that are found in a variety of plant sources and are a vital part of what makes Glow in a Bottle so special. The combination of 11 plant oils gives your skin some essential nourishment that you just won’t get from most water based creams. 

When all is said done, it is also true that topical skincare and products aren’t the only thing you need to keep your skin healthy, strong and balanced.  

I very strongly believe in taking care of your skin from the inside out - and that in the long term no skincare routine can out-perform consistent stress, sun damage, lack of sleep and a poor diet.  

Other key tips you could consider to help your skin balance itself includes: 

• supplementing your diet with Essential Fatty Acids, Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid. I’ve started using these supplements now that I’m in my fourties and I really feel and see the difference.  ***Please check with your doctor first before you introduce any supplements into your diet, especially if you’re already on other types of medication. 
• use a silk pillowto sleep on to reduce absorption of moisture overnight. This has been a revelation to me and I love it. I’ve found that it’s also much better for my hair than sleeping on a cotton pillow case. 
• sunscreen every day no matter the weather, always.