Dry Skin vs Dehydrated Skin - All You Need to Know

Hello Readers!

In this week’s post, we are addressing another skincare topic which is very popular these days – difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin. While the two sound interchangeable, having a dry skin is totally different from having a dehydrated skin.

In simple words, dry skin is lack of oils (or lipids in terms of aestheticians) due to fewer oil producing glands in the skin and dehydrated skin is due to lack of enough water or moisture in the skin. Dry skin is a skin type but dehydrated skin is a skin condition which can and should be fixed. Contrary to what it may appear, oily/combination skin types can also get dehydrated skin. As said before, it is a skin condition.

Lets dig deeper into different characteristics, causes and treatments for each of these.

Characteristics

There are many characteristics that differentiate dry skin and dehydrated skin. A dry skin might be feel flaky but dehydrated skin feels tight. Signs of ageing are prominently visible in dehydrated condition. Since dry skin is a genetic skin type, it is constant and stays always. Dehydration is a skin condition that anyone can have and stays for a limited time or until fixed.

Causes

Dry skin does not come with a list of causes. For most of us, it is genetic and is present since birth. Here, we list down the main causes that lead you to have dehydrated skin.

Wrong Skincare – Using wrong skincare products which are not suited for our skin type is one of the major causes of dehydrated skin. While many skincare products available today appear too attractive to let go, it is important to consider the ingredients and make sure our skin absolutely needs them before we buy. If you need help with knowing skincare ingredients in details, check out our post Know your Skincare Ingredients – Part 1 .
Sun Exposure – Sun is another factor that causes dehydrated skin condition. The UVA in the sun rays causes most of the damage to the skin including ageing, increased oxidants in the skin and dehydration.
Ageing – With age, skin tends to retains lesser water/moisture than it used to. If this is not taken care by proper water intake and skin hydrating products, dehydration can be the outcome.
Hot Showers – Frequent hot showers and even hard water conditions can also deprive our skin of its natural moisture leading to dehydrated skin.
Weather – Weather change is one of the major causes of dehydration. Most people get their dehydrated condition at transitioning weather. These are the times when our skin needs more than usual attention.

Treatments

Dry Skin

Since the skin is parched and needs nourishment, increase the amount of anti-oxidants in your skincare and reduce the acids (AHA/BHA). Ingredients to look for:

Plant oils like rosehip
Shea butter
Ceramides

Dehydrated Skin

Dehydrated skin needs little extra attention than dry skin to be fixed. You need to pick skincare as per the ingredients that your skin needs. Ingredients to look for:

Humectants like Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin
Cucumber
Aloe Vera

Check out our DIY night serum which contains glycerin (a natural humectant), rose water (natural hydrator) and lemon (natural exfoliator and brightening agent) to deal with your dehydration in a natural, inexpensive and effective way – Indulge in Night Masks

Few things that go a long way in treating both the conditions and in general:

Exfoliate – Exfoliating your skin makes sure dead skin cells are removed and your skincare products are effectively getting absorbed into your skin. Exfoliate your skin daily (limit physical exfoliation to twice a week) for better results.
Sun protection – This is a must step for every skin type. There are no words to explain exactly how damaging sun can be for our skin. For a detail read and products recommendations on sun protection, check out our posts – Physical and chemical sunscreen – Pros and Cons, How to choose your next sunscreen
Serums – If you have any kind of skin concern to target, serums are the way to go. They are more concentrated than moisturizers and penetrate deeper into the skin.
Pay Attention – Instead of just following your usual skincare routine, pay attention to little changes that your skin might be going through on a daily basis. These changes will let you know in advance if you are going to get a particular problem or a product/weather is not suiting you.

To sum up: