Is your skin dry or dehydrated?

When your skin feels dry, you may assume that its dry, however it may be dehydrated.

Both dry and dehydrated skin can be: Flaky, itchy or sensitive, tight and dull. So how can you tell them apart? And what can you do to re-hydrate your skin?

Photo credit: Dermalogica.

Dry skin is classified as a 'skin type' and determined by your genetics - classified as one that is predisposed to inadequate production of the skins natural oils. However it can also be connected to hormonal imbalances and other medical issues. If you have dry skin, you can't change it - but you can improve its appearance by adding oil infused products to your skin care routine and also ingesting more healthy fats, or fish oils.

Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, is a skin condition - caused by different external elements or a combination of elements. Elements such as: Weather and Seasonal changes (extreme temperatures zap moisture from our skin), unhealthy diet (lack of fresh foods and too much sugar), lifestyle choices (including alcohol and caffeine). All of these elements can deplete your skins water content. However, dehydrated skin is temporary and can be relieved with topical treatments and lifestyle changes.

This is particularly relevant after Christmas, where we all might be guilty of over-indulging in party food, alcohol, late nights and brisk winter walks! All these things play havoc with our delicate skin.

Here are the 4 main signs you have dehydrated skin:

Itchy, tight and flaking skin
Increased sensitivity (dehydrated skin is the precursor to sensitive skin)
Dull, tired looking skin
Fine lines and wrinkles (gently pinch the skin on the cheek, if it looks like you have fine lines you are dehydrated)

How can you fix dehydrated skin?

Hydrate from the inside out. Why not try supplementing your diet with a good quality fish oil, rich in Omega 3. Omega 3 fatty acids play an essential role in both the structure and appearance of the skin. Our skin cells are surrounded by layers of fat which give skin its plum healthy appearance. Boost yours with Eskimo-3 Brainsharp Fish Oil, available at The Bothy.
Have 3-4 alcohol free days per week. Give your body time to rehydrate, but also essential for the liver to repair too.
Use gentle cleansers and lukewarm water. You skin needs to be treated as gently as possible, we love Dermalogica Pre-Cleanse which uses oils to gently melt away impurities and hydrate the skin.
We would recommend exfoliating, but try a gentle exfoliant to soothe your skin whilst dressing away any flaky areas. We love Dermalogica's Daily Superfoliant, which uses enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids to resurface your skin (a chemical versus physical exfoliant). Still powerful but more gentle on the outer layers of the skin.
Try The Bothy Bespoke Facial. We'll gently exfoliate your skin, using Chemical exfoliants and steam (to help the products penetrate and lock in moisture), you'll have the LED Light Therapy with red light to hydrate, before using our most nourishing products to give your skin the break it deserves.
Drink more water! The jury's still out as to whether drinking 8 glasses of water a day gets to your skin, but we think its worth try. Pardon the analogy - But your body is like a toilet and if you keep putting rubbish in and not flushing the chain, its going to get very messy indeed. Water can really help to flush your organs and keep your body on top form - we think it goes without saying that your skin will be affected positively too.
Keep moisture locked in. Regularly apply moisturiser with has a high glycerin content and created for dry sensitive skin (with as little perfume as possible). Ideally one with a factor 50 SPF to protect from the harmful sun's rays.

If you'd like to talk to us about your skin health, give us a call on 01904 629121 and book your free consultation. Or why not book one of our Bespoke Facials? BOOK ONLINE