Do you know the difference between dehydrated skin and dry skin? Dehydration is when the skin lacks water, while dryness occurs when the skin lacks oil. Sadly, our skin is more prone to water loss as we age because it produces less oil. Factors like excessive sun exposure, hot showers, sleep deprivation, harsh soaps and even over-exfoliation all pave the way for dehydrated skin. Here’s how to treat your thirsty skin and keep it feeling its best…
How do I know if I have dehydrated skin?
There’s a simple way to tell if you have dehydrated skin or not. Simply pinch a small amount of skin on the cheek of your face or the back part of your hand. If your skin bounces back, you are not dehydrated. If it takes a few moments, it’s probably in need of moisture.
Use our tips to quickly treat dehydrated skin:
- Wear no less than SPF 50 everyday, come rain or shine.
- Avoid exfoliating products and ingredients that make your skin feel tight and dry (eg. retinol).
- Determine your skin type. If you have normal to dry skin, you will need both moisture and oil.
- Drink eight glasses of water to keep hydrated from the inside.
- Choose serums and moisturisers designed to hydrate the skin.
- Come up with an everyday skincare regimen to help combat dehydration.
Try these hydration heroes...
A word on hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a powerful skincare ingredient that is capable of holding 1000 times its weight in water. Adding this ingredient to your skincare routine is a game changer, as it instantly plumps the skin. It works well with any other active ingredient too. Long-term use of HA means so many great things for your skin, namely, elasticity and flexibility improvement, collagen boosting, increased hydration levels and overall skin health (a.k.a. glowiness).
