What does it mean when your skin is dehydrated but not dry? Both situations imply that your skin lacks hydration or moisturization. However, they’re different things altogether.
Dry skin is one of the skin types that require particular care, while dehydrated skin is usually a temporary condition.
So, what characteristics, respectively, define dehydrated skin and dry skin? How do you treat these conditions? Find the answer in the following explanation!
Dehydrated Skin vs Dry Skin
As mentioned before, dehydrated skin indicates a condition where your skin lacks water or hydration. Skin dehydration can happen to anyone despite skin type.
Typically, someone who lacks skin hydration shows signs like dull skin, loss of elasticity, and surface wrinkles.
To test skin hydration, you can try a pinch test on several areas, such as the chest, abdomen, cheek, or the back of your hand.
If the skin bounces back after you pinch it, it’s unlikely you suffer from dehydration. Conversely, the skin that takes a few minutes to bounce back may indicate a lack of hydration.
On the other hand, dry skin is a skin type, indicated by the lack of oils or lipids. In other words, skin hydration isn’t the problem. Dry skin is characterized by a flaky appearance.
Identifying dehydrated skin and dry skin can be done by taking notes of the following characteristics:
| Dehydrated Skin | Dry Skin |
| Skin dullness. | White flakes. |
| Fine lines or surface wrinkles. | Scaly skin. |
| Dark circles under the eyes (panda eyes). | Redness. |
| Itchiness. | Irritation and increased sensitivity to skin issues, like eczema, dermatitis, or psoriasis. |
What Causes Dry Skin
Skin dryness is often caused by genetics. However, the condition may worsen by internal or external factors, such as:
- Extreme temperatures.
- Lifestyle.
- Hormones.
- Medical issues.
- Natural aging.
- Harsh chemicals from skincare products.
Dry skin type doesn’t have enough sebum or oil to retain water. This condition persists instead of occurring temporarily like skin dehydration.
Read also: Sunscreen or Moisturizer First? Learn The Right Way To Use
What Causes Skin Dehydration
When you suffer from skin dehydration, it means there is an excessive water loss. This condition may be caused by:
- Lack of water consumption.
- Extreme weather conditions.
- Damaged skin barrier.
- Lack of sleep.
It’s worth noting that ideally healthy skin has around 30% of water. Such an amount can help maintain the skin’s structure and strength.
Essentially, losing so much water can cause skin dehydration on every skin type. Even if you have oily skin, you can still suffer from the condition when your water needs are not met.
Nevertheless, skin dehydration tends to happen on dry skin rather than oily skin because the skin’s natural oils can retain water and reduce the risk of excessive water loss.
Dehydrated and Dry Skin Treatment
While dehydrated skin and dry skin are different conditions, you can manage them by applying a proper daily skincare routine.
If you have doubts about your skin condition, you can always contact your dermatologist for the most suitable actions. Generally, the recommended treatment consists of the following steps:
- Drink a sufficient amount of water every day.
- Eat more water-rich food, such as cucumber, celery, and watermelon.
- Use non-aggressive skincare and rehydrating cleansing products to reduce water loss.
- Provide better ventilation in your living space.
- Wash your face with a mild cleanser once or twice a day.
- Dab your skin gently with a soft fabric cloth instead of rubbing it to dry your skin.
- Moisturize daily with products that contain hydrating agents.
- Apply a moisturizing eye cream before sleeping for the night or wear a gel sleeping mask.
Caring for dehydrated skin or dry skin is not a complicated thing. What matters is locking in the moisture to ensure optimal skin hydration.
When you find your skin type, you can determine the most suitable skincare product to maintain your skin from here on out.
But if you want to optimize skincare product absorption, you can remove unwanted hair on certain body parts.
With Super Hair Removal (SHR) at Clean & Tidy, you can do just that. Compared to traditional methods, our advanced SHR technology gives a pain-free treatment and long-lasting results.
Our therapists will guide you through a comfortable hair removal session. By delivering rapid pulses of low-energy light to each hair follicle, we can damage unwanted hair without risking an uncomfortable experience.
If you’re interested in trying our service, don’t hesitate to contact us at Clean & Tidy Bugis or Orchard Road now. We’ll welcome you on the journey to ultimate healthy skin.
Read also: How to Exfoliate Without Damaging Skin and Keep It Healthy
