I’ve addressed oily skin for you ladies, it seems only fair I address what could be considered the other end of the skin spectrum. But before I give you some tips, we first need to decide if your skin is dry, dehydrated, or both.
Your skin needs and uses both oil and water. An adequate amount of both in your skin is what keeps it looking healthy. It’s important to distinguish if your skin is dry due to lack of water or lack of oil, because how you address the problem will vary depending on the conditions. First, let’s go over the differences.
What Is Dry Skin
Dry skin is usually a skin type – meaning the skin itself does not produce enough oil due to underactive or small sebaceous glands. This is often what genetics gave you, but can be a temporary condition brought on by hormonal imbalances or certain medications.
Signs of dry skin are often flakiness, small pores, tightness, dullness, and product not absorbing into the skin.
What Is Dehydrated Skin
Dehydrated skin is a skin condition in which the skin either does not have or does not retain enough water. An important distinction between dry and dehydrated skin is that you can have very oily skin that is also dehydrated. During winter months, dehydrated skin is more common due to cold air and indoor heating evaporating water from the skin. (Air conditioning in the summer can also be a culprit).
Signs of dehydrated skin are tightness, itchiness, and ashen looking skin that quickly soaks up products and makeup. A test for dehydrated skin is to slightly pull skin between two fingers (do not pull tight). If you see small lines, similar to that of pulling plastic wrap, that is likely due to dehydrated skin.
How to Treat Dry Skin
– Use oil based products. You’ll need to give your skin the oil it is not making on its own. Our Skin Potion serum is full of skin loving oils, but if you chose another moisturizer, look for something that is a more like a cream rather than a thinner lotion. I do not recommend extremely thick products however, as they “choke” your skin and can cause breakouts or dehydration.
– Consume healthy fats. I’ll save the rant about how low fat diets have lead us in the wrong direction for another day – so you’ll just have to believe me when I tell you fat in your diet is a good thing. I also highly recommend a good omega-3 supplement twice daily. It may take 8-12 weeks, but dry skin will most likely see great benefits.
– Avoid products that strip. You want to keep what little oil you have, so avoid any harsh products or any cleansers that foam. Look for a gel or lotion like cleanser and avoid astringent ingredients like witch hazel.
How to Treat Dehydrated Skin
– Use light, hydrating products. Look for ingredients such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Avoid thick creams. This is often a common mistake made by those who think they have dry skin, but actually have dehydrated skin.
– Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol and caffeine. We all know how important water is, right? Your body, including your skin, is 70% H20 and if you’re not consuming enough, it’s going to show in your skin. Alcohol and caffeine cause dehydration, so it’s best to cut back or cut out those culprits.
– Apply moisturizer immediately after cleansing. Do not fully dry your face after washing or showering. As water evaporates from the surface of your skin, it pulls water from in the skin with it. You want to apply your moisturizer as quickly after washing as you can, preferably to slightly damp skin, to lock in the wet stuff. If you use a toner, do not fully wipe the toner from your face.
If you have skin that appears to be both dry and dehydrated, you’ll want to follow all the tips above, but you’ll have to experiment with the right products. Try lighter products in the morning, and slightly heavier products in the evening. Or, if you’re in the LA area, you can always come see me to address you skin care concerns!
– Brianne