Q. My skin always feels dry and oily even after moisturizing. Is my moisturizer not working?
A. You might have dehydrated skin!
Dehydrated skin is a temporary skin condition that happens when there is a lack of water in the skin due to high levels of trans-epidermal water loss. It doesn’t happen to just one skin type, but among all skin types: dry, oily, and combination skin.
Many people confuse dry skin with dehydrated skin. It makes sense that there is a confusion between the two–– both make your skin feel tight, itchy, flaky, and sensitive. Basically, dry skin is a skin type when the skin doesn’t produce enough oil and is constant regardless of the conditions. On the other hand, dehydrated skin is a skin condition that can be easily treated with the right kinds of products.
Furthermore, with dehydrated skin, products that have worked well for you in the past may not function as they normally have. For instance, a moisturizer that you use may not be absorbed as well as it used to. Instead, it will just sit on top of your skin.
What does dehydrated skin look like?
Your skin will look and feel tight, inflexible, and dry. When gently pulled, your skin can form small creases or wrinkles. Additionally, it lacks a “bounce” and lacks suppleness.
What are some of the possible causes?
It can come from many different components. Some components are harsh cleansers, products with high levels of alcohol, and pollution. Also, your diet, environments with low humidity and dry air, stress, over-cleansing, and mechanical exfoliation are also possible factors.
How should I care for dehydrated skin?
If you have dehydrated skin, it is important to care for your skin more than you usually would to ensure that you can heal your skin barrier as fast as you can!
Here are a few tips:
- Use gentle cleansers and look for mild surfactants (such as decyl glucoside) in your cleanser––– they won’t strip the oils out of your skin.
- Look for products that have water as its first ingredient. Water-rich products, such as toners and hydrating serums, are especially helpful.
- Make sure your moisturizer has good amounts of humectants and skin-identical lipids, like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and fatty acids.
- Apply your moisturizer right after cleansing while your skin is still damp. Additionally, apply moisturizer more frequently so you can heal your skin barrier quickly.
- It’s important to avoid using retinoids, AHAs, BHAs, and other acne treatments at least until your skin heals. This is because these acne treatments are known to dry the skin.
With dehydrated skin, it’s important to avoid using skin-drying ingredients and use water-rich products! Ready to find what’s best for your skin? Download Picky on App Store now to discover products compatible with your unique skin type! Click here to read more from the Picky blog.
