Is Your Skin Dry or Dehydrated?

Hell hath no fury like us, staring an inflamed, dry patch of skin down in the mirror as we furiously slather on our Water Jelly Dew Cream in an attempt to calm the issue. This poses the question — is my skin dry, or dehydrated? Although the two words are incredibly similar (even to the pros at thesaurus.com, thank you very much), when it comes to your skin, they take on two vastly different meanings. Dry skin can be a sign of dehydrated skin, but the two issues are not one in the same.

Don’t worry, we’ll elaborate. Here, we go into the differences between each issue, how to tell which one applies to you, and most importantly, how to treat it.

HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE DRY SKIN

Does your skin tend to produce less oil and break out less than your acne-prone counterparts? Is a shiny complexion something you almost never struggle with, but a tight, uncomfortable feeling is? Do you get dry, flaky patches, particularly around your eyes, nose, or mouth? If you answered yes to any of the above, then you probably have dry skin.

Dryness refers to your skin type, and if you have a dry complexion, this means you produce less sebum than normal, oily, or combination skin types. Dry skin can be caused by a variety of ongoing factors ranging from hormonal imbalances, the natural aging process, or genetics, but luckily, there are a number of ways to help soothe the situation.

HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE DEHYDRATED SKIN

Do you have dry, peeling patches, but still get oily in areas? Do you struggle with dullness, pronounced lines, and breakouts simultaneously? When your skin is dehydrated, that means it’s lacking water. Unlike dry skin, which is a skin type indicative of a lack of oil, dehydrated skin is a condition that can be triggered by external factors like the weather, aggressive wind, over-exfoliation, or even the temperature and humidity in your own home. For example: The time your landlord started blasting the heat in your building, resulting in an uncomfortable tight feeling, major redness, flaky areas, and more prominent fine lines.

Still stuck on whether or not this condition applies to you? Give your cheek a slight pinch. If the skin between your two fingers wrinkles under the gentle pressure and doesn’t hold its shape, it’s probably dehydrated.

SO, HOW DO I DEAL?

Sure, the two issues are different, but one major thing will treat both: Hydration. Make a point to hydrate yourself both internally and externally, meaning, drink your required 8 glasses of water a day, but also don’t skimp on the serums.

Supplement your cleanser with a pump of our Clean Scene Micellar Gel, which is jam-packed with encapsulated hyaluronic acid beads to deliver a burst of hydration on contact, while immediately whisking away any dirt, oil, or makeup leftover from the day. Then, give your complexion some light exfoliation from our Texture Magic Exfoliating Toner. While using a chemical exfoliant on an already-parched complexion may seem counterintuitive, hear us out — your skin’s natural cell turnover cycle needs an assist, especially if dry patches are a common occurrence. The triple-acid blend in our formula is effective enough to slough away dead skin cells in a single sweep, but gentle enough for even the driest, most sensitive skin types to use, thanks to the ideal pH of 3.7.

Once you’ve exfoliated, follow with an uber-hydrating serum and let your skin drink in all its benefits. Whether your skin is dry or dehydrated, our Glow Potion Oil Serum has got you covered, thanks to the triple-layered formula that combines the powers of an oil, essence, and serum. The serum phase helps prevent water loss for dehydrated skin, while the oil phase provides much-needed hydration for dry skin. Finish by locking all the goodness into your skin with a layer of moisturizer. Thanks to the high concentration of humectants in our Water Jelly Dew Cream, you’ll get heavyweight hydration in an ultra-lightweight texture.

The key takeaway? A little more hydration will always do your body (and your skin) good. Make sure you pay attention to the signals your skin is giving you, because like that houseplant in your window (that you may or may not have forgotten to look after this week), our complexion also needs regular water and nourishment.