Dry vs Dehydrated Skin

Have you ever suffered with dull, flaky skin that seems to have lost all its natural radiance? If so you’re not alone.

This effects between 60-70% of the population at some point in their lives and continues to come up in clinic time and time again. People apply layer upon layer of face creams and oils in an attempt to combat their dryness and start guzzling water at a rate of knots. But your skin might not be dry after all, it might simply be dehydrated.

If you’re feeling confused already, don’t panic, I’m going to break it all down 🥰

Although the symptoms of dryness and dehydration appear the same, they’re actually two different concerns requiring different treatments. Dry skin is a ‘skin type’ and dehydrated skin is a ‘skin condition’.

The difference between dry and dehydrated skin
Dry skin typically has less oil-producing glands and this is genetically determined, whereas dehydrated skin is simply lacking in water (not oil). This is why contrary to popular belief, oily skin can still be dehydrated and dry skin can still get breakouts and blemishes.

In order to work out which one you’re experiencing, we often look at how long you’ve been struggling with your concerns. If you’ve always felt that your skin is tight, dull and flakey then the chances are you’ve got dry skin and this is your skin type. If you only periodically experience these symptoms or they’re brand new, your skin is more than likely dehydrated. So what’s the solution…

How to treat dry skin
If you can now identify that your skin is dry, you’ll be looking for all the moisture you can get your hands on, as your sebaceous glands aren’t producing enough oil. In addition, moisture will also help to restore your skin barrier which is naturally weaker for people that have dry skin.

Everything you need can be found in our Proactive Age Ultimate Moisturiser as it contains intensely nourishing ingredients to restore both your moisture levels and skin barrier. These include natural oils, shea butter and glycerin that deliver soft, supple and nourished skin.

How to treat dehydrated skin
If on the other hand you’ve established your skin is dehydrated, then it needs water. Hyaluronic Acid will be your new best friend as it not only pulls water from the environment, but it holds up to 1,000 times its own weight in water too.

To help you visualise, image your dehydrated skin cells like shrivelled raisins. As soon as you apply the Hyaluronic Acid to them, they plump up like juicy grapes giving you a healthy, radiant complexion.

This is why I formulated our Super Serum with the highest quality Hyaluronic Acid, so that it will travel to the deeper layers of your skin for maximum impact. It restores a smooth, even skin tone and delivers the most beautiful glow.

I hope this helped you to define your skin needs at home. You will be your own little experts in no time at all! Thank you so much for reading and I can’t wait to see you back here next week.

Amy x