We have tackled the topic of dry skin many times before, talking about dry skin causes, symptoms, and treatments. However, in the cold season, it is important to know more about dehydration and dry skin. While they feel almost the same, these two conditions are different and they require specific approaches. Let’s take a look today at the dehydration and dry skin common features and especially at their differences to make sure you prevent and combat them properly!
What is Dry Skin?
Dry skin is a type of skin – just like oily or combination skin. When it comes to understanding the different types of skin, moisture is the term we have to consider. We have sebaceous glands. Their role is to produce sebum, the oily substance that helps protect, lubricate and nourish our skin, preventing it from drying out and causing premature aging. In some people, these glands overwork and produce too much sebum, which leads to the condition of having oily skin. By comparison, in some people, the glands produce too little sebum, the consequence being dry skin.
What is Dehydrated Skin?
One of the first images when talking about dehydration is the grape versus raisin one. The grape has plenty of water, while the grape lacks large quantities of it. If you extrapolate the example to your skin, it is easy to understand that hydration’s foundation relies on the water levels inside your body at a given time. Moreover, for the skin, hydration means increasing the amount of water in your skin cells, which results in a healthy, smooth and glowing complexion. When properly hydrated, your skin (face, hands, body) presents few to none wrinkles and fine lines and appears younger.
Dehydration and Dry Skin: The Differences
The conclusion of the issues discussed above is this: dry skin represents a lack of natural oils, while dehydration represents a lack of water at a cellular level. In other words, while we cannot do much about correcting the sebum levels from the inside out, we can correct the hydration levels.
Dehydration is also overlooked initially because many people associate the dehydration symptoms with the ones attached to dry skin. If you use a rich moisturizer and yet your skin feels tight and lack-luster, you may blame dry skin. However, dehydration is a variable you should consider.
Dehydrated Skin Symptoms
In order to correctly make the differences between dehydration and dry skin, let us take a look at the dehydrated skin symptoms. They are reversible – that is the good news!
- Your skin looks like having more fine lines and wrinkles as usual
- Your skin looks a little lack-luster
- Your skin will absorb a moisturizer quickly, but still feel tight and parched
- Your makeup will get flaky and patchy during the day as your skin absorbs anything it can from the foundation for instance.
Dry Skin Symptoms
Dry skin symptoms, while not completely irreversible, they can be treated and kept under control. You can consult this quick home remedies for dry skin guide to understand better what measures you need to take for your skin’s health and looks.
- Your skin feels tight, especially after bathing and cleansing
- Your skin develops flakes, itchiness, irritations, inflammations, redness, pain sometimes, pores’ damages, and an ashy look (in people with darker complexions), and so on.
- Your skin looks dull
- Your skin lacks elasticity and volume
- Your skin may develop dermatological conditions when it is both dry and sensitive
What Can You Do About Dehydration?
In order to prevent dehydration and reverse its symptoms visible on your skin, drinking plenty of water on a daily basis is the common sense advice – and the first, most important one. However, there are a few other steps you might want to consider:
- Make some dietary changes (with a focus on fruits and vegetables) and cut back a little on coffee and alcohol
- Cut back a little the amount of salt you ingest
- Get the exact amount of sleep your organism needs
- Use the correct skin care products – focus on those that bind moisture to the skin, like hyaluronic acid. Besides using the right creams, oils, lotions, and cosmetic products, you can also think about hyaluronic acid supplements that revive your skin and slow down aging symptoms.
What Can You Do About Dry Skin?
Dry skin is not a condition that “passes” – it actually worsens with age as cells lose their collagen over time. Dry skin needs everyday care. Do not think about complicated or expensive treatments.
- Introduce in your diet foods with anti-aging properties, which will give your skin its balance, health, and glow it needs.
- If your dry skin is also sensitive or especially vulnerable in winter, use the best winter skin care products you can find on the market that address your specific skin needs.
- Try dry skin home remedies, face masks, skin treatments, and so on to make sure your skin is both perfectly cleansed and properly nourished.
Wrapping up…
Now that you saw the dehydration and dry skin differences, tell us what you do to prevent and correct each of these conditions. Do you have your own skin care homemade recipes and tips you would like to share with the community?