Delving into dehydrated skin
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Delving into dehydrated skin
Dehydrated skin lacks moisture. It may be confused with dry skin, which lacks oil. So, how do you know if your skin is dehydrated? The main clues are:
- Itchiness
- Dullness
- Under-eye circles & sunken eyes
- Uneven skin tone
- More noticeable fine lines
The water-retaining issue
Many of my clients tell me that they drink tons of water, yet their skin is still dehydrated. The problem here is that for some reason the skin is not efficiently retaining water. The skin’s top layers act as a barrier that is then coated with a hydrolipidic film that, as the name suggests, is a mixture of oils and water; this prevents excess moisture from evaporating from the skin.
The limits of the hydrolipidic film
Exposure to a dry environment such as a heated home during the winter months, or an environment where there is not enough humidity in the air, can be too much for this thin coating and cause it to be compromised, leading to moisture evaporating from the skin.
The destruction of the skin’s barrier
The popularity of skin resurfacing ingredients in many cosmetic products, harsh soaps, solvents, acids, and retinols all compromise the integrity of the skin’s barrier. Without this barrier the skin loses its ability to retain water, as well as becoming exposed to pollutants and pathogenic bacteria.
How to solve the problem
- Make sure you are drinking enough water.
- Turn the heating off during the night and open a window a little.
- Avoid any foaming cleansers and skincare products with exfoliants or skin resurfacing effects.
- Apply moisturiser morning and evening, and top up during the day if needed!
Top Tip: How to choose a moisturiser for dehydrated skin
Moisturisers are meant to do what the name implies, to moisturise, and to help the skin with moisture binding. The most effective moisturisers are the ones that need to be worked into the skin a little, this will allow for the water-binding ingredients to blend with the skin, reinforcing its hydrolipidic film.
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