Dry or Dehydrated?

When creating your skincare routine, it’s important to understand the difference between your skin type and your skin conditions.

What’s the difference between the two?

Your skin type is determined by your genes, and generally classified into four categories: dry, oily, combination and normal. Our skin conditions are circumstantial and usually temporary, they may change as a result of seasonal shifts, sun damage or lifestyle choices and can be treated once the condition is identified. For example, acne, pigmentation, and dehydration are all skin conditions. 

Dry skin has a predisposed lack of sebum production, which is the oil formulation our skin produces to help protect the skin. Dry skin can be due to an impaired skin barrier or smaller pores than a person with an oily skin type, leaving less room for sebum to travel up the wick of the follicle to the surface of the skin. Additionally, dry skin may be lacking the natural moisturizing factors that help keep the skin dewy and supple and instead result in flaky, dull and cracked skin. When treating dry skin, it’s important to choose products with ingredients that will help repair your barrier function such as ceramides, squalene, lanolin and shea butter. 

Often confused with dry skin is dehydrated skin which is a condition that can affect all skin types. Dehydrated skin is lacking water and requires support to help prevent the skin from trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), which is when water travels through the dermis to the epidermis and evaporates at the skin’s surface. Dehydrated skin may result in more surface wrinkles, itchiness, and an overall uneven complexion that lacks luster. Dehydrated skin requires more hydration and moisture. When choosing products, it’s important to look for ingredients with humectants like hyaluronic acid, and glycerin as well as beta-glucans and oils.  

For both dry and dehydrated skin it is important to avoid foaming cleansers, products with alcohol, harsh scrubs (exfoliate but avoid nut scrubs and rough beads), and hot showers.