Dehydrated skin is a skin condition, like sensitive skin is a skin condition, and so is rosacea and so on.
It isn’t dry skin. Dry skin lacks moisture, whereas dehydrated skin contains moisture, but lacks hydration due to the way one decides to live their life. Dehydrated skin is often confused with oily skin. The comparison is this. Like oily skin, dehydrated skin has blackheads. Difference is, blackheads are not as reoccurring as with oily skin. When removing black heads with this skin condition, it remains at bay for a while before returning. Because, this skin condition doesn’t produce enough oil, it overcompensates by producing hydration in the T-zone, making a person believe they have oily skin. Pores are not enlarged. Blemishes occur, mainly in the cheek and chin area, making the blemishes, not acne hormonal. Dehydrated skin does produce blemishes. Blemishes actually disappear when the person knows why they are appearing, for example, lack of sleep, drinking too much caffeine, stress, not drinking enough water, etc. Actually, there is a large population of people who have dehydrated skin and don’t even know it. They mainly believe their skin is oily. This skin condition actually has white flakes like dry skin, on the chin and cheek area when it’s looked under a microscope, but not enough of it to make it dry skin. Dry skin ages, dehydrated skin if not treated properly results in cracked skin. Apply too much moisture, which a person shouldn’t do, results in breakouts, not enough, results in break outs. Products designed for normal-to-dry skin works. Products are being designed specifically for this skin condition is appearing on the market. It will read hydrating, hydrate, etc.
Causes of Dehydrated Skin:
o Alcohol
o Hot Beverages (coffee, tea; including herbal tea, hot chocolate)
o Weather: sun; even sun shining through a window in your home or car, humidity, wind chill, cold weather, wind.
o Smoking: even if you are a second hand smoker. Smoke on the face causes the skin to develop sensitivity.
o Environmental Aggressions: pollution, etc
o Drugs
o Spicy Foods
o Central Heating
o Central Air Conditioning
o Harsh Chemicals
o Preservatives: Parabens, Phthalates, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS or for short Sulfate) Sulfate is what causes products to really foam. You can still have products that foam with sulfate. So, toothpaste, hand soaps, shampoos, cleansers, etc., as well as other preservatives. Parabens prolong beauty products life span.
o Using harsh skin care products on your face
o Hot showers
o Steam
o Salt absorbs water
o Red Wine. Red wine is great for the system internally, but horrible externally. This causing permanent redness to the skin, sensitivity to the skin, which leads to rosacea.
Dehydrated skin is something I have. For cleansers, I love milk cleansers, milk baths, milk and honey baths in the winter, body butters in the winter, exfoliating is so important for everyone. Products that contain salicylic acid, glycolic acid removes blemishes. Acne is what oily skin has, blemishes is what dehydrated skin has. It differs. Natural moisturizers that are milk, oat, almond (moisturizing), olive (hydrating); I like using almond oil or and almond mask, or anything containing almond in the winter, and olive anything in the summer, green tea re-hydrates you quicker than water. Tomatoes work well, also. Anything citrus, such as lemons, limes, grapefruit removes the acne scars, as they are natural bleachers.
Dehydrated skin is also linked to the aging process. When we loose hydration, we age. Mind you, aging is genetic, however lack of hydration does contribute.
I was diagnosed with normal skin, as my skin type, and with two skin conditions by a dermatologist in my early, early 20’s. The skin conditions are sensitive and dehydrated skin. Back then, dehydrated skin didn’t hit mainstream, people were not well educated on this matter. Facials if they were not performed well, due to the wrong products (products for oily skin) were being applied to my face, so bad facials, as I would break out. Were all frustrating and annoying. Finding products was annoying, because other than, “use products that say “Normal to Dry Skin” on them wasn’t easy. However, Normal to Dry skin products are for dehydrated skin. Thankfully, you have skincare lines, like Clarins, that have a whole range of hydration products for all skin types; oily, dry, normal, sensitive. Even though sensitive skin and dehydrated skin, practically go hand in hand. I’m always down to try new a new hydrating line. I’ve tried Chanel Skincare Essentials: Hydra Beauty Collection. Love it. Anything that is milk based, your skin will love, I kid you not. My Top 8 Body Milks. Using products that are harsh, such as harsh chemicals contribute to dehydration, even preservatives, as much as a life style contributing to the dehydrating skin.
I’m Stacey Camacho, thank you for reading. Until next time!
Stacey Hobbs 