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Dry vs dehydrated skin - What’s the difference?
Dry skin and dehydrated skin are easily confused, but fundamentally distinct. Dry skin is influenced by biological factors and characterised by lack of sebum production. Dehydrated skin manifests when our skin loses moisture, which happens when the epidermis, the skin’s outermost layer, is compromised. Dry skin might look and feel tight, patchy and rough, whereas dehydrated skin often appears dull with more perceptible lines and wrinkles.
What causes skin dryness?
Dry skin and dehydrated skin can be triggered by a motley mix of biological, environmental and everyday factors. Artificially heated and cooled environments, over-exfoliation, showers that are too hot, skincare products, soaps and surfactants that strip the skin, smoking, excessive salt and caffeine – each works to compromise the skin’s barrier, decreasing its natural moisturising abilities. Mitigate these factors, and your epidermis will reward you.
What to do for dry skin & dehydration
Seek out ingredients shown to help the skin retain moisture, like Hyaluronic Acid. This superstar ingredient acts as a humectant, drawing moisture from its surroundings and binding to water molecules to boost hydration. Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) improves epidermal barrier function, reducing moisture loss to minimise fine lines and wrinkles. Squalane Oil mimics the body's natural hydrating oils to provide weightless moisture to deliver active ingredients deep into the skin. Select Plant Oils are also a plus, acting as occlusives that seal in moisture and alleviate dryness (always apply these last).
Top tips for relieving dry skin
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Pay attention to your microclimate and time spent in artificially heated or cooled environments, as these have a drying effect on the skin.
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Over-exfoliating, as this can disturb the skin’s desquamation process, stripping healthy cells, exposing raw skin to environmental stressors and exacerbating dryness.
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Tune into your hormones. Many common medications can disturb your hormonal balance and dehydrate your skin. Low levels of oestrogen, as well as a general oestrogen imbalance, can trigger dry skin. Note, oestrogen levels fluctuate during menstruation and decline as women enter menopause; dry skin is more common in mature-aged women.
Best ingredients for dry skin
Dehydration is an issue which can affect any type of skin at any time of the year. It’s also a skin condition that can highlight the premature signs of ageing like fine lines and loss of radiance (see our Ant-Ageing collection for products to combat the signs of premature ageing). Here, we’re highlighting four of our favourite ingredients that help to boost hydration and offer quick relief for thirsty skin.
LACTIC ACID
What it does for your skin: Lactic Acid gently exfoliates and hydrates, acting as a humectant and attracting water molecules to help refresh, refine, and revitalise. Why we love Lactic Acid: For skins new to AHAs, this is your gentle gateway transition. It’s a gentler, non-irritating AHA option for skins who can’t tolerate Glycolic Acid. Added bonus: we find that cleansing with Lactic Acid helps to boost the efficacy of the rest of your skincare products that follow.
Find Lactic Acid in: Our gentle but effective L-Lactic Cleanser. An efficient way to combine cleansing and gentle exfoliation in one efficient move, it can be used by most skin types.
HYALURONIC ACID
What it does for your skin: A highly buzzed-about humectant, Hyaluronic Acid can hold up to 1000 times its own weight in water, helping to boost and preserve the skin’s moisture reserves. It also helps to boost Collagen production, fight free radicals, calm and soothe skin.
Why we love Hyaluronic Acid: It keeps any and every skin happy, including oily and sensitive types. The gel-like Hyaluronic Acid is found naturally within our body but much like Collagen, it starts to decrease with age. Topping up your natural reserves with this moisture magnet helps to hydrate and plump up your skin (including those fine lines and wrinkles) while keeping it soft and smooth.
Find Hyaluronic Acid in: Expert Revitalise Hyaluronic Jelly Mask
NIACINAMIDE
What it does for your skin: A water-soluble B vitamin, Niacinamide (also known as Vitamin B3) ticks so many boxes, helping to visibly minimise enlarged pores, improve uneven skin tone, soften fine lines and wrinkles and help encourage resilience within the skin.
Why we love Niacinamide: It excels at skin renewal and is deserving of its status as one of the MVP ingredients in skincare right now. Niacinamide plays well with other active ingredients (such as Retinol, peptides, Hyaluronic Acid, and AHAs) — and all skin types, including those with sensitivity or rosacea, and is easily incorporated into your skincare routine. It’s become a popular ingredient in moisturisers as it boosts the abilities of other hydrating ingredients and prevents moisture loss.
Find Niacinamide in: Enzymatic Micro Peel
Our gentler option for exfoliation, this all-skins appropriate, skin-refining peel can be used as either an exfoliant or treatment mask to help even the most fragile of skins be their best, smoothest, softest self possible.
We also hero Niacinamide in our new EXPERT RESTORE Niacinamide Replenishing Cream to make the most of its hydrating, softening, and protective powers. Like a hug for your face, we love this nourishing cream for its immediate calming and hydrating properties but also for its longer-term benefits and the way it helps to minimise those premature signs of ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles and loss of volume.
ROSEHIP OIL
What it does for your skin: Rosehip Oil is a proven skin softener thanks to high levels of essential fatty acids (like Omegas 3 and 6) which also create a more resilient skin barrier. High concentrations of Vitamins A, B1, B2,B3, and K give it superior regenerative and healing properties.
Why we love Rosehip Oil: It’s an incredibly nutritious, natural healer and hydrator for all skin types (including oily and acne-prone who normally steer clear of oils) but it has powerful anti-aging properties, helping to boost Collagen production and elasticity, and brilliant brightening abilities. A natural multi-tasker.
Find Rosehip Oil in: Multi-Active Oil
Our beautifully nourishing and nurturing face oil is the perfect fix for dehydrated, dry, and sensitive types and to give your skin a boost during the cooler months. It’s everything you want in a face oil, basically.
SQUALANE OIL
What it does for your skin: Squalane is a rich emollient that mimics the body's natural hydrating oils to provide weightless moisture, preventing over drying.
Why we love Squalane Oil: it provides weightless moisture to deliver active ingredients deep into the skin, helping you to get the most out of your skincare.
How to Deal with Thirsty Skin
How to find your perfect moisturiser
Why every face could do with a hydrating mist
Why hyaluronic acid is everything right now
