Is your skin dehydrated or dry? This is how you can tell the difference.
Is your skin feeling dry, flaky, rough in texture? There’s a difference between dry and dehydrated skin, yet they both tend to feel the same...just plain dry. However, there are two underlying causes that can result in dry skin: One is lack of water (dehydrated skin) and the other is lack of oil (dry skin). Before diving into any new skincare ritual, it’s important to first identify the signs of your dry skin condition.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
Is my skin red, itchy, inflamed? Does it appear to be dull or congested? When I gently pinch my cheek do fine lines and wrinkles appear? Is it both dry and oily?
These are common signs of dehydrated skin (lacks water). Dehydrated skin needs lipid and water-rich products for more proper hydration. Keep reading below!
Is my skin flaky or itchy? Does my skin tend to feel tight and dry easily? Is it uncomfortable?
These are common signs of dry skin (lacks lipids/oil). Dry skin needs lipid-rich products for skin barrier support.
Dry Skin
Dry skin is an inherent skin condition (or skin type...hello genetics!) that is caused by a lack of lipids or oil/sebum production. Dry skin types are genetically predisposed to produce less sebum than a normal skin type. Dry skin types tend to be dry all over, including hands, arms, and legs.
Dehydrated skin
Dehydrated skin is a skin state that does not have enough water. Dehydrated skin is also caused by several other factors like excessive cleansing with harsh products/chemicals and environmental factors like lack of water intake, stress, weather, and diet. It’s also important to note that dehydrated skin can be both oily and dehydrated. When skin is dehydrated, it creates more oil to make up for the missing water. This can cause breakouts, irritation, and dry patches.
A simple routine for both dehydrated and dry skin.
Step one cleansing:
Skip washing your face in the morning. Yes, this may come as a shock to many as we’ve been conditioned to think that we must wash our face morning and night. (Thanks to our teenage years!) Skipping the morning wash avoids over-cleansing which exaggerates dryness. Harsh cleansers, surfactants, harmful ingredients, and detergents can seriously damage our skin’s natural moisture barrier. Our skin is a regenerating machine! Every morning you wake with the much-needed sebum produced to protect, nourish and hydrate your skin. We don’t want to wash that away. Simply rinse with water in the morning. The best time to cleanse your skin is in the evening before bed. We recommend our Calendula facial soap and Cleansing Oil. Using a cleansing oil (specifically formulated for dry skin!) deeply cleanses and purifies pores without over-drying the skin.
Step two exfoliate:
As dead skin builds up, it can diminish the absorption of moisturizers. Give your skin a gentle exfoliation using our natural sugar scrubs at most 2x per week. We recommend using our Lavender or Honey Oatmeal exfoliating sugar scrubs. Assist your skin by removing dead skin cells that may black proper absorption of nutrient-rich moisturizers.
Step three hydrate:
Hydrate with natural plant oils whenever possible. Conventional creams and moisturizers are often filled with chemicals that appear to be hydrating, however, these products often clog (i.e. suffocate) your pores. Moisturize dry + dehydrated skin with real, vitamin-rich ingredients that are similar to the makeup of your skin (i.e. oils and healthy fats!). Plant oils contain healing properties that can actually penetrate into the deeper levels of the skin to rebuild and retain moisture. Our Radiance Face Serum and Cactus Concentrate Beauty cream are made with nutrient-rich plant oils like Prickly Pear and Pomegranate seed oil that leave your skin truly glowing with health and hydration.
TIP: If you identified your skin as dehydrated, it’s important to incorporate a floral water-based toner into your routine. We highly recommend using our Refresh facial mist to create an emulsion with the face serum or beauty cream. Simply mist your face generously PRIOR to applying the serum and cream. This will allow for proper skin hydration and balance.
Although dry skin can be caused by either genetics or a simple lack of water, you want to create a routine that will restore and defend against dryness by being consistent with this simple yet effective routine.
Other important factors to consider:
Hydrate from the inside out! Drink plenty of water, herbal teas, and eat/drink your leafy greens. We like to start our day with a green smoothie that incorporates, spinach, kale, and celery!
Add a humidifier to your bedroom. During the cold winter months, our skin releases that much needed moisture into the air. Consider adding a humidifier to your home or office to keep the air in your space adequately humid.
Take collagen and eat healthy fats. Nourish your skin and body with healthy fats full of omega fatty acids like Omega 6 and Omega 9.
We hope these tips help your skin say goodbye to dry desert days, and hello to deeply hydrated and nourished skin. Have additional questions? We are here to help! Send us an email at DeMiTierraNatural@gmail.com or message us on Instagram or Facebook.