Stephie Estie

Could Your Skin Be Dehydrated Instead of Dry?

Hello readers!  🙂

We’re pretty much all familiar with the term dehydration.  Dehydration occurs when your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should but did you know that the same concept applies to your skin? If your skin has ever felt dry or taut, you may be experiencing dehydration.  It’s important to note that dehydration can occur on all skin types (yes, even oily).

The difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin is that dry skin lacks oil while dehydrated skin lacks water.  (To learn more about skin types click here)

Appearance

Dehydration can be characterized by:

  • a flaky appearance
  • feels tight and dry
  • very superficial fine lines

Causes

Skin that is dehydrated can be caused by:

  • lack of moisture
  • age
  • incorrect product use (harsh products such as soap and over-exfoliating)
  • diet (mainly fat-free diets)
  • climates (cold winds and low temperatures)
  • environment (heaters and air conditioners)
  • medications/medical conditions
  • excessive coffee and alcohol intake,
  • hormonal imbalances
  • UV exposure

Treatment 

Keep in mind all the possible causes and adjust accordingly.  (FYI: For dietary concerns ALWAYS consult a medical professional and/or registered dietitian before implementing any changes in your diet to verify there are no contraindications with certain medical conditions or medications.)

Also, maintaining a skin care routine appropriate for your skin type that includes humectants (water attracting ingredients) such as glycerin, sodium PCA, sorbitol and hyaluronic acid.

Click here for product recommendations, including those with oily skin.

I hope this information was helpful and as always if you have any questions/concerns, feel free to ask me. 🙂

Stephanie 

Disclaimer:  The contents on this website, and any related links, are provided for general informational purposes and should NOT be considered medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here. Please consult a healthcare provider if you have any questions about a particular health condition.  

 

Comments

  1. You know it is funny you post this because I recently read an article how a woman started to drink a gallon of water everyday for 4 weeks and they showed week by week results and omg by her fourth week her dark circles and splotchy skin were gone!!! Her skin looked beautiful, I hope it wasn’t photoshopped but I am for sure going to try to drink a gallon of water from now on because she looked flawless. xoxox Janet

    • ^Omg, I a girlfriend of mine just posted that same article on Facebook. I was pretty amazed with the outcome. Either way water is really good for you anyways, but if it gets rid of dark circles and splotchy skin, sign me up, I’ll drink an extra couple of glasses worth.

    • I have to read and see that article. Water intake is essential for our health so it’s a great form in hydrating our body. With that said, our skin is an external organ. When you drink water, your internal organs benefit from this first, leaving minute amounts to hydrate cells. That’s where topical hydration comes in to help provide and seal in moisture. As for dark circles, it would have to depend on what caused them in the first place. If it’s sun induced, hydration isn’t going to get rid of them. Same with the splotchy skin. I’m not saying that water won’t help the skin, but certain skin conditions extend far beyond hydration, if that makes sense. Hope this helps. 🙂

        • No, liver spots are usually caused by the sun and believe me, drinking water won’t make them go away. I’ll do a post in the future about hyperpigmentation (age spots, liver spots).

          • I actually have hyper-pigmentation in my face from pregnancy, it just never went away. I went to my dermatologist to lighten the dark spots, it was the only way to treat it.

          • No, hydroquinone cream for 8 weeks, it really lighten up the spots. You can’t see the spots really once I apply foundation so I was really happy with the results. They’re still there but I would say the cream lighten up the dark spots by 75%.

          • It can controversial only because people use it for like their entire body to lighten up skin color, which is pretty much a big no no! It can be very toxic in high amounts, I just use it for spot treatment for serval weeks. The spot I used it on was about the size of a dime. I just felt all I saw was that spot, ya know? I had to do something with it.

          • Yes, I know the feeling. I think it’s recommended to be used on 3 or 6 month increments, meaning 3 or 6 months on and then 3 or 6 months off. I know they are doing more research on it.

          • Yes, that’s what my dermatologist told me. He said to only use at more 8 weeks and then hold off on using it for a few months and then reapply with for a couple of weeks and then stop.

      • Thanks for explaining all of that! I have dark circles under my eyes but I have been told it’s because of my allergies. One of my goals is to increase my water intake and I hope that it will make quite a difference. I think it should. 🙂

      • Yes it helps a lot! You know I have no idea how come I have dark circles lol I should look into that, I know I have red veins all over my face and I have been told that is sun damage but I really should get my skin in checked out. Either way I need to start drinking lots more water <3

  2. Ok that’s it I am definitely going increase my water intake! lol. I think being hydrated really makes a difference and you just generally feel better. 🙂

  3. First, there’s skin type and there’s skin condition. Your type is what you’re naturally born with, such as oily or dry skin. Your condition, however, is something that can cause you to experience other problems like acne and irritation. It can happen to anyone, temporarily or longer, and in some instances, a skin condition can stay for good.

    • Yes, you make a valid point. Skin types are genetically determined and I talk about this is on my post about skin types. 🙂 I wrote this post mostly to distinguish the difference between a true dry skin (type) and dehydration. Oftentimes, people think they are suddenly dry and slather on heavier products in hopes of fixing the problem, when in fact, they just need to add topical hydration. I will include a future post that differentiates skin types vs skin conditions. 🙂