Dry and
Dehydrated Skin,
Demystified
The science behind it and tips to beat it, for good.
Cheers to healthy skin!
Have you had enough of feeling tight, dry, flaky, dull and flat out annoyed?
Dry and dehydrated skin is hard to avoid in this climate and 95% of clients that visit Citrine have it, at least somewhere, on their faces. So what’s the difference between dry and dehydrated skin and how can I fix it, for good?
Dry skin is a skin type you’re born with. (click the link to Facemap yourself. Warning! It's brutally honest) Typically dry skin types have smaller pores that don’t produce enough natural oils to keep skin well moisturized and protected. Small pores just don't have the same mechanics as their oily-skinned counterparts to produce enough of it. Sufferers of this skin type may literally feel dry all over including on the hands, feet and scalp. A good way to help Dry skin is to add skin loving oils into your regimen.
Dehydrated skin, on the other hand is a condition that any skin type can experience due to a lack of water on a surface and cellular level. You can have oily skin and be dehydrated. You can have combination skin and be dehydrated - all at the same time! It's hard to comprehend how oil rich skin could be dehydrated in the first place, so try separating the oil from the water. They both play specific roles when it comes to skin. We need both water and oil to be balanced. A lack of either will throw the ratio out of wack. Certain environmental triggers, climate, lack of proper skin care, medication or lifestyle choices all play a role into the cause of the water loss. These are the factors that can strip away the natural moisturizing factors we would otherwise have. Alcohol and sugar play into this as well. I'm not saying give up the wine, I'd never, this is Wisconsin, so moderation is the key here.
Chronic dehydration or dryness leads to an impaired barrier function of the skin. That also means you're susceptible to premature aging! Nobody wants that! Let's explain the barrier- It's one of the single most important functions responsible for keeping allergens, pollution, inclement weather and bad bacteria from penetrating your skin and keeping it running problem free. Imagine our barrier layer being made out of brick and mortar. Now, take a brick out here, some mortar out there, and you'll no longer have a solid wall. Wind, rain and snow and sun would all have a way in. That's exactly what happens when dry skin is left untreated. It can quickly change to dehydrated and sensitive/sensitized. This is why it gets easily irritated, feels uncomfortable, looks tight and usually appears dull.
Here's the good news- It's easily treatable and manageable! Healing dehydration starts with using the right products in your regimen on a daily basis that work WITH your skin to heal, hydrate and protect.
Treating dry skin takes more than slappin' on daily moisturizer. Here's some tips and tricks OTHER than moisturizing to help you combat your dry skin.
**note, these products are suggestions and will be guaranteed only when professionally recommended during a skin treatment or face mapping session at Citrine.
Cleanser
Try not to: Use Foaming or gel Cleansers, the suds literally strip away the already tiny amount of natural oils and humectants from skin. Using the right cleanser is the first step to helping balance dehydrated skin. It's not the most exciting part of a regimen but it IS one of the most important. If this step is being done incorrectly, there's no way skin can recoup.
DO: Use water soluble cream cleansers that work with your barrier and don't leave irritating residue behind. Cleansers that gently wash away dirt and makeup and leave skin feeling soft and moisturized, instead of tight and dry is the goal.
Favorite Dry Skin Cleansers: NEW Intensive Moisture Cleanser (pictured), Ultra Calming Cleanser.
Toner
Try not to: Use drying astringents and toners. Long gone are the days of alcohol based, skin stripping Sea Breeze and Clearasil.
DO: Use hydrating and balancing toners that add vitamins, hydration and protection. Toners are designed to prep your skin for serums and moisturizer. Pro tip- Using one of Dermalogica's toning mists will help add vitamins and nutrients to your skin. You’ll also end up using less moisturizer because of their hydrating properties, which adds up to savings! Spritz over freshly done makeup to use as a setting spray, or carry in your purse to liven up end-of-day makeup.
Favorite Toners: Antioxidant Hydramist (pictured), Multi Active toner or NEW Ultra Calming Essence (not a mist)
Dermalogica’s Antioxidant Hydramist is a super hydrating, vitamin and peptide filled toner that has flash firming properties from peas!
Exfoliants
Why do I need to exfoliate? Your skin is constantly making and shedding millions of new and old skin cells. This process happens constantly, it's called Desquamation. The live cell will travel up through the epidermis until it reaches the very outermost layer, where it will die and then be shed. When we're young, this process happens every 28 days, which is ideal. It's why young people unfairly have such a bright, luminous healthy glow to their skin.
Unfortunately, as we get older, the process can and usually will slow down. That's why we often feel rough, look lackluster and have fine dehydration lines. But...there's good news! We can literally speed up the entire desquamation process through Exfoliation! By helping slough off those slowed down, dull, dead cells we're signaling the live layers to speed up and work faster. That's how exfoliation plays such an important role in keeping skin functioning properly and working at tip-top speed. Proper exfoliation is as important to anti aging and skin health as using SPF on a regular basis is. And- if done properly, will even help dry and dehydrated skin. You'll look brighter, smoother and more radiant.
There are so many options for which exfoliant is best for you and your particular skin type and current conditions. That's why getting a skin treatment at Citrine is the best way to find out which is best for you. Go home with a free customized exfoliation plan at Citrine with any skin service.
Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant - This amazing, best selling enzyme and rice based powder exfoliant softens and brightens skin to perfection.
Try not to: Exfoliate too much by over-using harsh alpha or beta hydroxy acids and scrubs. Throw away your Apricot Scrub, or save it for the bottoms of your feet. The crushed shells literally cut skin like it's made of glass. (The souls of our feet have an extra layer of skin, called the Stratum Lucidum, only found elsewhere on our palms. That's why they're the only parts that can handle this extreme form of exfoliation) Too much exfoliation will over-dry, add fine dehydration lines and impair your barrier, which can lead to skin sensitivity. Generally, exfoliation should be done about 2 to 3 times per week, depending on your particular skin type and conditions.
DO: Use enzyme based exfoliants that gently digest dead skin cells on the surface. This type of exfoliation requires very little abrasiveness, which helps skin recover from being dry and dehydrated. If you were to use a harsh scrub on very dry skin, you'd end up making the whole situation worse. Lactic Acid infused exfoliants are also recommended because this particular type of Alpha Hydroxy acid actually helps bind water to the skin. Lactic acid is also an amazing skin brightener and smoother.
Favorite Exfoliant: Daily Microfoliant (pictured), Daily Superfoliant
In general - Cleansing, Toning and Exfoliating play a huge role in maintaining daily skin health for all skin types, including Dry and Dehydrated. Adding serums to your daily skin health regimen is an other way to treat dehydration and target other issues like fine lines, texture and pigmentation. If you've ever wondered why your skin constantly feels dry even though you moisturize on a daily basis, the above remedies are some of the things you can try to help fix that. It really does take more than moisturizer to combat dry skin!