We’re in the middle of winter & a lot of us are experiencing skin dehydration. Today I’m going to cover what dehydration is, what causes dehydration, why it’s important to treat dehydration in an acne prone skin and then I’ll cover how to treat dehydration
Dehydration vs Dryness
Dryness means that the skin doesn’t have enough oil. You can be born with a dry skin type or the change of seasons can make your skin dry.
Dry skin tends to flake and feel rough, the skin can crack & bleed in some instances as it lacks oil, so this makes it sensitive and itchy.
Dehydrated skin means that the skin lacks water. Various things can cause your skin to be dehydrated.
A dehydrated skin feels tight, it has fine lines and any skin type can develop dehydration
What causes Dehydrated skin
- Winter – There is less moisture in the air in winter and this leads to the skin becoming more dry & dull. Water is drawn out of our skin into the air, causing it to dehydrate
- Not drinking enough water – This leads to your body being dehydrated. If your body is dehydrated, it reserves any water it has for your vital organs. Your skin is not a vital organ so it gets very little in the end. If you’re drinking enough water and your skin is still dehydrated, then something else is causing that dehydration.
- Medication – Antibiotics & anaesthesia used in surgery can also cause dehydrated skin. If you’ve gone for an operation, your skin can stay dehydrated for up to 6 months after the operation
- Cleanser – Using harsh cleansers or the wrong cleanser for your skin type can also lead to dehydration
- Toners – Using toners that contain alcohol or witch hazel can dehydrate your skin
- Over exfoliating – You should be exfoliating your skin 2-3 times a week. Exfoliating too frequently will dehydrate your skin & lead to sensitivity
- Crappy product ingredients – If your skincare products contain ingredients like sodium lauryl sulphate, denatured alcohol, fragrance & essential oils, then your skin will become easily dehydrated.
Why is it important to treat dehydration in the skin if you have pimples
The skin cannot produce its water, so if it’s dehydrated, it starts producing a lot of oil to try and moisturise itself. If you are prone to pimples, this will only cause more pimples.
So if you treat the dehydration, it will lessen the oil production in the skin, improving the pimples.
Alpha hydroxy acids & salicylic acid are often used in the treatment of pimples. These have an irritating action on the skin as they treat the pimples. If your skin is dehydrated, they will penetrate the skin too quickly causing more irritation & inflammation in the skin.
This will only lead to sensitivity, creating more hyperpigmentation & pimples
So make sure to treat the dehydration & repair the barrier first before introducing acids & you will find that your skin clears up by just doing that
How to treat dehydrated skin
Introduce hydrating serums or hydrating masks into your skincare routine.
Serums are treatments and even if your moisturiser has hyaluronic acid, for example, your serum will have a higher concentration of it. My favourite serum is the Hydration Juice
Masks are also treatments but unlike serums that have to be used daily, you can use a mask 2-3 times a week.
A moisturiser is also important to nourish the skin. Sometimes your skin can be dehydrated no matter how much hydration you give it. This can be caused by the skin not being able to hold on to moisture, meaning the barrier is impaired.
My favourite moisturiser is the Liquid Moisturiser as it contains 2% ceramides. Ceramides form part of your skin’s barrier & this moisturiser will make sure that they’re replenished, allowing moisture to stay in the skin
Increase your intake of foods rich in healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts, seeds & avocado or take an omega-3 supplement. This will help replenish the fatty acids that make up your skin’s barrier
Dink an electrolyte drink monthly or every 2 weeks. Electrolyte levels may be out of balance in our bodies preventing our body from being able to hold on to water. Replenishing these may help with skin dehydration as your body will be more hydrated.
Be careful not to drink too much as that is not good either.