Dehydrated Skin: Causes, Symptoms, and Care Tips
What is dehydrated skin?
Lack of hydration (water) within the skin due to high level of trans-epidermal water loss. It is not a skin type, but a skin condition. It does not discriminate between dry, oily, normal or combination skin types.
What does dehydrated skin feel and look like?
Tight and inflexible. When pulled very gently, it can appear to crinkle (form small creases or wrinkles). It lacks “bounce” and suppleness and is unresponsive to products that should work on “normal” skin.
What causes dehydrated skin?
There are many causes of dehydrated skin. Some of the most common ones are harsh cleansers, products with high levels of alcohol, astringents, excessive use of acids, bathing in hot water for too long, dry air and low humidity, over cleansing, mechanical exfoliation.
How to care for dehydrated skin?
- Look for mild surfactants such as decyl glucoside in your cleanser.
- Use moisturizers containing humectants and skin-identical ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, sorbitol, urea, ceramides, cholestrol, fatty acids, squalane.
- Apply moisturizer right after cleansing while your skin is still damp.
- Avoid drying products like retinoids, AHAs, BHAs, acne treatments until your skin heals.