How can you tell if your skin is dry or dehydrated?

Your skin seems to be pulling, reddening or showing signs of irritation, and you're wondering why? Behind these symptoms lie two very distinct and often confused realities: dry skin and dehydrated skin. Knowing the difference is the first step towards an effective solution.

There are four types of skin: dry, normal, combination and oily. It's common to confuse dry skin with dehydrated skin, even though these two conditions present distinct problems and needs. Some examples, combination to oily skin can suffer from dehydration but only becomes dry under conditions of extreme and sudden temperature variations. Unlike permanent skin types, dehydration is a temporary and variable condition.

What is dry skin?

Dry skin is characterized by a lack of sebum, a protective film composed essentially of lipids, sebum and sweat, as well as a deficiency in corneocytes and inter-cellular lipids. Symptoms associated with dry skin include a feeling of tightness, areas of rough skin, flaking and, occasionally, itching.

This condition can have various origins: it can be innate, often due to genetic factors, or acquired throughout life, resulting from the natural aging of the skin, the use of certain medications, smoking, various pathologies, or prolonged exposure to the sun, extreme weather conditions or the use of irritating products. Dry skin is therefore long-lasting, unlike dehydrated skin, which is temporary. A gentle, nourishing skin care routine is essential to restore balance to this type of skin.

Nourishing dry skin

Skin care products for dry skin should aim to reintroduce essential lipids that will replenish and strengthen the cement between cells, such as rich creams and vegetable oils based on shea butter or ceramides, for example, to reinforce the skin barrier and provide lasting comfort.

What is dehydrated skin?

On the other hand, dehydrated skin suffers from a lack of water, rather than a deficit in lipids. Using a cream rich in fats would therefore not be beneficial in this case.

Unlike dry skin, which is a type of skin, cutaneous dehydration is a temporary condition characterized by a lack of water.

So, whatever your skin type - dry, normal or oily - it can be prone to dehydration. Typical symptoms include the appearance of fine dehydration lines, a feeling of tightness and a lacklustre complexion.

$The causes of skin dehydration are often linked to insufficient hydration, resulting from inadequate water intake, but can also be due to external factors such as exposure to a dry, hot or intense cold environment, the application of unsuitable cosmetic products, stress and hormonal changes.

Rehydrate dehydrated skin

As for dehydrated skin, the challenge is to moisturize deeply. The use of products containing humectants, such as hyaluronic acid or glycerine, is recommended to retain water on the skin's surface and in the deeper layers of the dermis.

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Understanding the specific nature of your skin is important for choosing the right skincare products. Whether your skin is dry, needing an extra dose of lipids, or dehydrated, thirsty for water, an adapted routine is the key to healthy skin.