Dehydrated skin can affect anyone at any time of the year. Regardless of skin type – oily, dry, or combination skin – you can experience dehydration. Read on to learn everything about dehydrated skin.
What is dehydrated skin
Why you get dehydrated skin
How to get rid of dehydrated skin
Rehydrate the skin from within
Drink water
Eat water-rich foods
Treat dehydrated skin from the outside
Have a moisturizing skincare routine
Daily cleansing
Exfoliation
Face mask for dehydrated skin
Moisturizing facial toner
Moisturizing serum
Protect the skin against external influences
Prevent moisture from evaporating
Control humidity
What is dehydrated skin?
When the skin lacks water, it becomes dehydrated. The epidermis (outermost layer of the skin) is low in moisture and dried out. But you must distinguish between dry and dehydrated skin, as they are two completely different things.
Dry skin occurs when the skin lacks sebum (oil).
Read more about dry skin and how to recognize the difference between dehydrated and dry skin.
These are common signs of dehydrated skin:
premature signs of aging such as fine lines, sagging skin and surface wrinkles.
dull and lifeless skin.
uneven skin tone.
itching.
dark circles around the eyes, tired sunken eyes.
dry lips.
Other signs of severe dehydration can be:
dry eyes and dry mouth.
constant thirst.
dark yellow urine that smells sharp.
decreased urination and sweating.
dizziness and fatigue.
Why you get dehydrated skin
You get dehydrated skin when your body and skin lose more water than they receive. Moisture from the skin evaporates and the moisture balance needs to be restored.
Common causes of why skin becomes dehydrated are:
stomach flu and vomiting, fever.
excessive sweating.
drinking too little water.
eating too dry food.
eating and drinking things that are dehydrating.
exposing the skin to strong sun, sunburn.
heat, extremely cold weather, large temperature changes.
dehydrating, overly rich and moisture-poor products.
How to get rid of dehydrated skin
Treating dehydrated skin is quite simple. You simply need to restore the fluid balance in the body and skin.
Rehydrate the skin from within
A first step towards getting rid of dehydration is to rehydrate the skin from within.
Drink water
It is of utmost importance to drink enough water. Especially after water loss such as during sunbathing, exercise or sauna sessions. Cut down on dehydrating drinks like alcohol and coffee. Make sure to alternate alcoholic drinks with water and drink extra water after coffee.
Eat water-rich foods
Eat plenty of fresh foods like vegetables and fruits. Water-rich foods like watermelon, celery and cucumber are really good at rehydrating the skin. Water-rich dishes like soups, stews or cooked vegetables are preferable to fried, grilled, baked and roasted food.
Treat dehydrated skin from the outside
A common mistake is to confuse dehydrated skin with dry skin and treat it with rich creams and oils. What helps against dehydrated skin is rehydrating, water-rich and water-binding products.
Have a moisturizing skincare routine
Choose products that contain ingredients like water, hydrolates, aloe vera, seaweed, algae, honey, glycerin, hyaluronic acid and AHA acids. Note that too much moisture-binding hyaluronic acid and glycerin as well as exfoliating acids can have the opposite effect – even drier skin. Preferably have only one product containing these ingredients in your skincare routine.
Daily cleansing
Wash your face with gentle cleansing and lukewarm or cold water. Avoid overly long and hot showers and baths.
Facial cleansers we recommend for dehydrated skin:
Odylique Creamy Coconut Cleanser
100% Pure Fermented Rice Water Cleanser
Eco By Sonya Super Citrus Cleanser
Exfoliation
Be careful with your skin barrier. It's what ensures moisture is maintained in the skin and protects against external stress factors. Using (too much) retinol, acids, potent active ingredients can affect and weaken the skin barrier.
Even overly abrasive facial scrubs, various cleansing brushes and cloths can have a negative impact on the skin barrier. Focus on using gentle AHA acids and grain peels that scrub gently.
Gentle exfoliating products that can be used daily: Evolve Liquid Radiance Glycolic Toner
Exfoliation that can be used 1-2 times per week:
Evolve Miracle Mask
Face mask for dehydrated skin
Give your skin a generous moisture boost with a hydrating face mask. Hydrating masks are perfect when you want to immediately quench your skin's thirst.
Hydrating face masks that suit dehydrated skin:
100% Pure Green Tea Water Bomb Mask
Inlight Beauty Masker
Moisturizing facial toner
An important product specifically for dehydrated skin is facial toner or toner.
Facial toner that contains most of what moisture-depleted skin needs is Eco by Sonya Superfruit Hydrator.
If you also want a facial toner that can hydrate your face in front of the computer or during the day, rose water is a good choice.
Moisturizing serum
When it comes to rehydrating serums, hyaluronic acid is always a key ingredient. Remember that serums containing hyaluronic acid should always be applied to damp skin so it has water to bind to the skin.
We recommend these serums for a substantial moisture boost: i+m Hydro Perform Aqua Boost Aloe Vera Hyaluron, i+m Naturkosmetik Freistil Hyaluronic Serum, Evolve Hyaluronic Serum 200 and Evolve Blue Velvet Ceramide Serum.
If you already have (a lot of) hyaluronic acid in your skincare routine, you can use the following serum that doesn't contain hyaluronic acid:
Aloe Vera Gel
Protect the skin against external influences
Sun rays, air pollution and similar factors are things that directly or indirectly affect the moisture balance in the skin. Protect the skin with a rehydrating day cream that also protects against UV rays, blue light, free radicals and oxidative stress.
We recommend: i+m Hydro Perform Moisturizing Cream Aloe Vera Pomegranate
Prevent moisture from evaporating
Dehydrated skin doesn't lack oil or sebum. However, oils and oil-rich creams are good to apply to the skin to prevent moisture from the skin from evaporating. If you feel that the moisture you feed your skin doesn't stay or disappears quickly, a facial oil can be a good idea. Use it as is or mix a few drops with your face cream.
We recommend thin, rehydrating and protective facial oils for dehydrated skin: Fushi Japanese Camellia Kissi Oil, Fushi Kalahari Melon Oil and Loelle Raspberry Seed Oil.
Control humidity
During winter, humidity drops significantly which can easily cause dehydrated skin. Make sure to add moisture to the air by:
having plants and flowers at home and in the bedroom that need frequent watering.
hanging up laundry in rooms where you spend the most time (bedroom, living room) instead of in the laundry room.
using humidifiers, especially when you sleep to help the skin regain moisture.
We wish you the best of luck with your skin, don't hesitate to ask us if you have any questions!
