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Dry Skin VS Dehydrated Skin: What’s The Difference & Why Does It Matter?

You’d think dry and dehydrated skin are the same thing, right? Well, not quite—turns out, they’re more like distant cousins than twins. We understand—dry and dehydrated skin can seem so similar, it's hard to know what’s going on. But that’s why we’re here! If your skin feels rough, itchy, or scaly, read on and we’ll help you get to the bottom of it.

In This Article:

What Is Dry Skin?

How To Know If You Have Dry Skin?

What Is Dry Skin?

Dry skin is one of the five primary types of skin, others being: oily, combination, sensitive and normal. As it's true with every skin type, having dry skin is mostly genetic. It’s when the sebaceous glands consistently produce less sebum, your skin’s lipids (natural fats that strengthen your skin’s barrier) do not get enough moisture. This leads to your skin feeling dry and rough.

Certain external factors like age, lifestyle and skincare choices can alter your skin type to make it dry.

How To Know If You Have Dry Skin?

If your skin feels tight, rough to touch or prone to cracking, you most definitely have dry skin. Check out if you also have any of the below indicative signs to identify your skin better:

  • Dullness: Due to the clear lack of moisture, your skin might look grey or dull most of the time.

  • Redness: Having dry skin = lipids not in optimum health = your skin’s barrier is weak. This makes your skin prone to irritation and redness.

  • Scaly Texture: you notice a lot of dry patches and your skin looks flaky when dry, that is a clear telltale.

  • Fine Lines: Your skin easily shrivels up due to the lack of moisture, leading to more pronounced fine lines around the eyes, mouth and forehead.

What Is Dehydrated Skin?

Just like how you feel during those hot summer afternoons, dehydrated skin is more or less the same. It starts feeling parched, tight and dull. But unlike dry skin, dehydrated skin is a condition caused by lack of water (hydration) in the skin. The most common ones are: a compromised skin barrier, extreme changes in weather (both hot and cold) and lack of sufficient water intake.

How To Know If You Have Dehydrated Skin?

One of the most surprising dehydrated skin symptoms is that it can feel both oily and dry at the same time. This is because your skin’s sebaceous glands are working overtime to make up for the lack of water. Along with this, you might also notice exaggerated fine lines, pronounced under-eye circles and a visible lack of bounce in skin.

An easy way to check if your skin is dehydrated is to gently pinch or squeeze it and hold for a few seconds. Well-hydrated will spring back to normal almost immediately. Dehydrated skin, however, will stay “pinched” for a little longer before returning to its normal state.

The table below sums up the differences and similarities between dry and dehydrated skin.

Characteristics  Dry Skin Dehydrated Skin
Appearance Looks rough, tight or flaky. Looks dull, sunken and shows pronounced fine lines.
Touch Feels scaly to touch. Feels tight, especially after cleansing.
Sensitivity Prone to conditions like eczema.  Sensitive, but positively reacts to skincare products.
Pores Minimum visibility of pores. Pronounced pores due to lack of moisture.
Hydration Lacks oil and needs to be moisturised. Lacks water, needs to be hydrated.
Causes Mostly genetics or environmental factors. Not consuming enough water or high intake of caffeine/alcohol.

How To Treat Dehydrated Skin?

As two distinct skin concerns, dehydrated skin and dry skin require different treatment approaches. And unlike dry skin, which is a skin type, dehydrated skin is manageable through simple lifestyle tweaks. Here’s how to improve hydration and keep your skin healthy:

1. Boost Your Water Intake:

Drinking enough water is one of the simplest ways to keep your skin hydrated. Aim for at least 8 glasses a day to make sure your skin stays plump and nourished.

2. Limit Caffeine & Alcohol Intake:

Both caffeine and alcohol can leave you dehydrated, as they increase water loss through frequent trips to the bathroom. To help your skin stay hydrated, try to enjoy them in moderation (if at all).

3. Get Adequate Sleep:

Your skin does a lot of its repair work while you sleep, helping it maintain its moisture balance. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night, so your skin can wake up just as refreshed as you do.

4. Switch To A Sulphate-Free Cleanser:

Cleansers containing sulphates can strip your skin of its natural oils, leaving it dry and tight. Opt for a gentler, sulphate-free formula that won’t disrupt your skin’s moisture barrier but will still cleanse effectively, keeping your skin hydrated and balanced.

5. Avoid Long, Hot Showers:

A long, hot shower may feel wonderful, but it can rob your skin of its natural moisture and leave it feeling tight and irritated. Try sticking to shorter, lukewarm showers instead—they’re still refreshing but far kinder to your skin’s moisture barrier.

6. Eat Hydrating Foods:

Increasing your consumption of water-rich fruits and veggies such as cucumbers, tomatoes, and berries can also support skin hydration from the inside. Just keep in mind, though, that these foods are meant to complement your water intake, not replace it.

7. Keep Stress Levels in Check:

When stress levels rise, so does cortisol, which can weaken your skin’s protective barrier, causing it to lose moisture more quickly and leading to dehydration. Try some de-stressing activities like yoga, journaling, or even a relaxing walk to keep your body, mood, and skin in balance.

Skincare Products For Dry & Dehydrated Skin Treatment

You may not be able to change your skin type, but there’s plenty you can do to manage it well. Here are some tips to make your skincare routine more effective for dry and dehydrated skin.

1. Load Up On Moisture

Yes, moisture is important, but an effective dry skin treatment does more than just attract hydration—it also retains that moisture to keep your skin nourished longer. Which is why there couldn’t be a better pick than our Replenishing Rich Moisturiser. It is infused with Pro Vitamin B5 and Glycerin that help strengthen your barrier and keep your skin hydrated throughout the day.

On the other hand, dehydrated skin needs a hydrating hero. Open the flood gates with our Hydrating Gel Creme that contains 11% hydrating actives, Pentavitin and Glycerin. It’s perfect to replump dull and raisin-looking skin. And we have the proof: 94% of users reported smoother, softer skin.

2. Protect The Barrier

Why miss the chance to replenish moisture for 8 hours straight and wake up with dewy, plump skin? While you sway away in your sweet dreams, our Skin Quench Sleeping Crème will work extra hard to repair, strengthen and protect your skin barrier. Something that is of high importance for both dry and dehydrated skin. A strong skin barrier protects against dryness, roughness, and tightness, while ensuring dehydrated skin gets a much-needed hydration boost.

Skin Quench Sleeping Crème

Moreover, if you need to revive the ceramide levels in your skin, take a good look at our Barrier Care Range. These products use Ceramide Boosters to help restore damaged skin barrier.

Barrier care range

3. Not Without A Serum

Not including a hyaluronic serum in your routine would be a crime! Our Simple Booster Serum 3% Hyaluronic Acid + Vit B5 is free from 2000+ baddies, provides deep hydration, improves skin texture, calms irritated skin, and is the way towards healthy, glowing skin. It is the shortest route to plump skin, as 3 out of 4 users agreed that their skin instantly felt hydrated post-use.

Simple Skincare 3 Hyaluronic Acid Vit B5 Booster Serum

Conclusion

So, there you have it—dry skin and dehydrated skin are not the same, and now you know how to handle each. The key takeaway? Listen to what your skin needs, whether it’s moisture or hydration, and treat it kindly (with the right products and lifestyle changes, of course!). Your skin works hard for you—it’s time to return the favour!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q:1 Can you have dry skin and dehydrated skin at the same time?

A. Yes, this can happen. Unlike dry skin, having dehydrated skin is a condition that can happen due to lack of sufficient water intake, having a compromised skin barrier or consuming a lot of caffeine/alcohol. Hence, although temporary, your dry skin can also feel dehydrated at the same time.

Q:2 How does ageing affect the skin's dryness and hydration levels?

A. As a person ages, dry skin becomes inevitable, especially after 40. With age, your skin loses its ability to retain moisture and the skin’s barrier weakens as a result. This ultimately leads to dry skin.

Q:3 Are there lifestyle factors that can lead to dehydrated skin?

A. Yes! Dehydration is the result of losing more water than taking in. So naturally having an insufficient amount of water, taking long hot showers, and consuming high amounts of caffeine or alcohol all contribute to the sin.

Rhea Shah
Written by Rhea Shah on Jan 19, 2024
Rhea has banked on her passion for writing and beauty to be where she is today. When she isn't looking up fancy synonyms for simple words aka working, she is either traveling, making travel plans, or exploring a new restaurant.
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