Do I Have Dry and Dehydrated Skin? And How Do I Address It?

The Super Couple

The skin is the largest organ of the body, it protects you from harmful elements - such as bacteria, viruses, pollution and excess heat. When skin becomes dry and dehydrated, it means that the skin barrier has been compromised in some way.

The first step towards solving this problem is to understand what causes dry and dehydrated skin in the first place. There are many reasons why your skin can become dry and dehydrated, but they all boil down to one thing: loss of hydration/moisture.

What Causes Dry/Dehydrated Skin? 

Dryness results from a lack of oil in your skin, while dehydration occurs when your body loses too much water. Both conditions can result in rough patches, redness and itchiness, as well as premature aging.

Dry skin is characterized by a lack of oil production in the skin. The outermost layer of your skin — called the stratum corneum — is made up of dead cells that serve as a barrier between your body and the environment around you. When this layer is dry, it loses its protective function and becomes more permeable to outside elements like bacteria and viruses. Dry skin also leads to premature aging due to increased exposure to UV, which increases free radical damage in the skin over time.

Dehydrated skin lacks water content in the stratum corneum layer of your epidermis. This causes roughness and tightness on your face. Dehydration causes an increase in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), which is how much water evaporates from your skin surface. It’s important to keep it hydrated because maintaining proper moisture levels helps prevent premature aging and dehydration-related conditions like eczema, acne, rosacea and psoriasis.

Some of the most common causes of dry and dehydrated skin include:

+ Seasonal changes – winter weather can cause dryness due to lower temperatures and shorter days meaning less exposure to sunlight for vitamin D production. Summer sunshine is high in UV rays which can damage the skin leading to premature ageing and dehydration making it more susceptible to dryness.
+ Ageing – As we get older our bodies start producing less natural oils which help keep our skin well hydrated. This makes us more susceptible to dehydration so it's important to take care of your skin at any age!
+ Exposure – Another factor that affects how well hydrated your skin is, is how much time you spend outside. If you are exposed to the sun too often without protection, then your skin will start losing moisture through evaporation. This makes it more susceptible to dehydration and damage.
 

How to know if you have Dry/Dehydrated Skin? 

Dry skin is characterized by redness, flaking and tightness. It may also feel rough to the touch. Dehydrated it’s typically more sensitive and reactive, but it's not necessarily dry.

The signs you may have dry or dehydrated skin are:

+ Dull or rough in texture
+Tight at first touch (after washing) but feels better after it dries
+ Very sensitive to the environment 
+ Easily irritated by heat or friction
+ Oily in the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin)
+ Exhibits flaky, rough, or red blotchy patches 
 

How Can I Support my Dry/Dehydrated Skin? 

Dry and dehydrated skin requires a different approach. It needs hydrating cleansers, toners and moisturizers with humectants to help attract water to the skin.

+ Use a gentle cleanser on your face twice daily. We recommend a soothing oil-based product. You'll want to use something that doesn't contain alcohol or fragrance, as these ingredients can strip away moisture from your face over time.

+ Use a toner after cleansing. Toners are excellent at balancing out pH levels in our skin and keeping everything nice and balanced — which is especially important if you have dry/dehydrated skin because its barrier function may not be working as well as it should be at keeping moisture in. 

+ Apply a serum that contains hyaluronic acid or contains agents that augment your skin's Natural Moisturization Factors. In addition, you should avoid harsh exfoliants and products with alcohol in them as they can strip moisture from your skin and cause further dehydration. 

Additionally, make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day (approximately 8 glasses) to promote a healthy and hydrated skin barrier.  

What Products are Best for Dry or Dehydrated Skin? 

Here are some of our favorite products best suited for dry and dehydrated skin: 

Our oil-based cleanser, The Great Cleanse - Nourishing Supercritical Cleansing Oil, gently washes away the day’s impurities without drying or irritating the skin. It restores moisture for supple skin and the appearance of a more even complexion. 

The Optimist - Hydrating Brightening Essence provides a powerful, yet weightless, boost of hydration for the appearance of plumper, deeply moisturized, more luminous skin. The lightweight formula is gentle for most skin types and is especially soothing for dry or dehydrated skin. 

The Super Lift Concentrated Vitamin C-More Serum is an advanced, high-tech, concentrated, hydrating Vitamin C formulation that brightens the skin tone to restore a more revitalized, brightened appearance and create a more radiant, even-textured and toned skin surface.

The Super Couple - Ultra Luxe Face Oil Serum is a multi-correctional high-performance face oil that combines astaxanthin with the rich omega acids of chia oil resulting and a gentle, yet deeply nourishing formulation. 

The Super Blend - Pressed Serum Multi-Correctional Moisture Concentrate deeply penetrates that skin to lock in moisture and combat restore the skins barrier. It blends nature’s most highly effective ingredients, including natural astaxanthin, supercritical chia, shelf-stable vitamin C ester, coenzyme Q10, and powerful active botanicals to promote healthy hydrated skin. 

The Refresh Mint - Exfoliating Moisture Mask works gently – yet effectively – to transform a lackluster complexion into glowing, radiant and nourished skin. The formulation is so gentle, it can even be worn overnight to lock in moisture while resurfacing and brightening the skin. 

We know that dry and dehydrated skin can be a stubborn fix this time of the year, but with these tips and tricks up your sleeve you’ll be on the way towards total hydration in no time! 

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