Just A Really Handy Guide To Dehydrated Skin—The Causes, The Treatment And The Products

Dehydrated skin has plagued me for much of my adult life. Each time I have a facial, I'm told that my skin is thirsty and in dire need of a hydration boost. And every time, I'm confused. As a beauty editor, I have an unreasonable amount of products at my disposal, and I've always considered my skincare routine to be woven carefully with hydrating ingredients. A dermatologist once told me that dehydrated skin is an easy issue to fix, so where am I going wrong?

Below, I speak to Clinical Facialist and Skin Expert, Kate Kerr, and Aesthetic Doctor and Korean Skincare Expert, Dr Christine Hall, about the causes, the treatments and the products they recommend.

What is dehydrated skin?

The most important thing to know about dehydrated skin is that it is a skin condition, not a skin type. This means that no matter your skin type—dry, oily, combination, or sensitive—you can still suffer from dehydration. "It reflects a lack of water within the skin cells, most commonly driven by a weakened skin barrier, slower cell turnover and increased trans-epidermal water loss," explains Kate Kerr. Skin should, in theory, be able to rehydrate itself, but that's dependent on the above systems functioning properly. "True hydration depends on strong barrier integrity, effective cell cycling and active fibroblasts producing glycosaminoglycans that naturally bind and retain water within the skin," she adds.

How can you identify dehydrated skin? How does it look and feel?

According to Dr Hall, the most obvious sign is skin that looks and feels tight, something which I can certainly identify with. And, together with tightness, she says fine lines are more pronounced, pores are more visible because your body is trying to produce more sebum to hydrate your skin, and you can get increased sensitivity.

Dullness and reduced elasticity are also common early signs, says Kerr. "Skin may feel uncomfortable or reactive and often appears crepey under makeup, particularly during winter, travel or periods of stress. Dehydration can also present as congestion or breakouts, as the skin attempts to compensate. Skin can be oily and dehydrated at the same time, which is why what is often referred to as combination skin is usually a skin type combined with underlying dehydration."

How do you fix dehydrated skin?

"Dehydration is often caused by the fact that you are just systemically dehydrated," says Dr Hall. So, as you might expect, she recommends drinking more water as a first step. One of the biggest buzzwords of the last 12 months has been electrolytes (Boots has reported a 755% rise in searches for ‘electrolytes’ on its site), and both Kerr and Hall say that they can help improve hydration. So too is a good diet and a healthy lifestyle. "The skin is not a priority organ, so overall health directly affects how well it stays hydrated," says Kerr. "Skincare always comes first," adds Dr Hall. "Pair that with what you're doing lifestyle-wise. Try to avoid stress where you can and get as much sleep as you can, because that's when our skin repairs itself."

As you might expect, how we treat our skin is pivotal to our skin's ability to retain water. "If we're using harsh foaming cleansers, stronger toners that have alcohol in them, or overusing acids, that will affect the skin barrier and cause more trans-epidermal water loss," says Dr Hall. At this time of year, when our central heating is on and the humidity is lower, our skin loses even more water. This is why she says using rich creams, formulated with ceramides, fatty acids and lipids are crucial for restoring the skin barrier.

What are the key ingredients to tackle dehydrated skin?

Kerr says that with her clients, she prioritises ingredients that support the skin's natural hydration mechanisms, rather than adding surface moisture alone. "Glycerin and niacinamide help regulate water movement within the skin, ceramides restore the lipid barrier to reduce water loss, and urea supports natural moisturising factors while improving ingredient penetration." Interestingly, she says that retinoids are also important because of their ability to stimulate fibroblast activity, which is responsible for producing our natural resource of hyaluronic acid.

My approach to my own skin dehydration has always been with a hyaluronic acid serum, which Dr Hall says is correct. She says that drawing water into the skin is key to sufficient barrier support, and this is best done with humectants, like hyaluronic acid. However, Kerr says that it has to be used correctly. "Hyaluronic acid can offer short-term comfort, but when overused or applied in dry environments, it can draw water from deeper layers of the skin. Hydrating serums should be applied after cleansing, with barrier-supporting creams layered on top."

Treatments for dehydrated skin

Whilst most of us will look to our skincare routines as the first port of call for tackling any problem with our skin, I wanted to know if there were any specific treatments that would be useful in tackling dehydrated skin.

Dr Hall says that once you've looked at your skincare and lifestyle choices, she recommends injectable skin boosters that can help if your skin is still in need of help. "Something like Teoxanes Redensity 1 or Profilo, which are based around hyaluronic acid, penetrate much deeper than if you were applying them directly onto the skin."

Kerr says that professional treatments that regulate cell turnover, strengthen the barrier and stimulate fibroblast activity can significantly improve hydration over time. "Bespoke facials, skin peels, LED, microneedling, laser and radiofrequency treatments all support natural hydration processes by increasing cellular energy and improving collagen quality. I typically recommend treatments every four to six weeks during colder months."

Best products for dehydrated skin