Skin hydration as well as UV protection are the most important steps in a skincare routine. Both contribute to healthy, youthful-looking skin and protect against premature aging.

However, there are factors that lead to skin dehydration.

What can cause skin to be dehydrated?

Environmental factors such as cold winter, high temperatures, wind, pollution, UV rays

Tobacco and alcohol

Stress and fatigue

Harsh or inappropriate cosmetic products

Over- exfoliation because of skin cleansers and acids. It often happens that the skin cleanser contains a hydroxy-acid whereas you use an extra lotion, toner or serum containing other acids as well. This will lead to over-exfoliation that may dehydrate your skin.

Retinoids that are used in the wrong way,especially when you are a beginner or that are combined with other active substances in the same skincare routine.

What is the difference between dry and dehydrated skin?

We tend to say that we have dry skin but we mean that our skin is dehydrated. Dry skin is a general condition that refers to a certain skin type that is lacking both water and lipids.

Dehydrated skin is a temporary condition that can always be reversed with the right cosmetic products. The important thing is to eliminate those that caused the issue.

The skin may be dull, itchy, irritated, under-eye circles may appear and fine lines and wrinkles may be more visible. Dull skin means no radiance and no shine. The skin loses its elasticity and new fine lines and wrinkles may appear if you don’t do anything to reverse the condition.  

What is the skin barrier?

The skin barrier (stratum corneum) is the outermost layer of the skin (external layer of the epidermis). It is the frontline defense of the skin. Consists of corneocytes (keratinocytes in the last step of differentiation) that produce the protein named keratin. The corneocytes are surrounded by lipids. Dead shells are shed off and replaced by new skin cells.

Keratin is a fibrous, no water-soluble protein that ensures the impermeability of the skin and the same time protects it from the UV rays.

The skin barrier is also called lipid barrier. Those lipids are ceramides, fatty acids and other nutrients. It is the barrier that ensures nutrition and hydration.

When the skin barrier is compromised the first symptom noticed is dehydration. Common symptoms are itchy red skin, maybe flaky and less glowing.

Environmental Factors

During winter time the increased indoor heating reduces humidity which may lead to skin’s lack of moisture.  

High temperatures during summertime make the skin’s water to evaporate and cause Transepidermal Water Loss (TWL). 

The wind can also dry the outer layer of the skin. So do tobacco and alcohol.

Air pollution can disturb the skin barrier’s function and cause water loss and dryness.

About the UV rays. The UVA have a longer wavelength and can penetrate in the deeper layers of the skin, causing damage and premature aging. The UVB have a shorter wavelength and act at a shallower depth but they can cause damage to the surface layers of the skin by destroying its cells. Both of them cause early aging and sometimes skin cancer.

Harsh cosmetics or frequent exfoliation will harm the protective barrier of the skin and will lead to a red, dry, itchy, flaky and irritated skin.

Consequently, skin hydration and nourishment are essential. Both improve skin quality. Dehydrated skin may lead to breakouts due to excess production of oils in order to balance the lack of its natural oils. It is also prone to sunburns. A hydrated skin is overall healthy. It is smooth, vibrant and ready to accept the active ingredients. If you ever feel that a cosmetic dries out your skin, you should eliminate it from your routine. To be able to do that, your skincare routine has to be as simple as possible. The more active ingredients you apply, the more difficult it will be to detect which one caused the problem.

Special thanks to pexels.com for the free photos download as well as to the creator of this specific photo.