MOISTURE CHECK

Dry skin is a skin type, but dehydrated skin is a skin condition caused by a lack of water within the skin and can affect all skin types, including oily and congested skin.

If you notice a client’s skin soaking up products like a sponge, it’s likely that it’s not only dry, but dehydrated. While dry skin and dehydrated skin are two different issues, they present the same symptoms. Understanding the difference between the two is important when recommending the correct treatment and providing proper skincare.

Dry skin is often characterised by a lack of natural oil (sebum) production. It is often a generic predisposition and can be a long-term issue. To sum it up: Dehydrated skin lacks water, whereas dry skin lacks oil.

Factors that impact dry and dehydrated skin include behavioural issues such as not drinking enough water, medical conditions that may cause loss of oil or water, or even environmental conditions that may impact moisture in the skin.

Characteristics of dry and dehydrated skin

Dry skin Signs of dry skin include a flaky or scaly appearance redness, tightness and irritation. Dry skin can see fine lines and wrinkles develop and can go hand-in-hand with medical issues such as eczema, psioriasis and dermatitis.

According to Medical News Today, dry skin causes the stratum corneum, the skin’s outer layer, to lose its ability to act as a barrier, keeping water in and dangerous substances out.

Factors that contribute further to dry skin include:

• Hormone imbalances (for example, during menopause) and age

• Dry environments (including the use of abrasives, certain soaps and detergents that strip the skin of moisture)

• Malnutrition

• Medical skin conditions as well as medical conditions such as hypothyroidism or chronic kidney disease.

Dry skin may need more topical management. Increasing essential fatty acids with the diet as well as adequate skincare will be beneficial. As dry skin doesn’t produce natural oils to keep skin moisturised, so an active moisturising product can go a long way in making a difference. Avoiding products that contain salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and other ingredients that will inhibit natural oil production is necessary in the treatment of dry skin. Products that contain vitamins and are free of sulphate will help.

Dehydrated skin

The main culprit in dehydrated skin is a lack of water or inadequate fluid for the body and skin to perform its usual functions.

Dehydrated skin is more about the ‘padding’ of the upper layers of your skin. Keeping it plump by way of hydration such as water and active ingredients like hyaluronic acid. A good analogy is grapes and raisins: one hydrated and the other dehydrated, making it more wrinkled.

Dehydrated skin may result from:

• Losing bodily fluids through excessive sweating, diarrhoea or fever.

• Sunburn or heatstroke.

• Health conditions such as diabetes and medications such as antihistamines.

Dehydrated skin can manifest as dull skin, a loss of elasticity, the appearance of surface wrinkles, tired-looking eyes with dark under areas, and skin irritation. Dehydration can lead to increased sensitivity, redness and a lack of radiance.

Treatment focused on locking moisture in is key in treating dehydration. To properly treat dehydrated skin, the reason for the barrier impairment or dehydration needs to be identified, if possible. It could be down to incorrect product use, a lifestyle or health issue. An initial focus on barrier repair will ensure any trans epidermal water loss is brought back to normal levels, increasing hydrating products and a focus on the diet will also help.

Calling in the professionals

Skin hydration is a priority that requires true professional expertise when it comes to choosing the appropriate treatments and products.

Phyto-ceutical Skincare’s de-age hydration mask for dry and dehydrated skin has a ph of 6.9 and offers overnight hydration. It is an intense cream mask, formulated with a blend of superior botanical waxes, lipids, and phytochemicals. It locks in moisture to give prolonged hydration for up to 72-hours. It improves signs of dermal fatigue leaving the skin smooth and visibly hydrated.

Ingredients include avocado oil, castor oil, candelilla wax and Pentavitin, a trademark-registered natural and plant-derived ingredient that reinforces the skin barrier while regulating bacteria responsible for dry and itchy skin.

RégimA Age Reversal Night Complex is a moisturising night treatment designed to reduce the signs of ageing and rejuvenate the skin overnight by stimulating repair to stressed and environmentally damaged skin. Star ingredients include biopeptide Cl, dermaxyl carbohydrate complex, olive extract, rosehip oil, blackcurrent oil, centella asiatica and vitamin A.

Water plays a fundamental role in balancing the skin. The skin is made up of 70% water, which comes in varying forms. In the dermis it is linked to protein macromolecules and forms a semi-fluid ‘gel’ in which our cells, elastin and collagen fibres are immersed. A small proportion of this nourishing water crosses the epidermal layer and migrates from the keratinocytes in the stratum to the corneocytes, which only retain 10-13% of the water provided.

The residual water attaches itself to keratin due to compounds known as natural moisurising factors, and lipid mortar produced by our keratinocytes. Made up of ceramides, free fatty acids and cholesterol, this mortal plays a key role in controlling hydration levels.

RégimA Overnight Regenerative and Firming Anti-ageing Masque also promotes natural flexibility in the skin and offers relief from tightness. Ingredients include a biopolymer, shea butter (from the kernels of the shea-karite tree) that contains vitamins A, F and tocopherols (vitamin E) and antioxidant ingredients significant for their effect as a healing aid. It also includes nasturtium extract, lupine plant seeds, avocado oil and essential fatty acids.

Sknlogic Skincare recommends doing a simple pinch test to test for dehydration. Take a small portion of skin around your clients cheek area and gently pinch it between your thumb and index fingers. If the skin does not bounce back right away after you let go, or you notice wrinkling, then it’s a good indication that the skin may be dehydrated.

Exfoliation and hydration is a main focus of the brand and recommends a gentle exfoliator once or twice a week to remove the dry and dead cells from the skin’s surface. This will also help brighten the complexion and increase radiance, plus it helps your products penetrate better, allowing you to reap the full benefits of your active ingredients. The Sknlogic Exfoliate Enzymatic is a skin polisher that combines natural and chemical exfoliants to remove dead skin cells, refine skin texture and enhance penetration of actives into skin, while papaya extract not only works as an enzyme but works to repair the skin as well.

The Sknlogic Hydrating Serum contains hyaluronic acid to deliver immediate moisture and saturate dehydrated skin. As an intense treatment, it also offers anti-ageing support and leaves skin feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. SkinLogic Boost is a concentrated brightening and rejuvenating cream that helps combat prematurely-ageing skin while repairing, protecting and brightening dull and tired skin. Infused with anti-ageing apple extract, sunflower oil, olive oil and vitamins E and C, this intensely nourishing moisturiser doesn’t just add moisture to the skin – it locks it in too.

Dry skin is best addressed with DermaFix’s oil-based products that help repair the barrier. A combination of DermFix Ceramide Complex with dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) and DermaFix BioEffective Cream are effective in repairing a dry skin barrier as well as moisturising and soothing a dry skin.

Bio-Effective Cream has unique qualities that are based on the exclusive properties of exceptional botanical extracts, a complex of vitamins A, C, D and E and high content of selected nourishing oils. Key ingredients include aloe vera gel, glycosaminoglycans, sodium ascorbyl phosphate (vitamin C), tocopheryl (vitamin E) and niacinamide B3.

For a dehydrated skin, DermaFix recommends water binding ingredients like hyaluronic acid. DermaFix Hyalu7 Boost Hyaluronic Concentrate offers an advanced hyaluronic acid formulation, incorporating an optimised ratio of seven unique molecular weights to provide maximum hydration whilst stimulating hyaluronic acid production within the skin for deeper moisturisation and anti-ageing benefits. DermaFix Hyalu7 Boost works to improve skin firmness and elasticity whilst reducing water loss from the first application.