What is the difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin?
The simplest way of explaining the difference is that dry skin lacks oil (sebum) while dehydrated skin lacks water.
Skin types
There are three main skin types: dry, combination/normal, and oily. People with dry skin lack oil in their lipid barrier (the outer layer of the skin) simply because their skin does not produce enough of it. And skin type doesn’t change – if you have dry skin now, you will have dry skin for your entire life.
Use a facial oil
You can alleviate the effects of dry skin by adding a high-quality facial oil like Velettà’s Rejuvenating Oil your skincare regime; supplementing your skin’s own oils. Velettà’s vegan powerhouse of a facial oil contains Meadow Foam Seed Oil which is particularly effective in improving the quality of dry skin as it has a similar makeup as your skin’s natural sebum. In essence, those of you with dry skin should use a rich, nourishing facial oil as part of your daily skincare regime as it is the most effective way to develop skin that is plump, glowing and hydrated.
Skin conditions
Skin conditions like dehydration can be easily be confused with skin types because they have similar visible manifestations. When the skin lacks water, the lipid barrier can weaken, causing the skin to look flakey and lacklustre. This happens because the surface of the lipid barrier looks similar to fish scales and when the skin is dehydrated the scales start to rise up in different directions, leaving the skin looking rough and patchy. This is similar to how dry skin looks, as skin that lacks oil can be dry to the touch, scaly and dull.
It is important to remember that the condition of your skin will likely change throughout your life for many different reasons like hormonal changes, seasonal changes or because of something as simple as showering in water that’s too hot. Someone who has oily skin who has recently developed skin that feels tight and flakey may wrongly think they are now dry skinned; but no, they still have an oily skin type but are, at present, very dehydrated.
Dehydrated?
How to fix dehydrated skin? The skin needs water replenishment along with skin barrier strengthening. This means using good natural, plant-based, skincare which is nourishing. Our Velettà Nourishing Moisturiser is an excellent choice as it contains water along with a plethora of fatty acid rich oils. The oils help to smooth the “scales” in the lipid barrier while sealing in hydration.
You need to be gentle with dehydrated skin. Because severe lack of hydration in the skin can cause micro tears you should resist the urge to exfoliate the skin, waiting until it is completely healed thereby preventing further damage. You should also use a very gentle cleanser like Velettàs Cleansing Oil which ensures that your skin is thoroughly cleaned without being stripped of the oil it so desperately needs. Like the rest of the Velettà skincare range, this is Halal-certified, vegan and New Zealand made.
Both dry skin and dehydrated skin can be improved. All it takes is good skincare and a little patience. Please contact us if we can help answer any questions about your skin’s condition.
27 September 2018
