Hydration vs Moisture: Is Your Skin Actually Dry, or Just Dehydrated?

Ever over-exfoliated, ended up with tight, itchy skin, and tried to fix it by slathering moisturizer all over it? Or, woke up after a night of drinking and noticed dark circles under your eyes and way more fine lines than usual? More than likely, your skin wasn’t dry… it was dehydrated.

Understanding the difference between moisture and hydration is critical, because treating one when your skin is actually lacking the other can be a disaster… not to mention a waste of time and product.

What’s the Difference?

Hydration is the water content within your skin cells. Dehydrated skin lacks water. “Dehydration” is a skin condition; it results from lifestyle factors such as the weather, environment, diet, alcohol/caffeine, and improper product use.

Moisture refers to the skin’s ability to protect itself and prevent trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL. Dry skin lacks oil. “Dry” is a skin type; it’s genetic, and results from decreased sebum production, which in turn leaves the skin without the lipids it needs to form a healthy moisture barrier.

I won’t lie, it can be difficult to determine whether your skin is dry or dehydrated, because the signs can be similar. If your skin is dehydrated, you may notice more redness and inflammation, and fine lines. Your skin may feel oilier than usual and you might be getting a few extra breakouts. Dry skin tends to be ashy, dull and itchy. Think eczema.

Treatment Options

Now, the fun part. 🙂 Skin can be dehydrated but moisturized, or vice versa. Dehydration can actually lead to an over-production of oil in some people as the skin attempts to correct itself, which could in turn lead to clogged pores and new breakouts… no bueno. On the other hand, all the hydration in the world won’t matter if your lipid barrier isn’t able to keep it locked in.

Before getting into skincare, I thought that moisturizing was hydrating. I put my moisturizer on at the end of my routine and called it a day lol. But think of it this way–hydrating is pouring in the water, and moisturizing is sealing it in so it doesn’t evaporate. You need to do both to maintain a healthy barrier.

Hints & Tips

• To hydrate, look for humectant ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, honey, AHAs (lactic acid), urea, and aloe, to name a few. Incorporate a serum into your routine to deliver a concentrated boost of hydration to your skin.

• Make sure your toner is hydrating, and doesn’t include astringents like alcohol and witch hazel. (Throw that Thayers out, like forreal lol.) Toners are so beneficial, when you’re using the right kind! They help to restore your skin’s pH and remove any stubborn traces of makeup and dirt after cleansing. I also love spritzing toner on my skin between steps, because products penetrate damp skin way better than dry.

• Use a cleanser that is gentle and hydrating, so it doesn’t strip your skin. A good way to determine if your skin is dehydrated is to wash your face with a gentle cleanser, gently pat it dry, and leave it without any products for 15 minutes. If it feels dry and tight, it’s dehydrated.

• Drink water! Our skin is the last organ to receive the water we drink, which is why we need a lot of it to see a benefit.

• If you don’t exfoliate, start… like, today. Lol exfoliation clears the build up of dead skin cells that can settle on the top layer of the skin, hindering the absorption of your products. An AHA like lactic acid is a great place to start, as it’s both gentle and hydrating.

• To moisturize, emollients such as shea and cocoa butter, lanolin, petrolatum, and fatty alcohols (cetearyl, stearyl, cetyl, etc.) will help form a protective barrier on your skin. Oils such as hemp, rosehip, sunflower, jojoba, squalane, and marula also help lock in moisture. Apply moisturizers as the last step in your skincare routine at night, and right before sunscreen in the morning. Check out this post for more tips to keep your skin healthy in the winter.

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Skincare can be tricky, but learning what your skin needs is a great start. Don’t forget, you can always chat with me in the comments or reach out if you have questions!