How to Care for Dehydrated Skin

Dehydrated skin is the skincare issue that you probably didn’t know you had. The truth is, many people suffer from it and aren’t aware because they’re so concerned about acne or oil production or wrinkles. But dehydrated skin can affect all of these things, and it’s important to make sure you treat it. In fact, dehydrated skin might be the source of many of your skin woes. The good news is that there’s a relatively simple fix—one you’re likely already familiar with if you try to imbibe eight glasses a day: drink more water. Of course, while drinking water is good for your health in general, you need to do a little more to get that extra moisture on your skin (spoiler alert: using a hyaluronic-rich serum like L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power LZR Hyaluronic Acid Serum is a good place to start!). Here’s everything you need to know about dehydrated skin, from how to figure out if you have it to how best to treat it.

The difference between dry and dehydrated skin

The easiest way to tell the difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin is to remember that dehydration is related to water (think hydra) and dryness is related to oil. If your skin is dry, you have a lack of oil or lipids and need to add products that contain them. If you’re dehydrated, you have a lack of water and need to add that. Although the two conditions are easily confused, they have different requirements—and you can actually have dehydrated skin that’s oily. In fact, many people mistake dehydrated skin for dry skin and begin to use more oils, when in reality they need to consider products that help retain water.

Why you need hydrated skin

Having hydrated skin isn’t just about appearances—although they are important. When your skin is dehydrated it can feel and look flaky, and lines and wrinkles are more evident. Your skin loses its plumpness and your complexion might feel dull. And that’s just how it looks. It also means that your skin barrier is much more likely to be compromised, letting the bad stuff (dirt and other aggressors) in, and the good stuff (water and lipids) out. Your skin works and repairs itself better when it has a healthy balance of lipids and water—which means you need to make sure it’s getting the skincare equivalent of a tall glass of water regularly.

How to tell if you have dehydrated skin

There are a number of ways to tell if your skin is dehydrated, and mostly they’re the things you notice if you usually try to take care of yourself. The flakiness and more pronounced lines and wrinkles I mentioned are a dead giveaway. But you also might notice more shadows on your face, more obvious dark circles and a dullness to your complexion. If your skin doesn’t spring back quite as quickly when you pinch it, that could be another indication. The truth is, many of us have dehydrated skin, and adding a skincare product like serum or moisturizer to your routine to ensure you’re getting enough hydration is key.

How to treat dehydrated skin

Because you’re looking to replenish water, dehydrated skin needs ingredients that help it retain H2O, and oils aren’t going to do the trick. One ingredient that helps you stay hydrated (at least when it comes to your skin) is hyaluronic acid. It’s a humectant, which means it retains water, and in fact it can hold over 1,000 times its weight in water. What does that mean for your visage? It will be plump, dewy—completely hydrated. For a serious hit of hydration, make sure to use L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power LZR 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum. The super lightweight formula absorbs quickly into the skin and won’t leave any sticky residue behind and because of the formula’s water-light texture, you can be assured that it will penetrate deeply and disperse evenly to give you all the hydration you need. Post-application you’re left with supple, happy and hydrated skin.