Your Best 101 Guide On Caring For Dehydrated Skin

The skin can be said to be hydrated when it simply lacks water. It is a temporary (well, depends on how you treat it) skin condition which is very common to people. It occurs when a person does not eat a balanced diet which should constitute of fresh crops, or he or she just consumes a lot of caffeine or alcohol. Dehydrated skin can also be as a result of changes in the weather and seasons.

A dehydrated skin should not be mistaken for a dry skin in any way. They are both different. While a dehydrated skin lacks water, a dry skin lacks oil. This occurs as a result in imbalances in the hormones or when the thyroid glands are not working properly. Dry skins are usually inherited through genetics. However, dry skin and dehydrated skin still have some factors in common like: making the skin become really sensitive, whilst looking dull and flaky also.

It’s not all doom and gloom. For the context of this article, we shall be dwelling more on dehydrated skin and how to care better for them. It is also worthy of note that the skin is usually the last part of the body to get the nutrients we consume. This means that we need to make a conscious effort to keep the skin hydrated. 

To treat our dehydrated skin better, there are some things we need to stop doing and there are others we need to start doing likewise. Below, is a list of dos and don’ts that we need to follow to look after a dehydrated skin of our face and body properly.

The hands and feet are usually dry, irrespective of the weather condition. These body parts should therefore be moisturized with oil and then you wear gloves made of cotton when you want to sleep.

After bathing, the water on the skin evaporates into the air over time even without using a towel. A good body and face moisturizer should be used to always keep the skin supple and soft.

Now, before using a moisturizer, a serum can be used to keep the moisturizer glued to the skin and last longer on the skin. Just always to remember to apply the serum before the moisturizer.

Stop spending too much time in hot water baths. Hot water deprives the skin of essential vitamins and minerals. Hot baths are nice, but staying too long is the problem. Lukewarm water is just okay for not more than 10 minutes.

Avoid lifestyles that hamper the moisture of our skin like taking too much caffeine or excessive alcohol. Don’t eat diets that do not have fresh produce in them.

It has been found to be one of the main causes of skin dehydration. Exfoliation should be done moderately. An excess of it will make the skin very dehydrated and inflamed.

Just like we have earlier explained, dehydrated skin is such that lack water. If treated properly, it can just be a temporary issue. A dehydrated skin could be the aftermath of the type of food we eat, how we expose ourselves to whether conditions, and the amount of caffeine and alcohol we also consume.

The idea is to move from a dehydrated skin to a hydrated skin. A hydrated skin is such that produces just enough moisture to make the skin healthy, smooth and glowing. The hydration of the skin can occur naturally (when the skin is healthy enough to retain the essential minerals and vitamins to keep it moist), or artificially (when you have to apply moisturizers and live a healthy lifestyle).

In a nutshell, a dehydrated skin lacks water, while a hydrated skin has water in sufficiency.  

If you think you have a dehydrated skin, but you are not entirely sure, here are the ways of confirming:

You always feel dry all over the body, which also includes your palm, feet and even the scalp of the head. This dryness can even be more profound during the winter or dry season.

Your skin sometimes feels itchy especially when you have been subjected to a lot of wind maybe while traveling or doing some outdoor sport. This happens as the wind blows off the moisture of the skin, thereby causing it to be tight and itchy. This itchy feeling is also accompanied by flaking.

Your skin becomes really sensitive. This happens when the skin can no longer hold its own against bacteria and any other thing that can cause harm to the skin. This is also a result of dehydration in the skin. 

The skin does not molt (shed the outer layer) more often when it is dehydrated. This makes dead cells gather in and around the skin. This, in turn, makes the skin always look and exhausted.

The skin becomes more susceptible to lines and wrinkles when it is dehydrated. you could also notice that the skin is aging

For people who have dehydrated skin, taking care of it is quite meticulous and requires some form of discipline. Here are the best ways of taking care of a hydrated skin:

Make sure that the cleanser you choose is void of harmful chemicals and artificial perfumes that can spoil the skin more.

You should learn to protect the skins outer layer moist. Now drinking water is good, but the challenge here is that the water we consume might not necessarily get to the skin. So the trick here is to keep the moisture on the skin intact by using some form of body oil.

The case of staying away from alcohol can never be over emphasized in this article, especially because of people who have dehydrated skin. Caffeine and alcohol reduce the water content of your skin, so if you need to take care of your dehydrated skin, then you need to stop consuming them.

Subconsciously, there are some things that we need to do to make our skin to continue to stay dehydrated. some of these routine steps are:
 

• During the dry or winter season, always use a moisturiser to keep the hands and feet moisturized and remember to wear protective clothes to also protect the skin against harsh winds.

• Always eat healthy and good food. And remember that the diet should also consist of fresh vegetable and fruits.

• Keep a good sleep cycle. Make sure you rest so you do not over work your skin.

• Drink enough water during the day (up to 1.5 litres). Drinking tea and mineral water can also compliment and make the skin feel better. 

• Make it a habit of taking showers rather that running baths. Showers leave the skin hydrated while baths tend to rub off whatever moisture is left. Remember to make the water lukewarm and don’t spend too much time in the bathroom.  

The products to use depends on the severity of the dehydration. There are however very reliable products that can help get the job done. Some of the products include:

They are far more reliable than creams because they contain moisturizers that help to retain the moisture of the skin. They also have anti-aging properties that are essential to help you look good. They are good for all type of skins irrespective of any age. This is why babies use oil instead of cream.

Gels also are good for the skin. They adapt well and make you feel really comfortable. They are most applicable during the summer because they absorb quite easily. Some gels also come with moisturizing agents which is an added advantage, like using one stone to kill two birds.

We have earlier stated that serums are like an additional layer of moisturizers that are applied before using the main moisturizer. They help to retain moisture better and prevents evaporation of moisture to the air.

These are moisturizers that are from natural nuts or seeds of plants. Apart from making the skin moist, they also help to nourish and soften the skin. They are suitable for parts of the skin like the elbows and knee.   

Recovering from a dehydrated skin is really feasible. All we need do is to place more priority on the skin and note the things it needs and the ones it does not. We hope that this article has enlightened you on skin dehydration and the steps to take to make it feel and look better.