Treat dehydrated skin

Dehydrated skin lacks moisture. It is a temporary skin problem that can affect all four skin types. Oily skin can also be dehydrated. Dehydrated skin feels uncomfortably dry, the skin is tight and sometimes itchy, especially after a shower. The lack of moisture in the upper layers of the skin is often homemade and can be completely remedied with the right products.

How to recognize dehydrated skin

The typical signs of dehydrated skin include tightness, brittle or even scaly areas, itching, fine lines caused by dryness and a lack of elasticity. Other unique characters can be:

• Your skin is oily but feels dry at the same time.
• You take care of yourself with rich products and still nothing improves.

Good to know: There is a big difference between dehydrated and dry skin. Even if both feel the same, they require very different care. Dry skin needs oil, dehydrated skin needs water.

This is how dehydrated skin differs from dry skin

Dehydrated skin is not easy to recognize and is often confused with dry skin , because the skin feels almost the same. Both feel "dry". It's worth taking a close look here, because there are important differences in skin care. Dehydrated skin lacks water , dry skin primarily lacks fat and only secondarily water.

Another difference: dehydrated skin is a temporary problem that can be remedied with the right care products. Dry skin is innate and accompanies you throughout your life.

Causes of dehydrated skin

Our skin is like a sponge. It stores water in its deep layers and ideally makes your skin look nice and smooth, elastic and supple. The water migrates from the depths to the outer layers of the skin to nourish and maintain the skin's functions. The outermost skin layer (horny layer) acts like a barrier and keeps the water in the skin back so that not too much of it evaporates to the outside. If the barrier is compromised, the water will evaporate too quickly. A lack of moisture in the outermost layer of skin develops.

☝️ You want to know exactly? With the article How does my skin retain moisture? you go deeper into the topic.

Young skin usually has a good moisture supply of its own. The older we get, the more our own ability to store water in the skin decreases. Older skin is therefore less well supplied with moisture per se. But also harsh cleaning products, stress, alcohol and smoking, long bathing or winter air can lead to a temporary loss of moisture even in young skin.

The three most common combinations

1. Dry and dehydrated skin

Dry skin is a skin type that accompanies you throughout your life. Dry skin primarily lacks the skin's own lipids (skin fats). That is why the care products for dry skin are so rich. Unfortunately, a lack of moisture usually goes hand in hand with dry skin, at least until the care is optimally adjusted, because the ability of the skin to store water is reduced. It is therefore important for this skin type to rely on the combination of lipids AND moisture.

Your facial care routine: Stick to the care routine for dry skin . The FIVE facial serum it contains, in combination with our rich products, provides your skin with the moisture it needs.

2. Oily and dehydrated skin

Does your skin quickly become greasy, but still feels dry? It obviously cannot be due to a lack of lipids, your skin produces enough of them. Your skin wants moisture so much that it tries unsuccessfully to balance the moisture balance itself by producing more lipids. Good to know: As soon as your moisture balance has settled, the excessive lipid production decreases. Since dehydrated skin is usually a home-made problem, it is also important to identify and eliminate the triggers. Triggers for dehydrated skin - especially with an oily skin type - can be:

• Aggressive cleaning products
• Washing the skin too often or for too long
• Inappropriate care products

Number 1 is facial cleansing with soaps and surfactants . They are specially designed to loosen fat. We are often told that we have to lather thoroughly several times a day and rinse off with plenty of water - you will know this especially with oily, impure skin. However, studies show that the combination of lipid loss and water significantly reduces skin hydration. It can take hours for their moisture balance to return to normal. Incidentally, this also applies to excessive washing with only water. Here less is more!

Tip: Clean gently! Only with lukewarm water or, if you can't do without, with a very mild natural cosmetic wash gel. The surfactants used in it are gentler than in conventional products. Generally avoid strong foaming cleaning products! And the best way to remove makeup is with a little oil.

Number 2 are drying ingredients . Some moisturizing care products contain alcohols. They create the feather-light texture we love. And they make the barrier permeable so that active ingredients can enter the skin. However, this is not a one-way street. As a result, more water escapes.

Tip: Avoid products that contain alcohol, alcohol denat., ethanol or spirits. Instead, use serums that provide plenty of moisture with plant hydrosols, glycerin and hyaluronic acid, such as our FIVE facial serum .

Your facial care routine: Be aware of the above triggers and otherwise stick to the care routine for oily skin .

3. Mature and dehydrated skin

Decreasing elasticity also indicates a lack of water in the skin. Now I don't want to fool you that you can turn back time with a super moisturizer - although that would be really great! But it definitely helps to prevent premature skin aging or to slow down the process. Very important: be consistent and don't wait too long! If the skin is well cared for over years or decades, it shows gratitude.

But why is it that mature skin becomes dehydrated? It stores less water and it evaporates faster. There are several reasons for this:

The connective tissue can absorb less water than before. At the same time, the skin's ability to store water decreases. The skin becomes thinner and sebum production decreases, which weakens the skin barrier. Regeneration also slows down. The skin takes longer to recover from harmful care and cleaning substances.

Your facial care routine: Mature skin needs the full program of fat AND moisture. Stick to the care routine for mature skin , the products in it cover the needs of your skin. Rely on high-quality care oils (summer) or even richer balms (winter), which nourish the skin barrier with the much-needed fatty acids. Because these become rarer in the skin over time. Complete the oil care with a moisturizing serum with hyaluronic acid and glycerine, which bind a lot of water.

Conclusion: fat, moisture or both?

To finally get your dry skin soft and supple, fat alone is not enough. Get to the bottom of the cause and give her what she really needs. What signs do you see in yourself and what do they indicate? Let's recap briefly.

• Has your skin always been dry? Then stick to an oil-based regimen that you top off with a moisturizer.
• If you've only had dry skin for a while, get rid of products and habits that disrupt the barrier and moisturize it plenty.
• If your skin is dehydrated and oily at the same time, it's probably simply lacking moisture.
• Pamper mature skin with the full program of oil and moisture.

Good hydration is therefore useful for all skin types and becomes more and more important with age. Your skin's needs change over time. So listen to your instincts and keep adjusting your care routine.