Care for oily, dehydrated skin

A constant feeling of dryness, fine wrinkles, a rough surface and dull color - this is how your skin signals an acute moisture deficiency. To help her, be patient and use the right cosmetics.

1. Signs of skin dehydration
2. Dehydration of facial skin: causes and symptoms
3. Care for dehydrated skin
4. Moisturizing different skin types
5. Composition of cosmetics for moisturizing the skin
6. Useful tips
7. Review of products for dehydrated skin

Signs of skin dehydration

First, make sure you don't confuse dry skin with dehydrated skin. Yes, these are different states.

Dryness — constant skin characteristics, it has genetic causes.

Dehydration is a specific skin condition of any type (including oily skin) caused by lack of moisture.

Dehydrated skin is in a state of drought © iStock

You can understand that the skin is experiencing strong thirst on your own, focusing on subjective sensations and visual parameters. Here are the most obvious signs.

Feeling of tightness after contact with water: after washing, you want to quickly apply cream to relieve discomfort.

Rough surface - if measures are not taken, peeling may appear on the face, which characterizes extreme dehydration.

Dehydration lines - these are small wrinkles that appear both in areas with active facial expressions and throughout the face. Disappears immediately after applying the cream.

Dehydration is easy to notice: if you gather the skin into a fold (for example, with your fingers, push the skin up in the cheekbone area) or smile broadly, small grooves appear in the area around the eyes.” Elena Eliseeva, medical expert at Vichy

Dehydration of facial skin: causes and symptoms

Most often, dehydration is caused by a violation of the integrity of the hydrolipid mantle. It ceases to cope with its functions and cannot retain moisture in the skin. Several factors can trigger this.

Environment

This includes not only extreme weather conditions, but also excessively dry air in rooms with central heating and air conditioning. The skin is forced to compensate for the lack of moisture from the outside with its own water resources, which are quickly depleted.

Improper care

This concept includes:

aggressive cleansing (especially often used in the case of oily and combination skin);

incorrectly selected cleansers and makeup removers;

cosmetics that do not match your skin type, season or circumstances.

All this weakens the hydrolipid barrier, and moisture begins to evaporate rapidly.

Improper care dehydrates the skin © iStock

Dehydration of the body

Now remember how much water you drink during the day? Insufficient fluid intake leads to dehydration of the body in general and the skin in particular. The average norm is 1.5 liters (coffee, tea, compote and juice do not count).

Age-related changes

Decreases in the skin with age synthesis of own hyaluronic acid and a redistribution of moisture occurs: the maximum amount is in the dermis, and the epidermis receives the remainder. This is associated with the feeling of tightness after cleansing with water. And this, by the way, is one of the first signs of aging.

Care for dehydrated skin

To restore the moisture level of any skin type, you will have to strictly inspect the quality of care.

Eliminate!

Cosmetics with a high acid content.

Washing with cold and/or hot water.

Add!

Moisturizing serums and concentrates will help quickly restore the level of moisture in the epidermis. Apply them twice a day immediately after cleansing, before applying cream (but not instead of it).

Intensive moisturizing gel Hydrating B5, SkinCeuticals, contains low molecular weight hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5.

Moisturizing masks, fabric or gel, use daily for two weeks until the skin recovers. Then switch to a regimen of 1-2 times a week.

Super-moisturizing and toning sheet mask “Aquabomb”, Garnier, impregnated with hyaluronic acid and pomegranate extract.

Night SPA care Aqualia Thermal, Vichy, with oils and hyaluronic acid can be applied in a thick layer and used as a mask at night.

Moisturizers choose according to your skin type and apply twice a day to saturate the epidermis with moisture and retain it throughout the day.

Moisturizing different skin types

If moisturizing masks and serums are universal products, then the cream should be chosen taking into account your skin type. A light texture is a sign that the formula contains enough water and moisture locks. In addition, it should contain light oils to seal moisture into the skin.

Choose water and oil based formulas © iStock

Finding yourself in a state of dehydration, dry skin requires products that combine moisturizing functions with restoration and nutrition. After all, in addition to water, it lacks its own lipids. To help - emulsions with vegetable oils, squalane and ceramides.

For this type, universal moisturizing formulas with a lightweight texture are suitable. Separately, a mattifying moisturizing fluid can be applied to the T-zone.

Composition of cosmetics for moisturizing the skin

The formulas of day and night moisturizers are based on a combination of two main types of hydrofixing agents.

Attracts and holds water: hyaluronic acid, glycerin, algae extracts, aloe vera.

Moisture sealing by forming a thin breathable film: oils, squalane, vitamin E.

Useful tips

Proper drinking regime

Air humidification

It makes sense to install a steam generator in the room so that the skin does not suffer from dry air and does not waste energy fighting for moisture.

Thermal water

Let thermal water in a spray always be at hand: it will refresh the skin and provide the epidermis with antioxidants for protection.

Gentle cleansing

For makeup removal, use milk or micellar water, and for washing - hydrophilic oil, foams and gels that do not contain alkali. After cleansing, apply a toner to restore the skin's pH balance.

Care

Twice a day, immediately after cleansing, apply a moisturizing concentrate (serum), and then “seal” it with a cream appropriate for your skin type and time of day.

Every woman needs to know how to care for dehydrated facial skin, since this problem affects everyone without exception. You may not even suspect that your face is not receiving enough banal fluid. Meanwhile, you see changes that are not for the better - grayness and dullness of the skin, the appearance of a fine network of wrinkles, peeling and unpleasant itching. And all this is due to lack of fluid.

There is no need to entertain yourself with the illusion that such a problem is inherent only to young ladies with dry skin. Skin type and dehydration are completely different things. If the first is genetically determined and cannot be avoided, then the second is a condition of the epidermis that needs to be corrected immediately.

Signs of dehydrated skin

At one time or another in her life, every woman, even one who carefully takes care of herself, may face the problem of moisture loss. There are a number of external signs by which you can independently make a “disappointing diagnosis” and adjust your care for a dehydrated face:

1. gray, dull color;
2. dryness, flabbiness and roughness to the touch;
3. areas of constant peeling appear that do not disappear even after using the cream;
4. the skin loses elasticity, small wrinkles appear;
5. redness, enlarged pores;
6. feeling of almost constant discomfort, tightness and itching.

To accurately determine exactly the lack of moisture in the epidermis, perform this simple test. In the evening, you need to wash your face and not apply any cosmetics (cream, serum). If after a night's sleep in the morning the skin is dry, flaky and tight, this is definitely dehydration.

Reasons why your skin lacks moisture

If we say that everyone without exception is susceptible to the problem of dehydration, then there must be specific reasons for this phenomenon. Knowing about them, you can create an “action plan to prevent” the early onset of skin aging.

Dermatologists call the lack of moisture in the upper layers of the epidermis, namely the thinning of the lipid layer, which is the only subcutaneous reservoir that ensures the retention of necessary fluid in the skin, the first cause of premature skin aging.

What can cause skin dehydration?

1. Temperature. Both an increase and a decrease in temperature indicators have a detrimental effect on the condition of the epidermis. Winter skin dehydration is caused by a “shock effect”, since the differences between indoors and outdoors are quite significant. In summer, excessively hot air outside and air conditioning inside cause the skin to produce much more moisture in order to maintain temperature balance.
2. Dermatological pathologies that provoke disruption of metabolic processes in epidermal cells.
3. Systemic diseases affecting the maintenance of intracellular fluid balance. Diseases of the urinary system and gastrointestinal tract provoke fluid loss throughout the body. Diseases of the endocrine system are fraught with disruption of metabolic processes.
4. Use of long courses of certain medications (antibiotics, sulfonamides, diuretics and laxatives), as well as uncontrolled use of hormonal oral contraceptives.
5. Bad habits. Alcohol simultaneously causes dehydration and fluid retention in tissues. But the fluid that is retained is not beneficial and only causes swelling. Nicotine dries the skin from the outside and disrupts metabolic processes from the inside.
6. Negative environmental factors. These are gas pollution, smoke and air pollution in megacities, the specifics of professional activity (working in hazardous chemical industries or with aggressive substances), stress, and overwork.
7. Age-related changes. After 40 years, you need to carefully monitor the condition of your skin and use anti-aging products to care for it.
8. Nutrition and drinking regime. Eating too much sweets, coffee and tea, carbonated drinks, fast food and irritating foods causes dehydration. You need to drink more clean, preferably structured water.
9. Low-quality, aggressive or incorrectly selected cosmetics.

Regarding the drinking regime, we can say that for each person there is a certain amount of water (pure water, not drinks) that his body needs. The dogma of 2 liters of water per day is a somewhat incorrect statement.

Care for dehydrated skin

Methods and products for caring for dehydrated facial skin are not only the use of masks, creams or other products from the cosmetology industry. An integrated approach is important. After all, the problem often lies deep inside and requires practical treatment.

1. Lifestyle. The first thing you need to change is your daily routine. A good night's sleep should last at least 8 hours. This is the time the body needs to rest and restore all processes. Reasonable physical activity, sports, outdoor activities, walks in the fresh air and minimizing stressful situations. Remember your grandmother’s grumbling: “All illnesses come from nerves.”
2. Nutrition and drinking regime. Include as many vegetables and fruits as possible in your diet, minimize pickles, smoked meats, marinades, and preserves (it is better to exclude them altogether during the treatment period). Replace coffee and tea with sour milk. Drink enough clean, plain water.
3. Elimination of negative factors. If your professional activity is related to these, take at least two weeks off.
4. Treatment of dermatological and systemic diseases, if any.
5. Selection of high-quality cosmetics according to skin type. And during the treatment period - to solve the specific problem of dehydration of the epidermis.

And of course – proper skin care using all available methods. And the means to solve this problem are both purchased and “homemade”.

Using even the most effective creams will not give any results if the skin is not properly cleaned. This is the first and, perhaps, the most important stage in caring for dehydrated skin.

Paradoxically, it is not recommended to wash your face with water in this case. The ideal tandem is milk and alcohol-free tonic. Products must have a neutral pH and do not contain alkali or surfactants.

Thermal water is the best remedy to solve the problem. They are produced in aerosols, which is very convenient for use anywhere - at work, on the street, on a walk, at home.

You should not use water if you have foundation on your face. The liquid will spread over the surface, and the cream that rolls into lumps will clog the pores.

There are two types of products used to moisturize dehydrated skin - serums and creams.

The serum must necessarily contain components such as hyaluronic acid (a natural component of the intercellular fluid of the human body) and glycerin.

Hyaluronic acid replenishes moisture reserves in epidermal cells. Glycerin performs the same function, plus it creates a microfilm that prevents fluid loss.

After the serum, you need to apply cream or cosmetic oil according to your skin type. Fatty components prevent the evaporation of liquid. Such creams should contain silicone and natural oils. Vitamin complexes nourish the skin from the inside, and collagen and elastin restore tone.

At least once a week, it is recommended to apply moisturizing and nourishing masks, which will replenish the reserves of essential macro and microelements, vitamins, and moisture. Purchased products should be selected according to skin type. But you can use the products from your home arsenal, which is no less useful and always available.

1. Cucumber. From this miracle vegetable, which consists of 85% structured liquid, you can make masks, tonics, and ice. For the mask, you need to take a tablespoon of cucumber puree (without seeds and peel), mix with the same amount of heavy cream and add a couple of drops of rose oil. Mix everything and apply to previously cleansed and steamed skin for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse with warm water. Make ice cubes from cucumber juice and wipe your face in the morning - it perfectly tones and refreshes.
2. Cottage cheese – a source of calcium, light animal protein and liquid. You can apply it either on its own, after kneading it with a fork and adding fresh milk to achieve the desired consistency, or with sour cream, honey or egg yolk.
3. Tomato. Mix two large spoons of vegetable pulp with a spoonful of cream and two drops of lemon essential oil.
4. Honey. It can be mixed with any fatty fermented milk products, egg yolk, pureed vegetables and fruits. And if you simply apply a bee product to a still damp face, you can not only moisturize the skin, but also fight age spots.

You need to be careful with honey, as this biologically active product is highly allergenic.

If you don’t know how to revive dehydrated skin, we advise you to watch this video:

TOP 5 best serums for dehydrated skin

These serums will help quickly restore moisture to the skin:

1. Advanced Night Repair (Estee Lauder) – a product for combination and oily skin. The serum has a light texture that does not clog pores. Hyaluronic acid provides intense hydration, wheat bran extract and linoleic acid guarantee a lifting effect.
2. Aqua Booster AQP-3 Hydro-stimulating Serum (Clinic) – a product with a pronounced antioxidant effect. The turgor and elasticity of the skin improves, the strength of the capillary network increases.
3. Cream-serum Bark Provides deep hydration and strengthening of the epidermis. Absorbs quickly and does not leave any greasy shine or stickiness.
4. Novosvit Concentrate aqua-gel 24 hours – with collagen and hyaluronic acid. Designed for long-term use with a cumulative effect. Perfectly moisturizes and retains moisture throughout the day.
5. Librederm activator Hyaluronic moisturizing serum – with hyaluronic acid, enzymes and pomegranate extract. Moisturizes, retains moisture inside cells, nourishes and rejuvenates.

What if the skin is dehydrated but oily?

Oily shine is not always a sign of only oily skin type. She may also be dehydrated, causing the body to produce more sebum to protect the epidermis.

Taking care of oily, dehydrated skin is even more difficult than simply dehydrated skin. After all, first you need to get rid of fat on the surface so that its film does not interfere with the absorption of moisturizing components. But doing this is very problematic using conventional means.

The same applies to problematic dehydrated skin.

It is recommended to use micellar water, which will gently remove grease. Tonics should also not contain alcohol or other aggressive ingredients.

It is better to nourish and moisturize oily, dehydrated skin with creams that are light in texture and do not contain large amounts of oils and silicone. And from homemade masks, choose fruit and vegetable based ones.

How to prevent skin moisture loss?

“Beauty starts from within” is an absolutely true statement. Therefore, there are several rules regarding both lifestyle, habits, and skin care.

1. It is very important to monitor the condition of the body for dehydrated skin! Treat all acute and worsening chronic pathologies in a timely manner.
2. Eat right and drink enough fluids.
3. For washing, use neutral products that do not irritate or injure the epithelium.
4. Use micellar water to remove makeup. Never go to bed with traces of decorative cosmetics on your face.
5. Regularly use serums, creams and face masks suitable for your skin type and age.
6. Protect skin from UV radiation and apply protective products. Do not overuse saunas, solariums, or swimming pools.

Every woman can follow these simple instructions. They will not only help prevent skin dehydration, but will also have a beneficial effect on the condition of the entire body.

How to tell if you have dehydrated skin

Oily, dehydrated facial skin is an indicator that there is not enough moisture in the cells. Here are its main features:

1. peeling on the forehead, in the eye area, chin, wings of the nose;
2. a feeling of tightness (the skin becomes shiny and inflamed);
3. enlarged pores;
4. dull complexion;
5. During the day, dehydrated skin absorbs moisture from foundation applied to it, which can cause makeup to come off in spots.

How to properly cleanse oily, dehydrated skin

Do not use detergents containing alkalis (soap is prohibited). Alcohol-based lotions and tonics are also canceled. Milk and moisturizing gels with herbal extracts that will relieve irritation are best. Tonics and lotions with AHA acids will also help with cleansing - they dissolve dead epidermal scales, which interfere with the natural renewal of the skin and prevent moisture and moisturizing substances from penetrating into the deeper layers.

How to moisturize oily, dehydrated skin

Immediately after cleansing, while the skin is still damp, apply a serum with hyaluronic acid or glycerin. These substances instantly replenish moisture loss and eliminate the feeling of dryness and tightness. Moreover, you will notice a noticeable difference within 2-3 days. And immediately after the moisturizing serum, take cream or cosmetic oil for the face. The oily texture prevents water molecules from evaporating, nourishes the skin from the inside and restores its tone (and premature loss of tone is also one of the indicators that you are doing something wrong in your beauty routine).

How to choose the right cream

And don’t be afraid that moisturizing will make the sebaceous glands work more actively. It's just important to choose ingredients that won't clog your pores. For dehydrated skin, a cream or emulsion with vitamins B, C, E, calcium and magnesium, fatty acids, natural wax, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid is suitable. Day cream must have SPF protection. And one more life hack for evening care - try to apply all the products to your face 2 hours before bedtime (so that all the useful things from the cream have time to penetrate inside).

Home Recipes

Homemade masks will help you cope with the problem (apply the mixture 1-2 times a week, leave for 20 minutes). They may contain cucumbers, full-fat sour cream, carrots, cosmetic and essential oils, honey, aloe vera, avocado, and egg yolk.

You can replace the tonic with herbal decoctions of chamomile, yarrow, St. John's wort, calendula, mint and linden. If your skin is not very sensitive, you can wipe your face (in the morning) with an ice cube, which can be prepared, like a tonic, from herbal infusions.

Treatment by a cosmetologist

With such skin, any facial cleansing is not recommended (however, even cosmetologists have become disappointed in some cleaning options). Instead, it is better to undergo superficial glycolic peeling procedures if the skin has minor rashes. For severe acne, it is better to opt for salicylic peels.

Mesotherapy is also an excellent procedure that delivers beneficial substances (meso-cocktails) directly to living skin cells. Hyaluronic acid, the basis of biorevitalization, will also help tidy up the skin.

What not to do

Clay (kaolin, it is often used for cleansing), soap and silicone are prohibited. These ingredients draw moisture out of the skin, causing it to become thinner, duller, and age faster. If you have dry skin, avoid clay-based scrubs and masks to avoid exacerbating the problem.

Silicones are also not recommended because they do not moisturize, but form a film on the skin under which the skin cannot breathe. Because of this, blood circulation deteriorates: the skin becomes dehydrated and becomes dull and lifeless. Silicone also encourages the growth of bacteria, which causes rashes.