Is Your Skin Dry or Dehydrated? 

Healthy skin needs to be free of debris and get ample hydration to be at its best! Read on to learn about the science of hydration, how to perfect the at-home facial, and why cleansing the skin is very important. 

In this post you’ll see 

The Science of Hydration 

Perfecting the At-Home Hydration Facial 

At Home Hydrating Product Guide 

 

The Science of Hydration 

When it comes to hydration we may run into some confusion when it comes to the terms dehydrated and dry as well as some confusion of whether our skin needs oil or water. When our skin gets that rough flaky feeling it’s super important to determine whether it is a dry type or a dehydrated condition before taking action. You may think that these two words are synonyms, but they indicate two different skin conditions. 

Dehydrated skin is a skin condition that occurs when there’s a lack of water in the skin. This can happen to anyone, regardless of skin type — people with oily or combination skin can still experience dehydration. Dehydrated skin typically looks dull and can show premature signs of aging, like surface wrinkles and loss of elasticity. When your skin is dehydrated it creates an unstable barrier which can lead to clogged pores and inflammation. On the other hand, in dry skin water is not the problem. Dry skin is a skin type, like oily or combination skin, where the complexion lacks oils, or lipids, so it takes on a more flaky, dry appearance. 

So, if your skin is dry, it needs oil and if it’s dehydrated it needs water. If you want your skin to look and feel its best, you need to both hydrate and moisturize in your daily routines. However, those with dehydrated skin may be able to skip moisturizers while dry skin types may find their skin getting worse by only hydrating. If you’re hydrating and moisturizing, use hydrating ingredients first and then take the steps necessary to seal that moisture in. So here is the deal – visualize this with us – the more fluid-like (liquidy) the product is, the more water it contains and the smaller the molecule. The thicker the product is – turn it upside down and it remains in the jar kind of thick – the more lipids and oils and the larger the molecule. Therefore, applying the smaller molecule first just make good logical sense. Water first then oil! Adding more water after the oil is just straight bogus. After cleansing and treating the skin, from start to finish – and spray to spray – your hydrating routine should look something like this: toner, serum, moisturizer, primer, foundation, and finish off with a hydration spray. 

Here are some important terms to know: 

Humectants – are substances that attract water from the air or from deeper in the skin. They come in three main forms: natural or unchanged, naturally derived, and synthetic. 

Natural moisturizing factor (NMF) – is essential for appropriate stratum corneum hydration, barrier homeostasis, desquamation, and plasticity. It is formed from filaggrin proteolysis to small, hygroscopic molecules including amino acids. This substance is wrapped around your skin cells, so when you hydrate you plump up its volume – big time. 

 

 

Perfecting the At-Home Hydration Facial 

To perfect the at-home facial you just need to follow these 7 simple steps! 

Step 1: Pre-cleanse  

Use makeup remover even if you don’t have on makeup currently. Chances are there’s a ton of past sins left on your skin that is unseen. Don’t skip on this step and make sure to use a good quality makeup remover – this is not the step to be cheap about! A clean slate to build upon is the name of the game here. In this instance, the wipes won’t cut it. Cleanse twice a day to remove any dirt, impurities, and makeup. Even if you’re not wearing makeup at home, your skin still needs cleansing to keep your pores clear. The first cleanse, believe it or not, is only removing old makeup and loose surface debris that was not removed with the first swipe of makeup remover. We call it part B of the pre-cleanse step. Add a quick spritz of toner before you move on to the next step.  

 

Step 2: Exfoliate  

Choose the correct exfoliator for your skin. Physical scrubs work on the top layers to slough off dead cells, while chemical AHA formulas penetrate deeper working to target blackheads, dullness, and signs of aging. Add a quick spritz of toner before you move on to the next step. 

 

Step 3: Mask  

Treat yourself to a multi-mask! If your t-zone is oily but you’re experiencing some dry patches on the cheeks, apply a combination of masks just to the spots where they’re needed. 

 

Step 4: Tone 

Think of toner as your “after” step – use it after cleansing, after removing an exfoliating scrub, or after removing a mask. Toning helps lock in the products that follow and helps re-balance the skin after any step.  

Be generous with your spritzing. You want to make sure your entire face, neck + v-area soak in the refreshing ingredients from your toner of choice. Smooth the product with your fingertips and reapply if it quickly disappears. 

   

Step 5: Target  

Incorporate a targeted serum or treatment to zero in on what concerns you most – like dullness, redness, breakouts, or hyperpigmentation.  

  

Step 6: Moisturize  

Finish with the right moisturizer for your skin type. You want to properly seal in all your hard work without either over or under-moisturizing. Your skin will drink the proper moisturizer right up! 

 

Step 7 (the most important of them all): Listen to your skin!  

“If a product or technique isn’t working for you, your skin will tell you!” says Dawn Gantt, licensed esthetician and member of Bioelements Esthetics Experts Panel. “Pay attention and adjust products when necessary.”  

 

At Home Hydrating Facial Product Guide

Pre-cleanse

Makeup Dissolver Perfected – non-stinging and brightening 

Cleanse 

Hydrating Cleansers:  

Moisture Positive Cleanser – rich hydrating cleanser for dry skin 

Sensitive Skin Cleanser – two and one makeup remover and soothing reparative cleanser 

Deep Cleansers: On the fence about what to use? Go full strength or a dollop to your hydrating cleanser. 

Urban Undo Cleanser – deep purging copper plus clay 

Flash Foam Cleanser – exfoliating foam with natural enzymes 

Measured Micrograins + – double duty scrub

Pumice Peel – double duty scrub

Kerafole – double duty mask

Tone

Soothing Reset Mist – aloe camel mill and silver ear mushroom 

Power Peptide – age fighting peptides 

Equalizer – skin balancing adaptogens 

Exfoliate

Physical:  

Measured Micrograins + – multi action facial scrub and pore refining mask 

Pumice Peel – manual microdermabrasion 

Magic Mitt – knitted microfiber cloth that gently removes makeup and cleanses skin

Chemical: 

Quick Refiner – leave  AHA exfoliating gel 

Skin Editor – leave on aha peel cream 

Kerafole – double duty deep purging mask

Mask

Collagen Rehab – face and lip mask rehabilitate aged exhausted skin 

Hydroplunge – saturation sugar beets and hyaluronic acid 

Target 

Moisture x 10 – super hydrating hyaluronic acid 

Stress Solution – soothing honeysuckle and spearmint 

Recovery Serum – moisture-binding ceramides 

Dewluxe – occlusive argan, squalane + sea kale for dewy hydration 

 Moisturize 

Beyond Hydration – gel moisturizer for oily skin 

Absolute Moisture – lightweight moisturizer for combination skin 

Crucial Moisture – soft cream moisturizer for dry skin 

Really Rich Moisture – ultra emollient cream moisturizer for very dry skin 

Remineralist Daily Moisture – pollution neutralizing lightweight aging skin 

Barrier Fix Daily Hydrator – whipped hyaluronic  acid and silver ear mushroom 

  

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