Is your skin dry or dehydrated?

There can be little in the appearance between dry and dehydrated skin except one is caused by genetics or hormones and the other is a skin condition that has been caused by your lifestyle (products, diet, and weather).

Dry skin is caused by the under production of sebum (oil) in the skin, it doesn’t have anything to do with water. Due to the lack of oil, your skin finds it difficult to hold onto moisture. It can be very uncomfortable and can occur anywhere on the body. Symptoms are tightness, itching skin, scaly, or cracking skin.

Dehydrated skin has lost its water content. It will feel dry and maybe flaky with superficial lines. Skin may also feel sensitive. This condition is due to your lifestyle and it can be easily rectified.

Lifestyle choices such as your diet, (intake of fruit and vegetables, water and alcohol, (alcohol is a diuretic). General health or working environment such as air-conditioning or central heating. Harsh weather and even using the wrong skincare.

All skin types can suffer with dehydrated skin, even oily skin can be dehydrated.

How can you treat it?

The first and cheapest step is to look at your diet and lifestyle, boring as that might sound your skin is a living organ so it gets all its nutrients from what you have ingested.

• To tackle the dryness try adding in fatty acids in the form of Omega 3, 6 and 9. We recommend Skin Omegas+ as they have the added benefit of Vitamin A. Vitamin A and Skin Omegas will increase the hydration in the skin and enhance the skins protective barrier. They are anti-inflammatory and improve skins immunity. Vitamin A is a key nutrient for the maintenance of healthy skin. When dealing with dry skin, Skin Omegas+ would always be at the forefront of my mind.
  
  
• If you are the more mature lady and suffering from menopausal dryness and looking for a more anti-ageing formula, adding in Hyaluronic Acid and Ceramides would be more beneficial. Hyaluronic Acid contained in Skin Moisture Lock is a natural substance found in the dermal (lower) layer of the skin. It can hold up to 1,000 times its own weight in water. This cushions the cells and helps keep them looking young.
  Ceramides are naturally occurring lipids which are a major component of the epidermal layer (upper) of the skin. They provide a waterproof barrier and maintain the skins water retention capacity.
  

On to skincare. It should be gently but also provide much needed hydration.

• The asap gentle cleansing gel contains antioxidants to protect & repair the skin and Aloe Vera to calm and soothe. If you wanted to give a deeper exfoliation you could add in the daily exfoliating facial scrub which gently removes dead skin cells to promote smooth skin that illuminates ;)
  
  
• To tackle dull skin and pigmentation in addition to dryness try super B complex. This hero product is a best seller. It is suitable for all skin types, it contains a high concentration of Niacinamide which might be better known as B3. B3 supports the skins barrier by helping to balance oil production, increase resiliency and improve texture. Ideal for all skin types and to use all year round.
  
  
  
  

As always, protection is key to prevent damage, further or future damage to the skin. Using a broad spectrum SPF that will also moisturise the skin is ideal. Moisturising daily defence SPF50+ contains hyaluronic acid and Niacinamide to hydrate the skin while also providing prevention from pigmentation and protection from the harmful UVA/UVB rays.