How to combat dehydrated skin

Loads of us moan about dry skin and try to combat it by loading up our faces with thick, greasy moisturisers, which don’t seem to help that much. What’s more likely to be the case is that your skin is dehydrated. Dry skin lacks oil so can appear red and feel itchy, whereas dehydrated skin lacks moisture, which is what causes that uncomfy tight feeling and makes our faces appear flaky and dull. Sound familiar? To help us understand our skin a little more, we asked DARE magazine’s editor Tory Frost for her top tips on how to combat dehydrated skin.

Do you have it

Understanding your skin can sometimes feel like trying to learn a new language – impossible and, at times, unnecessarily painful *headache sets in*. So how can you know if your skin is dehydrated instead of just dry? Well, there are five signs that your face is thirsty, and if any of these sounds familiar, you could have a case of dehydrated dermis.

Your skin often feels tight and uncomfortable.
It’s dry and rough to the touch.
Sometimes your skin looks a little sad and grey.
Your complexion is dull and seems to lack a youthful, fresh-faced appearance.
Fine lines show up quite easily.

So if you’ve got all this going on, what exactly can you do about it? Tory explains how certain skincare ingredients work for dehydrated skin and tell you about the products that have got her 10-out-of-10 stamp of approval…

Hyaluronic acid

This is an acid that occurs naturally in the skin, but that you might not have a lot of if you’re suffering with a dehydrated face. These acids are like super sponges and can hold about 1,000 times their own weight in moisture. Any product that contains hyaluronic acid is a great first step in your skincare regime – it’ll draw in all the good stuff from other products and leave your skin looking full, plump and healthy.

Spritz

A spritz is a great way to get those key ingredients onto your skin without layering up thick products, and if you’re after a hit of hyaluronic, the B. Confident Hyaluronic Acid Facial Spritz is just the thing. Use it after cleansing to combat that uncomfortable tightness you might experience. It’ll lay down a solid base of hydrating goodness before you do your makeup. You can also use this throughout the day if you need a moisture boost.

Sorry, this product is currently out of stock.

Serum

If you haven’t jumped on the serum wagon yet, get your running shoes on and chase it down because you don’t want to be left behind. Serums are great for dehydrated skin because they’re super-lightweight and are backed with concentrated levels of all those stellar ‘skingredients’. Tory’s first serum pick for dehydrated skin is Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum. It’s really light and soaks into the skin quickly, and it’s jam-packed with hyaluronic acid, which will give you all the moisture-locking power you need. Next up is Superdrug Calm Skin Hydrating 2-in-1 Serum & Moisturiser. If you’re after a moisturiser without the greasy after effects, this is the one for you – oh and makeup goes on a treat over the top of it.

Simply Pure Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum 50ml £3.49

Superdrug Superdrug Calm Skin Hydrating 2in1 Serum & Moisturiser 50ml £0.30

Glycerine

Glycerine is a humectant, an ingredient that holds on to moisture. It’ll also make your skin feel soft and supple – what’s not to like? Tory recommends using a face wash containing glycerine, to lock in moisture.

Face Wash

The B. Clean Sparkling Water Cleanser is great to use both as a morning cleanser and the second part of a more-thorough double cleanse. It’s a lightweight face wash that’ll get rid of any dirt and oils and leave your skin looking fresh ’n’ flawless.

B. Skincare B. Sparkling Water Cleanser 125ml £0.70

Moisturiser

When it comes to moisturisers for dry skin, Tory’s pick is B. Relaxed Comforting Moisture Cream. It’s not gloopy and thick, so it won’t leave your skin feeling greasy. Its lightweight, satin-soft formula means it will glide onto your skin like a dream and soak in easily. Also, you won’t have problems applying makeup over this, which makes it the perfect morning moisturiser. Alternatively, you could use it before bed after applying a serum and leave it to lock in moisture overnight. You can kiss goodbye to that tight-skinned feeling you have in the mornings!

B. Skincare B. Relaxed Comfort Moisture Cream 50ml £0.20

Glycolic acid

There’s a lot of talk about acids here and, although they might sound scary, trust us – they’re not. Glycolic acid is actually an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid), which is found in all kinds of fruits. See… completely harmless. These little fruit acids react with the top layer of the skin, evenly exfoliating your face by stripping away any dead skin cells, so you can say hello to brighter, smoother-looking skin.

Face pads

Tory suggests giving your face a once-over with Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Pads, which come soaked in this miracle-working, skin-saving ingredient. Use in the evenings on clean skin, then apply your serum and moisturiser on top. The exfoliating properties of glycolic acid mean all those other products will sink into your skin more quickly and easily, making glycolic a must-have ingredient in your skincare routine.