A Simple Skincare Routine For Dehydrated Skin

If you’ve noticed that your skin is not its usual glowy self, dehydration could be the issue. It’s not uncommon to think that only those with dry skin suffer with this, after all, the terms dry and dehydrated are often used interchangeably. But this isn’t the case. In fact, all skin types can face dehydration. Fear not though, because the best way to combat dehydrated skin is to curate a moisture-packed, highly nourishing skincare routine.

So, let’s jump right into it… well, not before figuring out just what dehydrated skin is and how we can identify it.

What’s the difference between dehydrated skin and dry skin?

Most people think dehydrated and dry skin are one and the same. But actually they’re quite different.

Dry skin is a skin type that is characterised by a lack of oil. If you have this skin type it usually means that your skin has fewer sebaceous glands or that these glands are under-active.

On the other hand, dehydrated skin is classed as a skin condition. It generally occurs not when there’s a lack of oil, but when there’s a lack of water. This means that you can have both oily and dehydrated skin!

Signs of dehydrated skin:

• Dullness
• Redness
• Sunken eyes or deep under-eye circles
• Skin feels tight and uncomfortable
• Wrinkles or fine lines appear more noticeable

Morning Skincare Routine For Dehydrated Skin

STEP 1: Cleanser

With dehydrated skin you’ll want to opt for a gentle cleanser that is pH balanced (or at least not too alkaline). This is going to ensure that your face wash isn’t stripping your skin of its natural oils and impairing your moisture barrier.

My favourite of all time is the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser. This is formulated with three essential ceramides and hyaluronic acid to keep your skin moisturised and protected. It doesn’t include any foaming agents, which may at first seem a little weird – especially when you’re expecting your face wash to lather. But this is part of what makes it so kind to your skin!

STEP 2: Serum or Lotion

When my skin isn’t so dehydrated this is when I’d usually apply a BHA toner. However, to avoid irritating my already sensitive skin, I’ll just save the toner for the evening.

Instead, I like to go in with a serum or lotion like the Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion which really helps my skin look more dewy and plump.

STEP 3: Essence

I never understood the true power of an essence until I tried the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. This makes my skin look incredible and has completely eliminated any feelings of tightness or dryness.

It is a little pricy, but I have to say this is one of my holy grail skincare products. I’m confident I’ll be repurchasing this for the foreseeable future!

You can read my full review of the COSRX essence here.

STEP 4: Moisturiser

When your skin is feeling dehydrated, moisturiser is key. If you’re stuck choosing the perfect one, take a look at the ingredients list and see what the product has to offer. I tend to look out for ingredients like ceramides, squalane and panthenol which are known for their restorative properties. These are going to soothe your skin and minimise any irritation.

I love, love, love the Facetheory Aventhra Moisturiser which is just thick enough that it hydrates the skin, but not so thick that it feels heavy or greasy. I can’t count the number of these that I’ve gone through!

STEP 5: SPF

Of course, we can’t miss sunscreen off of our skincare routine for dehydrated skin. We really don’t need to be making our skin any more tight or dry!

I’m currently using the COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 and it’s amazing. While it does contain alcohol, it’s not as noticeable as some other sunscreens that I’ve tried. For this reason I find it to be much less irritating on my skin.

You can find my complete review of this sun cream here.

Evening Skincare Routine For Dehydrated Skin

STEP 1: Oil-based Cleanser

If your skin is feeling a little sensitive it’s obviously not the best idea to start scrubbing at it. That’s why it’s really important to choose a gentle cleanser that will easily break down your makeup.

When it comes to the first cleanse in my nighttime skincare routine, I have two picks for dehydrated skin. The first is The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter (review here) – this is full of nourishing ingredients like shea butter, olive oil and vitamin E. The second is The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm (review here) which soothes the skin with its oat kernel oil and colloidal oatmeal.

Both are great in different ways. The Body Shop balm is just slightly more fragranced, so keep this in mind if you’re sensitive to that.

STEP 2: Water-based Cleanser

For your second cleanse you’re going to need a lighter water-based face wash. This will really make sure that all makeup and pollutants have been dislodged from your skin.

Often I’ll just use the same cleanser that I did in the morning. This keeps things simple and means that I’m not introducing too many new products into my skincare routine.

For some alternatives to CeraVe, try The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser or the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser.

STEP 3: Toner

Choosing the right toner can be extremely tricky if your skin is dry and/or dehydrated. You still want something that is going to remove dead skin cells, but you don’t want it to leave your skin feeling stripped and sore.

The gentlest one I’ve found is the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow PHA + BHA Pore-Tight Toner. This contains natural exfoliants in the form of willow bark and betaine salicylate. It also counts watermelon extract, cactus water and centella asiatica as some of its main skin-soothing ingredients.

STEP 4: Night Cream or Treatment

Last but not least we have night creams. I tend to switch these up quite often, but my current go-to is the Q+A Chamomile Night Cream. This is really moisturising without feeling heavy or sticky. And it’s unscented so it’s not unpleasant to sleep in.

When my skin is in need of something a bit more intense I’ll generally use the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume. This stuff is honestly amazing and has saved my skin countless times! It’s quite thick – imagine the consistency of Savlon – but it doesn’t clog pores or cause breakouts at all. This is the perfect product to prevent excess transepidermal water loss.

What’s your go-to skincare routine for dehydrated skin? Let me know in the comments.