Facts About Dehydrated Skin - Part 1

Today, millions of people lay claim to having dry skin. And there are certainly thousands of skin care products formulated and marketed especially for dry skin. Yet, as a genetic skin type, dry skin by itself doesn’t exist. What does exist is the skin condition of dehydrated skin. If you are an oil-dry skin type, you may or may not be dehydrated. Anyone with any skin type can have dehydrated skin. Your skin feels dry and tight. When you smile, it seems like your face cracks. Your skin tone has changed from bright and clear to ashen and dull. It’s likely that your skin is dehydrated. Unfortunately, none of the dry-skin moisturizers and treatments alone can correct dehydrated skin. They can only help. Correcting dehydrated skin requires you to change your environment and make lifestyle changes.

Dehydrated skin is dry to the touch and it may itch. You might have flaky patches and rough spots, and you might see blotchy patches when you look in the mirror. Your skin tone lacks vibrancy and radiance. If your skin remains dehydrated for too long, keratinization can occur. The dead skin cells build up on the surface of your skin until they coat it, making it nearly impossible for moisturizer to reach your skin. Your skin gets more dehydrated. With keratinization come congestion and breakouts. Your skin is crying out for moisture. The good news is that dehydration is only a temporary condition, no matter what your age. Your skin can quickly rehydrate and can start to function as healthy skin once again

Moisture Deprivation
To solve the problem of dehydration, you first need to know what’s causing it. Something, perhaps several things, in your environment, health situation, or lifestyle is making your skin dry. Some of the causes listed here are simple to correct, and some take more effort.

• You need to drink at least eight glasses, or 64 ounces, of water every day. This is in addition to other beverages you drink during the day, such as tea, coffee, or juice. You may want to eliminate these other beverages entirely, as these beverages can further dehydrate your skin and contribute to other skin conditions, such as acne.
• These systems keep the atmosphere dry, which removes moisture from your skin. Use room humidifiers to keep air moist. If you can afford it, install a humidifier on your home furnace. The cost starts at about $350.00 and goes up from there. If you use room humidifiers, make sure you clean them every week so that mold and fungus don’t grow in them. Circulating moist mold and fungus in the air can createeven more health problems.
• You can’t make the air outside more humid, but you can use humidifiers indoors. Fill a pottery crock with water and place several around your house. Refill when the water has evaporated.
• Overuse of exfoliants dries out skin, making it rough and red. Use your exfoliant less frequently. Use a very light touch with scrub exfoliants, and only use the kind with polyurethane beads or cornmeal.
• Overuse of topical prescription medications for skin, such as Retin-A, benzoyl peroxide, or hydroquinone. They can make skin dry, red, and inflamed. Cut back on use to every other day or every third day until your skin normalizes and redness is healed.

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