Dry vs Dehydrated Skin: Your Questions Answered
If there's anything we get asked about most often, it's about how to deal with dry skin. As lovely as the summer has been, the harsh reality is that we do live in a country with miserable weather (boo!) that tends to wreak havoc on our face and body. Like fashion week, dry skin is an annual autumn/winter given for most, dulling your summer glow and snowing flakes of dead skin everywhere. Riveting.
The problem with dry skin, however, is that it doesn't just stop there. It's a Pandora's box full of all sorts of skin conditions, ranging from. Granted, we're all very busy people here, so let's just go for the two most confusing ones: dry and dehydrated skin. We sought out the BYBI founders, Elsie and Dom, to help answers all your questions as well as their top tips, and here's what they had to say:
"Dry skin is a skin type – it's typically something that you're born with. A classic symptom of dry skin is that it's lacking in oils: it feels a bit tighter, and doesn't really have the buoyancy of really healthy, oilier skin."
"Dehydrated skin is lacking in water, so it really struggles to maintain its natural moisture levels (which controls the plumpness and firmness of the skin.) However, this isn't a skin type – it's more of a skin condition, caused by environmental factors like wind, pollution and sun damage."
"And hangovers. If your body is dehydrated, chances are your skin will be too because it's your body's biggest organ!"
"Just think: dehydrated needs moisture, and dry needs oils. With dehydrated skin, we suggest looking for skincare with ingredients that are high in humectants. Humectants draw moisture into the skin and retain it, which will really help with hydrating your skin."
"Two really great examples of humectants are, first, hyaluronic acid. It's found in our Mega Mist facial mist: it's got 2.5% hyaluronic acid, so it's got a real decent punch. Hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1000x its weight in water – great news if your skin is really dehydrated."
"If you're into DIY, try honey. Seems a bit crazy, but it's a natural humectant and fantastic ingredient for hydrating your skin, especially in a face mask. Mix it with our Detox Dust for a quick and easy anti-pollution face mask."
"For dry skin, go for skincare products that are rich in natural oils – these will help balance up your skin's oil levels. We'd even go as far to say to look for anhydrous products: these don't contain any aqua, and will have the highest quantity of oils possible hitting your skin. Babe Balm is perfect for this – not only does it contain natural oils, it also contains waxes and butters that are really high in emollient properties that will help form a barrier against moisture escaping and external aggressors like wind or cold."
"So obviously we're not going to tackle any treatment questions without throwing in a bit DIY (we're big fans of DIY)! If you're suffering from a blocked nose and you don't want to get that dry, flaky skin around your nose, the trick is to not blow your nose that much. Easier said, than done, of course. So why not try a steam treatment to clear out your sinuses: add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil into a bowl of boiling water, hover your face over the bowl with a towel over your head and breathe in all the lovely, refreshing steam."
"If you've already started to develop that flaky skin, however, you can do a mini face mask over the area. Sounds ridiculous, but it works! Get a tiny bit of Prime Time, and put it over your nose for about 10 minutes. (We know it smells great, but try not to sniff it in.) Then give it a bit of a scrub and wash it off – that should get rid of the surface flakes."
"Then work on protecting that skin with Babe Balm. (Best to pop this on before bed so you don't walk around with a really shiny nose all day.) We've formulated this to be suitable for even eczema-prone skin, so it'll be perfect for shielding the skin around your nose from more flaking and dryness."