Dry Skin vs. Dehydrated Skin: The Complete Lowdown

Understanding the Skin You're In For Hydration Done Right 

Skin feeling dry, flaky, and flat-out uncomfortable? It can be easy to jump to conclusions when dealing with dry-feeling skin and decide you have a dry skin type. But what many women don’t realize is that oily, combination and balanced skin can put on a dry front sometimes, too. So how are you supposed to give your skin what it needs – and deserves – if you can’t pinpoint the cause?

The starting point is to determine whether you have a dry skin type or are suffering from dehydrated skin. Skin that’s swooning for moisture needs the right kind of hydration based on the right kind of understanding. And MD Glam is here to help!

A Dry Skin Type Primer

Suspecting that you have dry skin? By definition, dry skin happens when your skin produces less sebum or natural oil than it needs to retain moisture. The result is rough, flaky, and irritated skin that feels uncomfortable and leaves your skin looking dull or reddened. 

Let’s start with some tell-tale signs that you’re dealing with a dry skin type: 

• Rough texture
• Itchy feeling
• Tight sensation
• Cracking
• Peeling
• Scaling 
• Flaking

None of this sounds, or feels, pleasant. Yet while there isn’t much you can do to change your skin type (it’s all in your genes), products that offer hydration and balancing properties can reduce the symptoms and give you more even-looking skin.

When Dry Skin Goes Oily

So wait. Dry skin can be oily, too? 

You bet.

Combination skin is much more common than people realize. After all, it’s sometimes easier to lump types as dry or oily, one or the other. But combination skin can present dryness with oily areas. The most notorious of these is the dreaded T-zone, where your forehead, nose, and chin appear greasy while your cheeks feel dry. 

This leaves many women hesitant to hydrate since they feel that they already have an excess of sebum right where they don’t want it. Yet cleansing is also dreaded since many harsh soaps leave dry areas feeling even drier. 

How to know if you’re dehydrated

Before we dive into what to do to balance out your dry skin, it’s important to rule out (or in) the possibility that you’re also dehydrated. 

Dehydrated skin is when your skin lacks enough water to appear and function healthily. The good news is that dehydrated skin is simple to detect. Here’s what to look for:

• Dark under-eye circles
• Dullness in skin tone
• The appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Tight skin that snaps back quickly

Watch out for dehydration if your water intake is lower than usual. We all know how critical those eight glasses of water are each day for other vital functions, and our skin is a part of it! Seasonal changes can also wreak havoc on skin of all types, causing signs of dehydration as the moisture levels in the airdrop during colder months. 

How to combat dry skin and dehydrated skin

Whether you’re born with dry skin or combating seasonal dehydration, or a combination, you’ll want to start down a path to treating your symptoms properly. The good news is that there’s plenty you can do to turn your dry skin around.

It’s all about hydration and moisturization. And interestingly enough, they aren’t quite the same. In a nutshell:

• Moisturizers trap water and oils in the skin
• Hydrators infuse your skin with extra water

And as a rule of thumb, dry skin needs moisture while dehydrated skin needs hydration. For example, moisturizing dehydrated skin will give back some softness, but it won’t fix the underlying problem.

That’s why it’s so important to determine whether you have dry skin or dehydrated skin to start with. From there, you can choose the best skincare routine for you.

At MD Glam, we’re aware that everyone has different skin types and nourishment needs. And instead of complicating things with different strokes for different folks, we’ve put together a comprehensive line of luxury products that can address dry skin and dehydrated skin at the same time.

The secret? A balance of hydration and moisturizers in every product is designed to give you brighter, more even, and healthier skin. Let’s take a closer look at how this can go to work for you and combat your skin troubles.

Tip #1: Cleansing is key

Many women are hesitant to cleanse, or they worry about over-cleansing when they are experiencing dry skin of any sort. After all, so many cleansers on the market over dry and leave skin feeling tight and uncomfortable. Not so with MD Glam’s Exfoliating Enzyme Scrub and Deep Pore Foaming Cleanser. Both products are formulated to balance skin of any type with rich moisturizing ingredients and leave your skin feeling soft and comfortable again. That’s because they contain both moisturizers and hydration in combination while also helping regulate your natural sebum. 

Tip #2: Moisturizer is essential

Dry skin craves moisture, and with the right amount, your skin can look more firm and younger over time. The MD Glam DMAE Antioxidant Day Moisturizer is designed for just that. Lightweight and wearable under makeup, it will increase your skin’s tone and hydration with regular use, allowing your body’s natural oils and moisture to perform and combat your dry skin. 

Tip #3: Hydration is critical

While moisturizing will help keep your skin’s natural oils in place and assist with dry skin, it’s not an all-in-one solution. Deep hydration that actually infuses your skin will help combat signs of dehydration, which can start to exaggerate signs of aging, too. MD Glam’s Hyaluronic Acid Night C-Complex is specially formulated to relieve tired and dehydrated skin by penetrating to hydrate and heal overnight. 

Tip #4: Sun is a culprit

Believe it or not, exposure to UV rays can actually cause dryness while also damaging your skin cells and increasing signs of aging. That’s why you should never leave the house without sun protection. MD Glam’s Sunshout Sunscreen is formulated so that it hydrates, protects, and doesn’t clog pores all in one supercharged product. With SPF 50, you’ll be protected from UVA/UVB at all times, whether you’re hitting the beach or just walking to and from the office.

Tip #5: Skin is unique

Remember the T-zone? MD Glam takes care of combination skin with a balanced blend of hydration and moisturizers packed into every product, from cleansers to creams. What’s more, we’ve recognized that the skin under the eye responds differently to hydration needs. Those dark circles might mean you’re tired, but they can also indicate dehydration. Enter: MD Glam’s Retinol-C Intense Eye Serum. Crafted specifically for use under the eyes, this solution is sure to rehydrate and give you the look of well-rested, younger eyes. 

Nobody enjoys that dry skin feeling, no matter what’s causing it. It’s uncomfortable, troublesome to combat, and can lay waste to dozens of products that fall short of solving the problem. MD Glam understands this and has formulated a line of products that address dry skin needs and dehydrated skin needs all in one, so you can start feeling – and looking – your best without the guesswork. 

What’s more, dry skin can exacerbate the signs of aging, but MD Glam’s products go to work for you to turn back the clock on these signs and more. 

Adopt THE skincare routine that works for all skin types and helps battle dehydration no matter your type. MD Glam is surgeon-formulated and includes an entire line of hydrating, effective cleansers and moisturizers ready to go to work for you!