Is your skin dehydrated?

Dehydrated skin lacks water and can be a result of a number of factors but is also something that can be prevented with a few simple but effective steps.

In order to get to grips with dehydration we paired up with skincare experts La Roche Posay, for Her.ie's big beauty survey, to find out just how much the Irish public are affected by dehydrated skin.

Here are the results...

Over a third of people asked didn’t know the difference between dry and dehydrated skin

Dehydrated skin lacks water and can be a result of a number of factors. It is not a skin type like dry, oily or combination.

More than half of those with oily skin suffered from dehydration

All skin types can be dehydrated, even oily skin. Dehydrated skin is a skin condition just like reactive skin, atopic skin or dull skin. Unlike skin types, skin conditions may vary.

 

The most common causes of dehydration were found to be stress, central heating and the wind

Dehydration intensity may change depending on environmental factors or bad habits. The skin can be dehydrated because of stress, the weather (very cold or hot conditions as well as the wind), air-conditioning or heating, sunburns, hard water, harsh cleansing or the use of inappropriate cosmetics and skincare products.

The three most common symptoms of dehydrated skin were dull complexion, fine lines and dark circles

We found a surprisingly high number of people reported symptoms of dehydrated skin including fine lines, dark circles along with a dull complexion, tightness and makeup that won’t stay on. As previously mentioned hydration levels in the skin can be affected by many things such as the weather, stress, skincare regime or lifestyle choices (smoking, alcohol, late nights and diet).  

Your skincare regime is very important because the human body is made up mainly of water. In fact the body of the average adult contains 70% water which translates as 45 litres of water for a person weighing 70 kilograms. Twenty per cent of this water occurs in the skin so it's important to protect and maintain the moisture in your skin in order to avoid dehydration lines, which may develop into wrinkles, and to promote a clear and dewy complexion, often dulled by harsh environmental factors. 

 

Over half of respondents found their skin to be dehydrated

Moisturiser was the most common product used in people’s skincare routine and over half of respondents used four or more products in their skincare routine

It can be difficult to know what products to use on your skin. To help you better understand your skin and what you should be doing for it, we've enlisted the help of Janette Ryan, Training Manager La-Roche-Posay. As a skincare expert and previous Beauty Therapy Lecture and Spa Therapist she is ready and willing to answer all of your questions on dehydrated skin!

 

Janette is on hand to help answer your questions

If you've got a question you'd like to put to the experts, simply mail us on hello@her.ie with La Roche Posay in the subject line by Wednesday, September 11th.