Dehydrated Skin - Not a Permanent Skin Condition

97% of Australians suffer from dehydration in their skin. Dehydrated skin is a lack of water in the skin. Which is different to dry skin which is a lack of oil. Dehydrated skin is a skin condition not a skin type which means it is a reaction to behaviour to external and internal stimulants. These include things like the environment, diet, and our lifestyle.

Dehydrated skin can be the start of other skin problems. Think of a row of dominos all standing in a line, each one representing a skin condition, the first of which is dehydration. If this first domino falls, it knocks on to the next domino (skin condition) and the next, and so on. So, with dehydration can come other skin problems and conditions.

Dehydrated skin means the skin is losing moisture, the active products we use don’t work as effectively as they should, we are more prone to sensitivity and the cell communication fails. These issues are all tied into disruption of our acid mantle – the thin, slightly acidic layer of our skin’s surface designed to act as a protective barrier against microbes and environmental damage. When skin loses moister and is lacking hydration, the acid mantle can’t do its job properly. Therefore, it makes sense that the 97% of Australians suffering dehydration do not have a strong enough acid mantle.

So how do we get our acid mantel strong and healthy? One of the best ways to start this process is to take some Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s). EFA’s are essential nutrients necessary for life. The reason they label them essential is because the body is unable to product them intrinsically; meaning they must be obtained through the diet. EFT’s are integral to the proper structure and function of the cell.  In addition to nourishing the skin and improving its texture, EFT’s also form part of the acid mantle. They keep the cell moist and reduce the amount of transepidermal water loss giving the appearance of plump skin.

Another issue to consider is home products that may be interrupting the acid mantel even further. A question to ask yourself after you have used a home care product is, “How does my skin feel after I have cleansed, toned etc?” If the answer to this question is squeaky clean, tight, feeling like I need to moisturise, then your home care products may be too aggressive or not nourishing enough for your skin. These products will strip your acid mantel and exacerbate the problem.

Additionally, while the skin is dehydrated the enzyme that naturally desquamates the skin isn’t able to function properly resulting in a build-up of skin cells. This gives us that dry, rough feeling. It may be important to use an enzyme exfoliation to help with shedding off the extra cells.

There are some treatments we can use in the salon to mechanically infuse moisture into the skin, like sonophoresis and Hydrafacials.  These make the skin more permeable to allow moisture into the deeper layers. An Alginate mask helps to infuse serums into the skin also. What we need to keep in mind is these treatements don’t fix dehydration – they may pump the skin making it look nice and hydrated but until the acid mantle is able to hold the moisture in, these effects tend to be short lived.

Correcting dehydration is the foundation of healthy skin and is the first thing we need to correct so we can start to stand all those dominos back up.