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Is my skin dry? Or is it dehydrated? How can you tell the difference? And is there a difference? Absolutely. In once case your skin needs oil, in the other it needs water. And by the way, your skin can be both dry and dehydrated. Huh? Let’s dive inWelcome to another episode of Skincare Secrets… Out here in Chicago it’s still 75-80 degrees outside even though it’s mid September. I was thinking how much better your skin feels in the summer. It’s supple, it feels soft and smooth to the touch. It just looks good. Even if your skin is normally dry, it’s just better in the summer. That’s because you spend a lot more time outside, and it’s 70% humidity. So your skin naturally is a lot better moisturized. And short term, that’s one of the biggest factors for how your skin looks and feels.Very different how your skin feels in the winter. When you’re indoors all the time. The forced air heating is on continuously. And humidity in your house goes down to 30%. So your skin feels dehydrated all the time. It’s itchy. When you scratch it, you leave those white marks that stay there forever. Which doesn’t happen in the summer at all. So today, we’ll explore dry vs dehydrated skin.Dry skin is a “skin type” just like oily or combination skin. It’s influenced by genetics. This is how your skin is most of the time. And a caveat - with proper care, you can bring your skin to look and feel normal, so it’s not permanent permanent, but without proper care your skin’s natural default state, or skin type, is what it is - dry, oily, combination, sensitive, or normal. Dehydration on the other hand, is a skin condition, meaning more of a temporary state of the skin that can and should be corrected. Let’s take a look at dry skin and exactly what it is. If you have had issues with dry skin your whole life, you will know it. Your pores will be very small and hardly noticeable. You likely haven’t struggled with shiny skin or combating oiliness. When dry skin isn’t properly moisturized, lines and wrinkles will be more noticeable and you will appear to age faster than your oily-skinned friends. Dry skin is also more prone to sensitivity because it lacks the natural oils needed to protect and lubricate the skin. So redness and inflammation are a common side effect of a neglected dry skin. Besides small pores and sensitivity, dry skin can appear scaly with white flakes and have a higher chance of developing skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. So what should you look for to keep your dry skin in order? Since dry skin lacks oil, products that are oil-based are the best option for dry skin. Oil creates a protective barrier for the skin. Some great choices for facial oils are squalane, rosehip, and jojoba oil. The key to care for dry skin is to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. And in this case, moisture means oil… vs hydration which means water. This will help dry skin retain water that’s inside the skin and protect the outer layer from flaking and irritation. Now, let’s take a look at how dehydrated skin is different from dry skin? The main problem of dehydrated skin is that is lacks water. And unlike dry skin, dehydrated skin can still make oil. But when the skin lacks water, it will produce extra oil to keep itself moisturized. That is why dehydrated skin is a big issue for those with oily skin who are prone to breakouts. Because the oil production goes in overdrive. But dehydrated skin isn’t limited to just acne-prone skin. Any skin type can develop dehydration. People who live in dry, colder climates can struggle with dehydration during the winter months with frigid temperatures and furnaces blasting dry, hot air.  You’ll know you’re experiencing dehydration because your skin will feel tight, products you apply will sting and immediately soak into the skin. You’ll find yourself slathering on moisturizer and it will still feel like it’s doing nothing. You’ll also notice itchiness, and dull skin. Beyond the noticeable symptoms of dehydration, there is a simple test you can try to see if your skin is dehydrated. It’s called the pinch test. Pinch a small amount of skin on your cheek or the back of your hand and hold for a few seconds. If your skin snaps back right away, you’re not dehydrated. If it takes a few seconds to bounce back, you’re dehydrated.You can also lift the skin on your cheek and if you see crapeiness, it’s a sign of dehydration.If you’re skin is dehydrated… it is in need of a big drink of water. So drink more water obviously. But also try hydrators like water-based products with hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and lactic acid. I’m a big fan of eating a drinking right, but your skin also gets a huge benefit from products. Because they are applied right on the skin. And the path from the stomach is much longer.And that’s it for our discussion of dry vs dehydrated skin. See you next time.