How to help dehydrated skin

What does dehydrated skin need?

For skin that lacks moisture, the practical starting point is dry skin care: add moisture and help the skin hold onto it. The outermost skin layer, called the stratum corneum, needs moisture to stay flexible. Dryness can leave skin rough, tight, flaky or itchy; severe dryness can cause cracks and bleeding. Those symptoms do not tell you the cause on their own.13

Moisturizer adds moisture and limits water loss, which is a more useful job description than 'radiance ritual'. Supporting the skin barrier, the outer layer that helps keep moisture in and irritants out, is the central job.4

How to care for dehydrated skin each day

1. 1Wash gently with lukewarm water. Choose a fragrance free cleanser or moisturizing soap substitute, and avoid hot water, prolonged soaking and vigorous rubbing.
2. 2Pat gently rather than rubbing dry. Leave your skin slightly damp so moisturizer can help trap the water already in the skin.
3. 3Apply moisturizer promptly after washing. For facial skin, apply within five minutes. Use a soft touch rather than massaging dry patches aggressively.
4. 4Moisturize when you wake up and before bed. Reapply during the day when skin feels dry, including after washing.
5. 5Protect your skin during the day. Use broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, seek shade and wear protective clothing.

Match the frequency to the dryness rather than treating every patch the same. Slight dryness can need only a light moisturizer at night, while very dry skin can benefit from a greasy moisturizer every couple of hours. Moisturizer benefits are greatest in the first six hours after application, so two or three applications daily can be useful when dryness persists.6

Which moisturizer should you choose?

For distinctly dry skin, start with a cream or ointment rather than a lotion. For combination skin, concentrate moisturizer on dry areas instead of automatically covering oily areas with the same heavy product. Rich, occlusive products can cause or aggravate acne, so reduce or change them if breakouts develop.46

Useful moisturizer ingredients do different jobs. Humectants such as glycerin attract and retain water. Occlusives such as petroleum jelly, mineral oil and dimethicone reduce evaporation by forming a protective surface layer. Emollients soften and smooth the skin. Ceramides help support the protective barrier, while hyaluronic acid helps increase moisture. You can find moisturizers with useful ingredients at the drugstore.56

Choose a product intended for the area you are treating; your face and body can need different moisturizers. Cost and availability matter when choosing a moisturizer, because an empty jar has a very limited skincare career. Texture and tolerance also matter: choose something you can comfortably use often enough.13

What should you pause or change?

Do not scrub away flakes or add exfoliation to fix dryness. Exfoliation can remove more of the protective surface and leave skin needing further repair. Set aside astringent toners and other drying products. Retinol can also dry skin; if you keep using it, pair it with moisturizing products rather than ignoring the dryness.5

Choose fragrance free facial products rather than relying on an 'unscented' label, which can still involve irritating fragrance chemicals. Review makeup and shampoo as well as cleanser and moisturizer when a new dry patch appears. Urea and acidic moisturizer ingredients can sting scratched or cracked skin, so these are not the best starting point for damaged patches.56

For a severely dry facial spot, gently dab on a petroleum jelly based product before bed. A thin layer over the whole face is sometimes called slugging, but limit or stop this approach if pimples develop. Keep clothing and bedding containing paraffin ointment residue away from cigarettes and naked flames because of the burn risk.56

What keeps skin losing moisture?

Cold wind, low humidity, excessive air conditioning and direct heat can contribute to dryness. So can frequent bathing, soap, detergents, solvents and friction from rough clothing. Shorten long baths, reduce unnecessary washing and consider a humidifier in winter. Adjust moisturizer as conditions change; the bathroom shelf does not need a permanent constitution.14

Will drinking more water help?

Maintain good hydration, but address moisture loss at the skin surface with moisturizer too. For general body hydration, drink when thirsty and spread fluid intake through the day rather than drinking a large amount at once. Sweating, vomiting and diarrhea can cause fluid and electrolyte losses. Electrolytes are minerals that help regulate fluid levels. Recurrent body dehydration, changes in thirst or urine color, or dehydration linked to medication warrant a conversation with your healthcare provider. If you have heart failure or fluid retention, ask your doctor for an appropriate hydration plan rather than increasing fluids on your own.17

What improvement should you expect?

Regular moisturizing should reduce dryness and support smoother, more flexible skin. Dryness can improve once contributing factors are controlled, although a tendency toward dry skin can persist. If dryness started after a medication or treatment, tell your prescriber: oral retinoids, diuretics and some other medicines can contribute, and the cause affects the care you need.1

When should you stop a product or see a doctor?

Stop a moisturizer that causes an allergic skin reaction. A product can trigger an allergy even after years of use, and a rash can appear hours or days after contact. If you already have contact dermatitis, test a new moisturizer before applying it widely. Raw, irritated skin needs tailored care rather than repeated product experiments.26

• See a dermatologist if dryness does not improve, keeps returning, or becomes painful, cracked, bleeding or very irritating.
• Get a rash checked if it blisters, comes and goes or causes discomfort.
• Have persistent pink patches or wet, red facial areas assessed rather than treating them indefinitely as ordinary dryness.