FAQ's - Is there a difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin?

Yes, a big difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin. Dry skin refers to skin type, is when the sebaceous glands that produce sebum, the oil, in our skin slows down and causes the skin to feel tight.
Dry skin occurs when you lack lipids in your skin barrier.
Factors that contribute to dry skin include ageing, prolonged exposure to the sun, may decrease the moisture in our skin, cold temperatures including air conditioning may cause dryness and hot temperatures, including central heating may contribute to dry skin.

However, dry skins tend to be dehydrated. Dehydrated skin refers to a skin that is lacking moisture. The cells in our stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis are about 10% water. When the level of water drops to under 10% then the skin is classified as dehydrated. Dehydrated skin often feels a bit tight, exaggerating any fine lines. People with dehydrated skin sometimes experience skin that’s oily on the surface but dry underneath. . When your skin is dehydrated, it tries to overcompensate for it by producing more oil, which moisturises but doesn't hydrate your skin.
So, dehydrated skin is more like a skin condition than a skin type.

So remember dry skin lacks oil and dehydrated skin lacks water!