Dry Skin or Dehydrated Skin? (Guest Blog)

This is the question I frequently asked myself last year when I would randomly get super dry skin on my face and desperately applied moisturizer to make it go away.

Now firstly, hydration is always a good idea. Drinking the correct amount of water daily is an important part to self-care as well as to skincare. It’s also important to adjust your water intake accordingly in regards to your increase in exercise, time spent in the sun, etc. Another great skincare regime is moisturizing. Whether you have normal or dry skin, providing your skin (face and body) with an extra boost of nourishment and self care helps the skin stay fresh and supple.

 But knowing what type of skin you have will help you decide on the best way of treatment, so let’s get down to finding out whether you have dehydrated skin, dry skin, or eczema (atopic dermatitis).

If you, like me, suffer from short and infrequent spells of dry skin then you probably just have dehydrated skin. Meaning during this time you need to make an extra effort to use sunscreen before heading outdoors, make an effort to drink more water, and use a good moisturizer. TIP: After going for a swim at the pool, make sure to take a shower right after and moisturize (this tip is good for people with both dry and dehydrated skin)!

If dry skin is no news to you, than you aren’t fighting dehydrated skin but more likely, eczema. Now, a lot of people don’t think that they have eczema because the word 'eczema' has a connotation for "a very severe skin condition". When really, eczema is an ‘umbrella’ term for a lot of different skin conditions from mild to more severe. These skin symptoms include: dry, itchy, irritated, inflamed and red skin. 

Eczema (or atopic dermatitis, which is the most common type of eczema) is a skin condition commonly found in children but can also occur at any age. Eczema ‘flare-ups’ can happen frequently or vast and few depending on the person and their external environment. If you’re experiencing an eczema flare up the best thing to do is to moisturize your skin (at least 2x a day), use warm (rather than hot) water in the shower, use a gentle cleanser and avoid potential triggers like dust, sweat and pollen. If your symptoms are so extreme and insufferable, it’s best to get prescription help from your doctor.

I’m writing this blog here today because TOPIC SKIN Face & Body Cream has been my answer. Every time I get hit by a spell of dehydrated skin, I apply the cream to my skin once in the evenings to give my skin that boost back that it needs. My sister, who suffers from frequent eczema flare-ups uses both the TOPIC SKIN Face & Body Cream and TOPIC SKIN Face & Body Wash daily. This goes to show that whether for dry skin or dehydrated skin, you can use similar methods to combat them both.