Can you tell the difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin? Find out

It is believed that while dry skin is a skin type, dehydrated skin is a condition. But, they both share many of the same characteristics, which lead people to believe they are but the same. These characteristics include rough texture of the skin, redness, skin sensitivity, occasional tightness, flakiness, and scaling. Skin experts say that in order to find out if your skin is dry or dehydrated, you can conduct a little test.

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You will have dry skin if, when you run your hand on your cheek, you feel your skin to be flaky and rough. If it gets tight after you clean it, and cracks in cold weather, you definitely have dry skin.

On the other hand, if you notice fine lines on the skin especially around the forehead and eyes, with the skin additionally looking dull, you are said to have dehydrated skin.

Just like the rest of the body, the skin, too, needs to be nurtured. Drinking water and getting good rest can take care of dehydration. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)

Why does it occur?

Skin dehydration happens when there is a lack of water in the top layer of the skin, also known as stratum corneum. While ideally, the top layer should have 10 to 15 per cent of water, when it drops below 10 per cent, it causes skin dehydration. Many people believe that in order for the skin to get dehydrated, it has to become dry. But, this is a misconception. Even those with oily skin can experience dehydration, because essentially the skin lacks water and not oil.

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The causes

Experts say that many things including air conditioning, the weather, too much of caffeine, hot showers, not getting enough sleep and not drinking enough water, can cause it. Skin, just like other organs, needs to be taken care of. Besides taking care of yourself, you can always carry a face mist to keep the parched skin hydrated at all times.

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