Dry vs. Dehydrated Skin: What You Need to Know

A woman examines dry skin on her face

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While many people in the skincare world use the words “dry” and “dehydrated” interchangeably, these mean two separate things. We’ll explain the difference between dry and dehydrated skin and explore what skincare for sensitive skin you should use if your face is tight and flaky.

Dry vs. Dehydrated Skin

Dry skin is a skin type that is characterized by a lack of oils and lipids. Having dry skin is largely determined by genetics, but certain environmental factors can also make dry skin worse. For example, cold or dry climates, long hot showers, certain skincare products, some medical treatments, and the natural aging process can all lead to dry skin.

Dehydrated skin is a skin condition that anyone can get. Dry skin is characterized by a lack of water in the top layer of the skin. Dehydrated skin can be caused by many different factors, including not drinking enough water, a damaged skin barrier, and extreme weather conditions.

While dehydrated skin can happen to anyone, people with dry skin are more likely to have dehydrated skin. This is because the natural oils in our skin help to prevent water loss. If you don’t have enough oils to form that natural barrier, then water can evaporate more easily from the top layer of your skin.

The symptoms of dry vs. dehydrated skin can sometimes be very similar. The skin will often feel tight, rough, and/or itchy especially after cleansing. You may notice dull or flaky patches on your skin, and your skin might scale or peel off. You might also notice more prominent fine lines and wrinkles, as well as under eye bags. Dehydrated skin also lacks elasticity and won’t spring back as quickly as normal. For more information, see our ultimate guide that explains “Why is my skin so dry even when I moisturize?

Find Out What Skincare Method Is Best for You

The word Dry is written in cream

By ADragan / Shutterstock.com 

How to Treat Dry and Dehydrated Skin

Got either dry or dehydrated skin (or both)? Here are six tips to help you find relief:

Choose the right ingredients.

If you are struggling with dry skin, then you will want to reinforce your natural lipid barrier by looking out for ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, squalene oil, mineral oil, lanolin, and other oils. If you are struggling with dehydrated skin, look for ingredients that will pull moisture into your skin, such as glycerin, aloe, honey, and snail mucin. Certain ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and ceramides, are beneficial for both dehydrated and dry skin.

Seek out skincare for sensitive skin.

In addition to seeking out specific ingredients, you might also want to prioritize skincare kits for sensitive skin. Dry, dehydrated skin is prone to irritation, and choosing skin care for sensitive skin will help to nourish it while you work on restoring your skin barrier.

Get a gentle cleanser.

Cleansing can be one of the most drying, stripping steps of your skincare routine. Instead of a foaming or gel cleanser — which can be rather harsh — choose a gentle milk or cream face wash that will cleanse your skin without making it feel dry and tight. Massage the cleanser into your face for no more than 60 seconds, and then rinse it off with lukewarm water.

woman examining facial skin

By siro46 / Shutterstock.com

Take shorter showers.

We love a long, hot shower as much as the next person, but unfortunately all that water exposure will dry your skin right out. Try to limit your showers to 5-10 minutes, and avoid soaking in the bath for long periods of time. Also keep the temperature set to lukewarm or even cool; hot water will dry your skin out faster than cool water.

Drink enough water.

As you hydrate your face from the outside in, you also need to make sure that you are hydrating from the inside out as well. Make sure that you are drinking enough fluids each day, and try to limit your consumption of dehydrating beverages such as caffeine and alcohol. Instead, try infused water and caffeine-free herbal tea to stay hydrated throughout the day.

Try a humidifier.

If you live in a dry climate, the lack of moisture in the air could definitely be making your skin dry or dehydrated. Buy a humidifier and run it at night while you sleep to put some moisture back in the air and alleviate your dehydrated skin. Many people like to do this in the wintertime, but you might need to run a humidifier all year round if you live somewhere very dry.

Ready to get relief for dry, dehydrated skin? Check out Lancer Skincare’s collection of products for sensitive skin today and get free shipping on your U.S. order, no order minimum needed!

Skin Care Must-Haves for Labor Day Weekend

Lancer Skin Care & Beauty for Labor Day Weekend

You’ve got the perfect getaway planned for your Labor Day holiday—and the perfect outfit to go with it. All you need to complete the picture are your glow-to beauty essentials that will keep your skin looking flawless on the go. Make sure to have these beauty and skin-care products packed before you take off for your three-day weekend:

Continue reading “Skin Care Must-Haves for Labor Day Weekend”

Summer Skin Roundup

Summer Skin Roundup

Summer is here, and with it comes long, carefree days in the sunshine. But make sure you still put plenty of care into your skin! Your skincare routine changes slightly each season, and though you might want to skimp on products when temperatures rise, you should actually be extra vigilant with your skin regimen. This doesn’t mean piling on tons of products—just adjust what you use and when you use it to protect your skin and keep it looking beautiful.

Continue reading “Summer Skin Roundup”

Dermatology Treatments in Summer

dermatology treatments in summer

When summer arrives, many of us become suddenly aware of our skin’s imperfections. Time in the sun can be unequivocally therapeutic, but it also means more sun damage. Joyful hours in the sunshine can also come with sunspots, dull or uneven skin tone, sagginess, and fine lines and wrinkles. So are there dermatology treatments that allow you to revel in the summer sun and still treat your skin to keep it looking youthful, radiant and healthy all season? Absolutely. Just select a regimen of in-office dermatology treatments that pinpoint and treat the results of UV damage, as well as skincare treatments that treat and protect your skin from further harm. Continue reading “Dermatology Treatments in Summer”

How to Prep Your Skin for Winter – Infographic

How to Prep Your Skin for Winter
How to Prep Your Skin for Winter

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Think bundling up and moisturizing are the only things you need to avoid dry winter skin? Think again! Your skin changes every hour, just like the weather, and winter can be especially temperamental on your skin. Here’s how to prep your skin for winter: Continue reading “How to Prep Your Skin for Winter – Infographic”

Do I Need SPF in the Winter?

Do I Need SPF in the Winter?
Do I Need SPF in the Winter?

Winter is the season that epitomizes what it means to layer clothing: scarves, jackets, hats, earmuffs, and mittens are abundant and, while fashionable, serve the important function of keeping you warm. Many people may also be under the impression that all of these layers also help to protect them from the wind chill that tends to dry skin out and lead to chapped lips and hands; however, this is a common misconception. Your skin needs to breathe, and wearing layers does not allow for that. Instead, you’ll most likely see red patches and more acne, which occurs because dead skin cells build up and clog pores. What this all leads to, really, is how important it is to take care of your skin properly. Continue reading “Do I Need SPF in the Winter?”

Stem Cells for Healing Sun-Damaged Skin

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We’ve all heard it a million times: Stay out of the sun! Reapply your sunscreen! Shade yourself! But there are still those instances when we find our noses a little pink at the end of a long beach day, or the tops of our shoulders feeling a bit more crisp than when we left the house that morning.

While it’s never advisable to let the sun damage your skin, there are ways of speeding up the healing process when it happens.  One of these methods is to harness the healing power of stem cells, which stimulates epidermal regeneration at the cellular level, in addition to improving cellular barrier function.

Our Lift Serum Intense was created with plant-based stem cells from the Criste Marine plant – a uniquely resilient maritime plant found in coastal regions of France, which is able to survive both the harsh sunlight and drying salt water conditions of its natural habitat.

Applying our Lift Serum to parched, toasty skin signals the body to send healthy, new cells to replace those that were burned or dried out.  It also helps the skin regain its moisture balance and heals free radical damage. For a bad burn, top off the Lift Serum with natural aloe and a rich moisturizer twice a day, and your skin will be back to normal in no time! That said, you don’t have to just take our word for it: Victoria Beckham swears by it too! See what she tweeted about it over 4th of July Weekend here.

Shop Lift Serum Intense: https://www.lancerskincare.com/lift-serum-intense

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Get A Fresh Start to Spring with Our At-Home Facial

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Spring is the perfect time of year to pamper yourself with a luxurious at-home facial. As the weather warms up, you’ll want to exfoliate away dry, flaky winter skin in order to dive into the new season with a fresh-faced glow. Here are a few steps you can take to get your skin hydrated, plumped and glowing for springtime with all-natural ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

Fresh Start Step 1: Polish The crucial first step in getting a springtime glow is exfoliation. Start by removing your makeup thoroughly using grapeseed or avocado oil. Then mix one part grapeseed or avocado oil with two parts white table sugar. Smooth the mixture onto your slightly damp face, and using a light touch, make small, upward, circular motions with your middle two fingers. This process removes dry, dead skin cells allowing the active ingredients in your products to better penetrate the skin.

Fresh Start Step 2: Cleanse Wash away any remaining exfoliant with a mild cleanser.

Fresh Start Step 3: Nourish Next, mix a nourishing face mask by combining one part raw honey and one part full fat buttermilk. Smooth the mixture onto your face and leave it on for five minutes. The lactic acid in the buttermilk will break down dead skin cells (which you can then sweep away), and the honey will give your skin an infusion of healthy antioxidants and kill any bacteria left on your face. Your skin will feel supple and nourished and – what’s even better – the effects of environmental stressors will be reversed.

Fresh Start Step 4: Hydrate Now that your skin is plumped with vitamins and hydrated, seal in all the good moisture. Slather on a rich, antioxidant-heavy moisturizer. Gently dab eye cream around the eye area.

Fresh Start Step 5: Protect You can have the best skincare in the world, but it won’t make an ounce of difference if you aren’t protecting your skin from the sun. Cover your face, neck and chest with an SPF of at least 30 prior to going outdoors.

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Desert Skin Rehab: Part 2

LSC-DesertSkinRehab2

Last week we gave you the rundown of our marketing coordinator Madeline’s post-Coachella skincare rehab regimen. And now we’ve got the photographic proof of its speedy efficacy. Just one week after returning from the desert, Madeline’s Lancer Glow is back!

Upon returning from Coachella, Madeline’s skin was angry. Overexposure to the sun, heat and dry desert air had caused it to break out, dry out and become unevenly pigmented. To remedy this, Madeline exfoliated with Sensitive Polish for the first four days to jumpstart the cell renewal process. Exfoliation also causes blood circulation to increase, and this helped her blemishes to heal quickly without scarring. Plus, by using Polish in conjunction with a healthy daily dose of Sensitive Nourish, Retexturizing Treatment Cream and Advanced C Radiance and drinking a green juice and extra water each day, Madeline’s skin quickly regained hydration from the deep layers to the epidermis – hence her radiant glow. In the after photos, you can see what is, quite frankly, a miraculous recovery: redness is drastically reduced, pimples are nonexistent, her coloring is even, and her flaky, scaly skin is now smooth and soft to the touch. All just in time to go back for Stagecoach and do it again! (Kidding.)

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