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Dehydration/Dryness

What is skin dehydration?

Dehydration is a temporary condition when the top layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, lacks water. In most cases, this is a temporary state. It can occur due to a variety of causes, and while temporary dehydration is not a big deal, it can take a

What causes skin dehydration?

There are a lot of external and internal factors that can disrupt this natural process and lead to skin dehydration:. The skin has a natural ability to retain moisture, thanks to sebum, the intracellular lipid matrix, and natural moisturizing factors

What are the signs your skin is dehydrated?

So how can you tell if your skin is dehydrated? Here are the key signs to look for. Remember - how your skin feels is just as relevant as how it looks. Read the full blog post here

What does dehydration looks like in different skin types?

It can be really hard to understand your skin type when it’s dehydrated. That flakiness and tight feeling make the skin feel dry, but they don’t necessarily mean that you have a dry skin type. In this section, we’ll explain what dehydration looks lik

Will drinking water hydrate my skin?

Skin dehydration and full-body dehydration are two different things. Your skin will get very dehydrated if you don’t drink enough fluids, so drinking more water will help if your entire body is dehydrated. On the other hand, if your body is hydrated

How to deal with dehydration

How should you deal with skin dehydration? By following these steps, your skin will bounce back to a happy and nourished state soon enough, and you’ll be able to prevent future dehydration from occurring again. To learn more about these tips, and the

What is dry skin?

Dry skin is skin that doesn’t produce much sebum; it’s as simple as that. Sebum is the oily blend of lipids produced by the sebaceous glands in human skin. This oily substance has an important role in keeping the skin functioning well. Sebum helps to

What causes dry skin?

The thing about skin types is that they’re fairly innate. They’re largely based on the level of sebum your skin produces, which isn’t something that changes easily. With that in mind, these are the main factors that cause dry skin:. Read the full blo

What are the signs of dry skin?

How can you tell if you have dry skin? These are the key signs that your skin is underperforming in the sebum departments. If you're still not totally sure, we have a complete post dedicated to helping you figure out what skin type you have. Read the

What are the concerns of having a dry skin?

Before you can start putting together your ideal skincare routine for dry skin, it’s important to take note of other skin concerns you might have. This way, you can tailor different elements of your routine toward addressing those specific concerns,

What are the best skincare products for dry Skin?

The best skincare routine for dry skin is pretty simple, but for it to work, you have to choose products that will adequately nourish and hydrate your skin. Here are the things we’d recommend keeping in mind!. Moisturizers for dry skin. For day-to-da

What are the best skincare ingredients for dry skin?

What are the best skincare ingredients for dry skin?. For daily use, the best skincare ingredients for dry skin are ones that replenish the lipids that are normally part of healthy sebum. That includes ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids like linolei

What skincare ingredients to avoid for dry skin?

When you have dry skin, you’ll want to avoid ingredients that are liable to make it drier. Here are the kinds of products we suggest you skip:. Read the full blog post here.

Dry Winter Skin Care Tips

Read the full blog post here

How can I tell the difference between dryness and dehydration?

Dehydration is a temporary problem when your skin’s upper layers lack water, while dryness is your skin not producing a lot of oil. Having dry skin can lead to dehydration, but those with oily skin are just as likely to be dehydrated. So how to tell

What’s transepidermal water loss (TEWL)?

Transepidermal water loss is technically a measurement of how much water is lost from the epidermis. Watch out, we’re about to get science-y! Feel free to scroll on down if you just want to learn how to address TEWL effectively, and don’t really care

What causes TEWL?

Water loss is normal - it happens to all of us, and you can’t stop it completely. The problem is high transepidermal water loss. It occurs because of damage that leads to skin barrier dysfunction, which can include any of the following:. Some of thes

How to know if you’re experiencing TEWL?

What does transepidermal water loss look like? This depends on the level you’re experiencing. When it’s temporary, high water loss (i.e. dehydration) makes the skin look dull and less firm than normal, although ironically, your skin will probably fee

What is the method used to fix TEWL?

If your skin is feeling dry, dehydrated, and compromised here’s our quick TEWL-remedying solution. Nothing else compares. TEWL is all about losing water, so the only way to fix it is by adding water back into the skin. Step #1: Get saturated. The ski

What are Moisturizers that help prevent TEWL?

The combination of water and occlusives is imperative to combatting TEWL, but prevention relies on a few other ingredients that fortify the skin’s own ability to hang on to water. Your daily moisturizer should contain a few more important elements th

Does Soak and seal help fix Dehydrated Skin?

Soak and seal: THE ULTIMATE METHOD. Nothing beats the “soak and seal” method when it comes to treating dehydrated skin. By soaking the skin and then sealing the water inside, this technique actively fixes dehydration and reverses transepidermal water

Does Moisturizing regularly help fix Dehydrated Skin?

Moisturize regularly. A daily moisturizer is the best way to keep dehydration at bay. Quality moisturizers hydrate the skin with a blend of water, humectants (ingredients that attract water), and occlusives that slow down transepidermal water loss. A

Does less cleansing help fix Dehydrated Skin?

Cleanse less. Consider whether you’re cleansing your skin more than necessary. When your skin is dehydrated, washing less gives your skin more time to recover its natural barrier functions. We’re frequently told that cleansing twice a day is essentia

Does gentle chemical exfoliation help fix Dehydrated Skin?

Consider gentle chemical exfoliation. Over time, dehydration impedes the skin’s ability to shed dead skin cells. This leads to a rough, thick, flakey layer of dead skin at the surface that blocks moisturizers from penetrating. Gentle chemical exfolia

Does quick, cool showers help fix Dehydrated Skin?

Opt for quick, cool showers. We already touched on how cleansing can dehydrate the skin, but ironically, water alone can also be a culprit. Submersion in water for several minutes may temporarily saturate the skin with water, but it also weakens the

Does sunscreen help fix Dehydrated Skin?

Don’t forget sunscreen. Sun exposure is the ultimate skin-destroyer, causing any number of issues. We usually focus on how UVA and UVA rays can lead to premature aging or skin cancer, but skipping sunscreen can also dehydrate your skin. Make applying

Can Hydrating toners or serums help fix Dehydrated Skin?

At Protocol, we don’t believe hydrating serums or toners are essential, even when the skin is dehydrated. The reality is that the best way to fix dehydration is by saturating the skin with water and then sealing it in with occlusives. Additional hume

How does Water Lock help fix Dehydrated Skin?

Hydration station. Fixing skin dehydration is a simple matter of introducing water back into your skin, and then locking it in. When your skin dehydration is bad, you may need to repeat the soak and seal method for several days in a row, or even make

Does gentle cleansers help fix Dehydrated Skin?

Choose a gentle cleanser. The type of cleanser you use to wash your face, body, and even your dishes can seriously impact your skin’s hydration levels. Choose gentle face and body washes that don’t leave your skin totally stripped of all lipids. Form

What products help fix Dehydrated Skin?

Use barrier-repairing products. For countering chronic dehydration or a compromised skin barrier, don’t just look for temporary solutions like humectants and occlusives. Look for moisturizing ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, and fatty acids.

Why molecular weight matters?

With all skincare ingredients, the weight of the individual molecules plays a big role in how the molecule will penetrate through the skin, or if it will penetrate at all. Molecular weight is measured with a unit called the dalton. Most skincare prod

What are the benefits of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid?

Most of the benefits of using hyaluronic acid come from its action as a humectant. That said, as a good humectant, there’s a lot it can improve:. Read the full blog post here

How do high vs low molecular weight hyaluronic acid compare?

So how do high vs low molecular weight hyaluronic acid compare? And what about mixed-HA formulas? Here are the key differences. The molecular weight in numbers. Depending on how it’s produced and manipulated, the molecular weight of hyaluronic acid c

How to hydrate the skin, then?

If deeply penetrating low molecular weight hyaluronic acid may pose a risk, then how can you effectively hydrate your skin’s lower levels? The best way is to use water itself. The molecular weight of H2O is very low, so with prolonged saturation like