Do you feel a tight feeling on your forehead and cheeks after cleaning your face? Your skin however seems dry to you only here, the T zone of your face remains highlighted. This means that your skin has enough lipids/fat but lacks water/hydration. Without further ado, discover in this article the 10 signs that will let you know if your skin is dehydrated.

What is the difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin?

Let's start by making the difference between two types of skin that we tend to confuse: dry skin and dehydrated skin. Dry skin is a skin type in its own right that cannot be changed. It lacks lipids/fat which normally protects the cutaneous barrier of the skin. Also in appearance, dry skin is often thin and rough or flaky and the pores are very tight. Finally, dry skin is often prone to this constant feeling of tightness. To treat it, it is generally sufficient to apply a very rich cream that will deeply nourish the skin.

If, however, the flaking, tightness and redness won't go away, or worse, if your pores are dilated and pimples are forming , you may be more in the category of dehydrated and not dry skin. Skin dehydration is a temporary condition and can affect all skin types. The skin lacks water and feelings of discomfort in the forehead and cheeks appear. And even if the other surfaces of the face are dry and dull, the T-zone remains highlighted due to excess oil. In both cases, when the skin is subjected to external aggressions, such as pollution, ultraviolet rays and overly aggressive products, the hydrolipidic film deteriorates and this leads to different reactions of discomfort.

Dehydrated skin in 10 points

Skin dehydration can affect both dry and oily skin. You should know that the skin is made up of 70% water and it hydrates all skin cells from the dermis to the epidermis. When the hydrolipidic film is altered, it can no longer ensure the permeability of the skin. As a result, it becomes impossible to control the evaporation of water at the level of the stratum corneum of the epidermis. You then end up with dehydrated skin that is thirsty and manifests itself with tightness and redness.

In order to know what care to give to your skin, it is necessary to recognize if it is dry or dehydrated. Here are the unmistakable signs:

1. A feeling of tightness after cleaning
2. Redness mainly on the forehead and cheeks
3. A loss of flexibility
4. A loss of smoothness with possibly a grainy surface
5. Fine lines when you pinch the skin on the forehead, cheeks or around the eyes
6. Flaking on the eyebrows or sides of the nose
7. The highlighted T-zone
8. Dilated pores (unlike dry skin with tight pores)
9. pimples like acne
10. A dull and lackluster complexion

It is important to thoroughly cleanse the skin before providing it with the appropriate care. The goal is to restore the skin barrier to deeply hydrate the skin and limit water evaporation.