Monday 19 September 2011

Dehydration = Oily Skin

Last week a friend and I had a very indulgent evening at the Mandarin Oriental Spa, where we treated ourselves to the gorgeous Soothing Ritual, an uplifting full body exfoliation and ultra relaxing yet tension busting massage followed by a soothing Aroma Facial. One hour and fifty mins of pure bliss… 

A Very Interesting Tip By My Therapist 
When asked my skin type I instantly said oily as lately it seems to have been getting worse spreading from the t-zone area. My therapist explained that this is because I am dehydrated, I have always associated dehydration with dry skin, so questioned her about this, she explained how the skin becomes oily when dehydrated as the oil production increases to rehydrate the skin.  Apparently dehydrated skin is through lack of moisture, while dry skin is from a lack of oil production to keep it moisturized.
I have looked into this further and indeed found that the amount of oil your skin produces is directly tied to the hydration of your skin. In short, all skin types, including those with oily or normal skin, are susceptible to dehydration. More concerning is that dehydration contributes to ageing, increasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles!

If you have oily skin this doesn’t mean you need to lather your skin in moisturizing products, to rehydrate, as that will simply clog your pores and cause breakouts, still stick to products that are oil friendly. With the winter months drawing in and central heating looming, the key is to hydrate internally and make sure you have plenty of moisture in the air around you.
5 Top Tips  
How to Keep Skin Hydrated At All Times:
1. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day to retain moisture and to hydrate the body internally so it moisturizes externally.

 
2. Apply a moisturizer to the skin after a shower to help lock in moisture and water.  
3. Limit the skins exposure to factors that will dry it out such as hot showers, heating, sun and  extremely dry weather.
4. Use a humidifier especially during cold winter months when the skin is exposed to central heating and if you have electric heaters, which are a key culprit, always pop a bowl of water underneath them to ensure there is still moisture in the room.
5. Avoid ingredients such as Mineral Oil, Petroleum and Petrolatum in your moisturizer as they can suffocate the skin and clog pores.

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