Or is it dehydrated?
While these words may seem like synonyms, they’re quite different in the world of skincare.
It can all be very confusing.
Artem Podrez / Stocksy
Meet the Experts
What Does Hydrating Your Skin Mean?
Skin hydration refers to increasing its water content.
To do so, Zubritsky recommends seeking ingredients that attract and retain moisture.
What Does Moisturizing Your Skin Mean?
Zubritsky explains thatmoisturizingfocuses on enhancing and fortifying the skin barrier, typically resulting in skin feeling soft and supple.
It also aids in sealing moisture into the skin.
According to Mark, moisturizing and hydrating are not mutually exclusive terms.
Dry skin may have a rough texture, with flaking, scaling, redness, or itching.
To determine if you have dehydrated skin, she recommends the pinch test.
“Gently pinch the skin of the cheeks or hands.
If the skin is slow to return to normal, it’s likely dehydrated.”
Mark and Zubritsky emphasize thathyaluronic acidis one of the best humectants for creating hydrated, plumper-looking skin.
“It contains hyaluronic acid that [delivers] nine times more hydration compared to untreated skin.
It really works to give skin a hydrated, plump, glowy, and dewy look.”
She recommends ingredients likeceramides,dimethicone,shea butter,lanolin, or petrolatum.
“In the world of ingredients and dermatology, vehicles matter,” says Mark.
