Dehydrated skin - what's your facial skincare routine?

[Lottapianos]

I have skin that is dry (lacks oil) but also dehydrated (lacks moisture). When I splash water on my face, it loves it, but as the water dries, it starts to feel incredibly tight and thirsty, almost screaming out for some moisture. Here's what is working for me at the moment:

Morning:

• wipe face and neck with rosewater on cotton wool pad
• Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating serum all over face while still damp
• Thin layer of Astral moisturiser

Leave to soak in for about 5 minutes then add BB cream (usually Rimmel) or if sunny, La Roche Posay Anthelios Factor 50+ tinted cream

Night:

• Oil Cleanse Method with olive or almond oil - lots of oil all over face, neck and cleavage, massage in for 1-2 minutes then wipe off with warm wet flannel
• Good mist of Avene Eau Thermal water spray
• A few drops of olive oil patted into skin while still wet
• Thick layer of Astral
• Sometimes another layer of Astral before bed!

I use a Superdrug Natural Radiance facial scrub 1-2 times a week

Things that also help:

• drinking loads of water (I do 1.5-2 litres a day) to hydrate from the inside
• cut down or cut out caffeine and alcohol
• no smoking (in reality, this is 1-2 fags a week for me)
• exercise
• loads of veg

So as you can see I do the cheapo method What products do you use and are there any other lifestyle changes that have done good things for your skin?

My skin is the same, will flake given the slightest chance.

I've had to stop with both my beloved rose water (in fact it was rose hydrolate, so top quality and additive free) and oil cleansing (using avocado and argan mix) because both were just too drying in the long term, bizarrely enough.

My skin can take rose hydrolate as a mist spray during the day when I'm feeling dehydrated.

I've got some silk pillow cases on order, that's supposed to help.

Oh, and I remove my eye makeup with 50/50 rose hydrolate and avocado oil shaken together.

Oh, and I've stopped all scrubs too. That seems to help reduce flakiness, oddly.

The products I use now aren't available in the UK, I don't think. Is the Biodermal range (not Bioderma).

Ooh must look up rose hydrolate - I just use bog standard rosewater from my local Asian grocers!

Have heard that silk pillowcases are worth the money and the faff but I shovel on so much Astral that I would ruin them.

It sounds like a v complicated routine - have you tried stripping it down to basics and taking fish oil supplements and drinking loads of water instead? Too many products that involve rebalancing skin's moisture levels is rarely a long-term solution.

I can never work out whether my skin is dehydrated or dry - I drink loads of water and eats lots of oily fish and olive oil so I would guess it's dry, but not sure how to tell. Anyway, it often gets really flaky and dull looking so thanks for sharing your routine OP. I might give the silk pillow cases a try too as it's always the side of my face that I sleep on that gets dryest - can totally see how cotton pillowcases might be sucking out my night cream!

Amazinggg, there was me thinking I had stripped it back to basics! I already drink about 2 litres of water a day - I'm not sure how much more I can manage before I'm permanently welded to the toilet

Keztrel, Sali Hughes (Guardian beauty writer) says that if your skin is mostly dry, it will feel tight and drawn as soon as you come out of the shower. If it's mostly dehydrated, it will feel soft and plumped up until you dry the water off - then it will start screaming for moisture. My skin actually feels 'thirsty' when it's not wet. My hair is the same!

I also like this routine because none of the products are expensive. I can get the whole lot for about £15 and they all last for months

In that case it's mostly dry! I have to put moisturiser on within seconds of coming out the shower or it gets uncomfortable. And also looks hideous.

Using a body scrub and face scrub also makes a huge difference to my skin. I use Soap and Glory Flake Away 2-3 times a week in the shower and my cheapo Superdrug one on my face 1-2 times a week. The theory is that by scrubbing off the old flaky skin, your moisturiser can actually work more efficiently on the new glowing skin underneath!

Yes I find that too Lotta - when I exfoliate 2 or 3 times a week my skin's much plumper and brighter. I really like exfoliating masks rather than scrubs as my skin gets red quite easily. Elemis Papaya Enzyme cream is my fave but it doesn't get any points for cheapness!

Mmm, well, since I stopped facial scrubs I've stopped flaking. I think it was a viscous circle.

TBH, if you're having to use so very much astral to keep up a decent level of oil and water in your skin then you must be doing something that's too harsh and drying. It'd honestly be worth trying stopping the scrubs and using Eucerin as a night cream.

What are the ingredients on the rosewater bottle? Chances are it isn't rosewater at all but rose flavour, scented water. That stuff is harmless but doesn't have the benefits to your skin of rose hydrolate either. I used it for a while and didn't find it drying but plain water would have doe the same job. Unfortunately the real deal isn't cheap.

I do still occasionally use a body scrub BTW, but too often seems to make my skin drier and flakier, whatever I use.

Oh, hang on, are you OCMing every night? That's way too often you know!!

Why is it way too often? What will happen? Skin seems to love it. I can get away with less Astral at night but it feels softer and plumper in the morning if I use more.

I only use rosewater because it smells better than tap water! It costs 59p a bottle so it's only the scented stuff.

The hot cloth part of OCM is very drying in it's self, it's also a extremely effective at exfoliating (although so gentle that it might not feel that way) - too much exfoliating dries the skin.

OCM is basically a facial, everything I've ever read says every other night is the max, even with less drought prone, sensitive skin than we have. 2 or 3 times a week is optimal. If you want to cleanse with oil nightly you could add an emulsifier which will allow you to wash it off with water rather than using the hot cloth method. OTOH you could wash with honey on non-OCM days.

The fake rosewater is very unlikely to cause any problems at all and is indeed lovely to use!

Can you tell me more about washing with honey? Never heard of that!

To be honest, I don't use really hot water and I don't usually do the steaming part where you drape the cloth over your face - I just use the warm cloth to wipe off the oil. I have noticed skin feeling really dry and tight when I've used very hot water so I guess I have adapted OCM to suit my skin!

I wonder if applying oil too often means your skin stops producing its own oil and gets dryer? I definitely fine something similar when I start over-applying lip products - my lips get tight and dry and I get in a cycle of having to apply more and more moisture.

Honey: slap it on damp skin, wash face as per a face wash, rinse off with plenty lukewarm water.

OCMing without the hottest water you can take / steamy bit may well be moisture-proofing your skin...

Keep the honey out of your hair cause it's sticky as hell, natch.

Nooo totally disagree on the exfoliating thing Growingup! I'm sure it's different for everybody, but my skin's much less dry since I started gentle exfoliation. I was told that you need to get rid of the dry top layer of skin so the moisturiser can penetrate instead of just sitting on top.

Well, occasional exfoliation is undoubtedly A Good Thing. Too often will have negative effects. What's too often for me might be just right for you or too little for a third person. Less is more, as a starting point.

Ok thanks MrsLettuce, will try the honey tonight What's it like at removing eye makeup?

Ooh I just thought of something - since I stopped using powder blusher and started using benefit benetint instead, the dry patches on my cheeks have improved.

Maybe not using powder on dry skin is obvious to most people though

Very true - everyone's skin is different. My sister has oily skin and was at me using oil to clean my face! I did tell her that jojoba would be a good bet for her but she's petrified of oil so not having it!

Not effective enough, IME. Some oil (whatever you like) 50/50 with your rosewater in a bottle and shaken will work a treat.

yy, OCM is fab for DPs very oily, acne prone skin. jojoba, grape seed and castor oil mix IIRC. Also regular aspirin & honey face masks.