What products can I use for dehydrated skin?

[tutu100]

After reading a thread on here last night I think my skin may be dehydrated rather than dry. But I am still really unclear as to what products I should try? I have been using products for dry skin, but not really getting any relief and frankly my skin looks awful.

So what do people reccomend? Also I've heard a bit about exfoliating toners and wondered if they might be better for my skin than the face exfoliator I'm currently using. I have to exfoliate to get rid of the flaky skin, but now I understand that could be making the problem worse.

Budget is a bit of a problem. I'd rather not spend £££, but obviously if something is going to make my skin amazing I will splash out.

Vichy Thermalia serum is very nice and not too £££. I use that with an oil-free Avene moisturiser.

Clarins blue orchid oil is brilliant for dehydrated skin

I've been using n-spa facial oil and its been amazing. it takes a bit of working in as quite hick and needs warming once you start rubbing it into your skin I warms up and becomes easier to apply). my skin is so soft and smooth now. I was using the witrose pure facial oil before then which as good, but I think my skin needed something harder working. the waitrose one was £3 ish and the n-spa one is £7. I make special trips to asda to buy n-spa facial products and stock up on shower gels etc.

Neal's Yard Orange Flower facial oil is lovely.

Any face oil you need to use moisturiser on top as skin needs both water and oil. I use just Nivea blue pot in the day, and the oil and Nivea layered at night.

Look at acid products for overnight exfoliation - Bravura London have good ones on their website.

For dehydrated skin also taking omega oil tablets daily does wonders and drinking shed loads of water and avoiding sugar.

I am using Pixiwoo acid toner at night, and I think my skin does look more even as a result. I have combi, getting drier as I get older skin. I use the Vichy serum too after cleansing, soaks in really well, but doesn't make my t zone oily.

Clarins hydra quench range is the only thing that's worked for my skin recently.

This Sali Hughes column might help - I think there's a later one where she recommends more recent products.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/22/deyhydrated-skin-beauty

I use the Clarins exfoliating toner and really like it.

Hi OP

I've got dry/dehydrated skin too and it gets dryer about this time of year with the cold and sharp winds. What sorts it is:

Get enough Vitamin A - from tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach and carrots. If you get cracks at the corner of your mouth it can mean a B6 deficiency - eat avocado, bananas, broccoli, pak choi

I also use the oil cleansing method, a combination of castor oil and either coconut or avocado oil. If I'm wearing makeup I'll double cleanse with Eve Lom or Lush's Ultrabland. Clean washcloth every day. I don't use toner - if you do, avoid anything with alcohol in it. Once a week I use a very gentle scrub from Boots.

You can improve any moisturiser during the day by adding a few drops of oil - Neals Yard orange oil is lovely, or Boots do one that I add to my Oil of Olay. With moisturiser look out for hyaluronic acid (a natural acid present in the body that holds 1,000 times its weight in water) and natural humectants such as glycerin, to fix the problem.

Estée Lauder Hydrationist Moisture Crème, £32.68 is excellent.

Hope this helps.

Thank you everyone for your advice and suggestions. Judydreamsofhorses, it was a Sali Hughes article that someone linked to on another thread that made me wonder whether I've got my skin problems wrong atm. I have a frankly embarrassing skin care routine, but that is partly because I haven't found anything yet that has helped my skin so I've kind of given up a bit.

So if I'm understanding you all I need a facial oil and a decent moisturiser if possible containing hyaluronic acid. I am going shopping tomorrow so will have a good opportunity to peruse the aisles and beauty counters.

Hopefully your suggestions will help as I'm only 34, but my skin is so dull, haggard and lined atm and it making me feel quite miserable.

Hydraluron is another excellent product to consider - pure hyaluronic acid - I use it as my serum so after cleaning before oil or moisturiser.

Shea butter is brilliant for intense treatment, slather it all over your face in the evening and wipe the excess off before you go to bed.

Try rosehip oil and/or camellia oil, my skin loves them both.

Make sure to drink plenty of water and eat lots of good fats like coconut oil and omega 3. I really like the Omega Totale oil by Fushi

Hi OP, I'm also dry & dehydrated. Great advice above - don't neglect your diet. Try to get plenty of healthy fats - nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, avocados all make a big difference to my skin. I also take an Omega 3,6+9 supplement (I use the Superdrug one) every day, and Vitamin D3 pills (Holland and Barrett, 25ug). And of course drink loads of water and avoid sugar.

My favourite day cream ever is Astral - big blue tub for about 3. I use Nivea as a night cream because I find it too thick for day time. I do use a facial oil but its certainly nothing fancy - olive oil from my kitchen cupboard! So nighttime routine goes - cleanser, remove with warm wet flannel, repeat this stage, then spray face with Avene Thermal Water Spray, serum - Balance Active 554 Hyaluronic Serum (about 5 from Amazon), facial oil (massage for as long as possible, usually manage about 5 minutes) - leave all that to soak in then add Nivea just before bed. It might sound like a faff but my skin looks great and feels fab.

Sali Hughes also has our skin type so she gives good advice and check out Caroline Hirons' website - she will talk you through cleansing properly, which is a really important step.

Another vote for Clarins BlueOrchid, it has really helped my skin this winter.

having a routine of an acid toner like pixi glow tonic, good serum and oil/moisturtiser really helps my dehydrated skin

Marking place to read later

Bioderma's Hydrabio range sorted out my dehydrated skin. Life changing, as I'd battled flakiness and greyness since I was a child. Now my skin is plumped up and glowy. No flakes.

I use the Hydrabio Riche cream - feels lovely and light on the skin but the hyaluronic acid really packs a punch. I use the mask a couple of times a week, and the micellar water first thing in the morning.

In the evening I use a cream cleanser (La Roche Posay's one is good) followed by the Bioderma micellar and Clarins Santal facial oil.

There's 1

Whoops! There's 1/3 off all Bioderma products on Escentual at the moment. With the discount, it works out at about a tenner a product on average.

I can't tell you how much this stuff has transformed my skin.

Oh, and if you have dry body skin, I'd recommend Bioderma Atoderm cream, La Roche Posay Lipikar, or Neutrogena (the one for dry skin - can't remember the name of it, but it's the one Sali Hughes uses).