Is your skin dry or is it dehydrated?
At some time during your life, you are likely to find that your skin is feeling dry, rough and maybe flaky. Before you reach for a moisturiser especially for "dry skin" take a moment to understand your skin, so you can give it the right treatment. Dehydrated skin is not always dry skin. Skin sensitivity, dryness and aging are all caused by both external and internal factors. This may be due to a hectic lifestyle of the added pressures and stresses of today's society, emotional disharmony, dietary imbalance, and hormonal imbalances. Environmental factors such as wind, cold air, heating/air conditioning, excessive sun-exposure, medications, coffee, cigarette smoking, inadequate skin care, harsh abrasive cosmetic ingredients or products with perfumes and artificial colourings all play a big part. Dry skin is a "Skin Type." It is often a genetic characteristic. The cause of dry skin is not enough natural oils in the skin. Therefore, outside factors can contribute and skin generally becomes drier as we age. Anything that strips the oils from the skin can also be a factor, such as chemical/mineral oil skin care products. Dehydrated skin is different; any skin type can suffer from dehydration and some time. Its cause is not enough water. This can be caused by many factors, such as not drinking enough, the environment, hot, cold, heating, air conditioning and wind and harsh chemical/mineral oil cleansers and skin care products, alcohol, smoking and caffeine (tea, coffee, cola) Both dry and dehydrated can be affected by the skin care products you use. It is important to understand this and why. Cleansers with mineral oils and chemical compositions strip the natural oils from the skin. Many who have oily skin, think this is desirable, but we are after a balance and stripping the oils, will lead to dry flaking skin which becomes dehydrated, thin and those fine lines that you are trying to avoid, will come more quickly. The importance of the oils in the skin cannot be understated. The natural oils act as natural moisturisers, keeping the skin hydrated. Natural oils draws in the moisture provided by water you add, internally and externally and the moisturiser you put on your skin. The natural oils also provide your skin protection to the outside world. A balanced healthy skin will keep out any unwanted bacteria and microorganisms that may cause further issues. So the over-all desire is not to strip your skin of these oils, but to give them balance. It does not end there. There is another concern to address when using chemical mineral oil products on your skin. They also block the pores. In effect, it is like wearing a plastic bag over your skin. So any oil and/or dirt is trapped and the pores become large and infected. Now, if you have a plastic bag over your skin, how is the water and moisturiser you have possibly spent a lot of money on, going to penetrate into your skin and be effective. It is not. The result will be that your skin, over time, will become dehydrated. You will have all those symptoms of rough, tight, ageing skin. If you are choosing to use a product, such as Olive Skin Serum, which is all natural and penetrates into the deep layers of your skin to heal and harmonise your skin, but are using a chemical cleanser and moisturiser, you will not get the results you are after. The serum just cannot reach where it needs to go and with all the natural oils stripped, it will be a much harder and take much longer to heal the skin. If you have a dry skin type, supplementing your diet with fish oils will assist in keeping your skin balanced and beautiful. Use products designed for dry skin, such as Botáni's Olive Soothing Cleanser, Olive Repair Cream and Olive Skin Serum for extra hydration. If your skin is dehydrated, fish oil supplements can also help, but also make sure you drink plenty of water. You can continue to use products designed for your specific skin type, whether Botáni's Purify Facial Cleanser and Boost Balancing Moisturiser or Olive Soothing Cleanser and Olive Repair Cream and add some Olive Skin Serum to your regime. This can be applied directly to a moist face or a few drops added to your moisturiser before applying. Remember to always apply your moisturiser to a damp face, this adds the required water and helps to lock it in. When you choose your skin care range, you will always get the best results if you choose your full range from just one brand. They are designed to be compatible with each other, so you will receive the full benefits of what is being offered.
