32 Cosmetic Ingredients for Dehydrated Skin

dehydrated skin main-post-image

This article is written by:

Zornitsa Stoycheva

Personalize this article!

Select the topics you want to read about!

Read the whole article

What ingredients to use for dehydrated skin?

Skin care tips for dehydrated skin

164

Minutes. The research time you save by reading this article.

Topics Covered

Sources Researched

Dull and itchy skin? Fine lines and wrinkles? Under-eye circles and “shadowy” appearance?

You likely have dehydrated skin!

But why dehydrated and not dry?

While dry skin is one of the 4 skin types (together with oily, normal, and combination skin), which lacks natural oils and sebum, dehydrated skin is a condition, which lacks water and is closely associated with transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

TEWL happens when water from the skin is evaporated to the external environment, often due to damaged or impaired protective skin barrier, which cannot hold the water into the skin. ^[1]

This way, TEWL is directly related to dehydrated skin, lower hydration levels, and predisposition to premature skin aging and irritation.

But what cosmetic ingredients could strengthen the skin barrier, reduce TEWL, and improve dehydrated skin?

This article will guide you through the ingredients that can be beneficial to dehydrated skin!

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

What ingredients to use for dehydrated skin?
Skin care tips for dehydrated skin

transepidermal water loss

What ingredients to use for dehydrated skin?

Dehydrated skin needs cosmetics that can effectively hydrate the skin and replenish its barrier. Evidence suggests that there are three types of ingredients, which may improve the water retention mechanism of the skin and introduce additional hydration: humectants, emollients, and occlusives. ^[2]

Occlusives

Occlusive moisturizing ingredients enable deep skin rehydration and directly improve TEWL as they prevent water evaporation from the skin by forming an “artificial” protective barrier.

Such ingredients include ^[3] :

Petrolatum, mineral oil, paraffin, squalane: these likely reduce TEWL by 99%, yet, they may feel heavy on the skin, as they sit on top of the epidermis. ^[2]
Dimethicone
Cyclomethicone
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Castor oil
Grape seed oil
Mink oil
Lanolin (alcohol and acid)
Fatty alcohols (cetyl alcohol stearyl alcohol)
Stearyl stearate
Stearic acid
Beeswax
Cholesterol
Ceramides

Cholesterol are lipids that are naturally found in the skin barrier. They are the “glue” that holds the skin cells and are crucial for the integrity of the protective barrier of the skin.

Applying cosmetic products with these two ingredients topically could “naturally” improve TEWL by restoring the stratum corneum (most superficial skin layer).

Find out more: What Are Ceramides and How They Will Transform Your Skin

Humectants

Humectant ingredients attract water to the skin either from the environment or deeper epidermis and dermis (deeper skin layers).

When air humidity is more than 70% these ingredients attract water from the “air” and introduce skin hydration. However, when humidity is less, humectants may start pulling water from the deeper skin layers, which may result in even more dehydrated and dry skin. In that case, humectants should be paired with occlusive ingredients, which compensate for the lack of water. ^[2]

Humectant ingredients include ^[4] :

Glycerin
Urea
Hyaluronic acid
Alpha hydroxy acids: glycolic and lactic acids not only attract water, but also stimulate skin cells replenishment, which may result in strengthened skin barrier.
Honey
Propylene glycol
Sorbitol
Allantoin
Sodium PCA

cosmetics

Emollients

Emollient ingredients are ingredients that soften the top skin layer and fill in the tiny “cracks” or “ruptures”. This way, they improve the integrity of the skin barrier, reduce TEWL and improve hydration levels.

As the term “emollient” is an adjective, both humectant and occlusive ingredients can also have emollient activity ^[5] :

Ceramides
Cholesterol
Squalane
Olive oil
Beeswax
Urea Glycerin
Castor oil
Propylene glycol

Other commonly used emollients may include ^[6]:

Isopropyl MyIsopropyl
Isopropyl Isostrearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Jojoba Oil

Don’t miss out: Winter Itch & Dry Skin [Treatment & Tips From a Dermatologist]

woman putting cream

Skin care tips for dehydrated skin

Even though using the suitable cosmetic ingredients is essential, there are other practices that can help you improve the hydration of your dehydrated skin.

1. Adopt healthier lifestyle. Drink more water, eat more fruits, veggies, whole grains and other whole foods. Vitamins, minerals and water may support the replenishment of the skin barrier and indirectly reduce TEWL. ^[7]

2. Use a mild, non-drying cleanser (e.g. alcohol- or soap-free one) followed by rich hydrating moisturizer.

3. Use a humidifier to increase the humidity in your home.

4. Use cosmetics suitable for sensitive skin: free from fragrance, drying alcohols, and other irritating ingredients which may cause additional damage to the skin barrier.

5. Avoid harsh physical exfoliation products like sugar scrubs, as they may cause micro ruptures in the top skin layer and additionally damage your barrier.

Was this article helpful?

(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)