December 20, 2022 – 17:47 GMT

Orin Carlin

Dehydrated skin: give your post-NYE skin some TLC with skin expert Emma Coleman’s top tips – read more

Cold weather and fierce blasts of central heating can wreak total havoc on your poor skinmeaning for those that suffer from dehydration, winter is a pretty cruel beast. The other major skincare foe that causes mayhem around this time of year? For that pleasure, you have alcohol to thank. Between Christmas tipples and New Year’s Eve spirits, the end of the year tends to be fairly boozy which can leave your skin feeling uncomfortable, tight and flaky – the holy trinity. Not a vibe.

MORE: 7 luxury facial oils to leave your skin feeling super nourished

Hello! Fashion caught up with Emma Colemandermatology & aesthetic RGN and clinical director at Emma Coleman Skinto find out all there is to know about treating dehydrated skin.

How can you tell whether your skin is dehydrated or dry?

“Primarily dry skin is a skin type – a chronic or long-term state, often inherited,” Emma explains. “This is governed by the amount of oil, or sebum, naturally occurring in your skin and whilst it can be managed, there is no cure to speak of. Those with dry skin tend to have hair and nails which follow suit, plus skin will have minimal pore visibility and feel tight after washing, so it is best to keep using water directly on the face to a minimum, especially during the cold months of the year when central heating goes on.”

“Dehydrated skin on the other hand describes the condition of the skin when it is lacking in moisture. The skin is made up of 70% water, 25% of which is usually found in the epidermis, but this can be vastly reduced due to environmental, and lifestyle influences as well as the natural aging process.”

“Any type of skin can become dehydrated – mature, dry, sensitive, combination, oily – and often the more moisture your skin loses, the more oil is produced by the sebum glands to counteract this, giving the impression of oily skin, which masks the real issue.”

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What are the key signs of dehydrated skin?

“Factors such as heating, pollution, menopause, smoking, alcohol and very hot, dry climates can cause dehydration, resulting in ashen skin with a tendency to be heavily lined on waking in the morning,” Emma explains.

“Pores may appear small or large and you may find that your makeup doesn’t last all day, as your skin desperately tries to absorb its water content.”

What are the must-have skincare ingredients to help combat dehydrated skin?

“When selecting products for dehydrated skin, look for natural emulsifiers such as shea, virgin coconut and cocoa butters and avoid high alcohol content,” Emma advises.

“Ingredients on products are always listed in order of concentration from top to bottom, giving you a gauge on how much of an ingredient is included. Other extracts to look for include rose hip, sea buckthorn and raspberry, all rich in essential omega oils and vitamin C.”

“You can also try blending a couple of drops of face oil with your moisturizer in your hand before applying, then massaging face and neck lightly with fingertips to improve circulation flow to skin cells.”

Shop Emma Coleman’s skincare picks to combat dehydrated skin:

The cleanser

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, £10, Look Fantastic

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The serum

Hydrating serum, £24.90, Typology

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The moisturizer

Kiehl‘s Ultra Facial Cream, £28, Space NK

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The night balm

Healing Night Balm, £38, Emma Coleman

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