Dehydration

What Causes Dehydrated Skin?

Dehydrated skin happens when there’s a lack of water in the skin. That’s why any skin type (yep, even oily skin) can still end up feeling tight, looking dull, or showing fine dehydration lines. There’s a few factors usually to blame for a bout of dehydration:

Weather and climate have a huge impact on your skin. Cold, dry air pulls water away from the surface whilst wind only adds to the problem by whipping away moisture.

Aircon and heating tend to be terrible for your skin’ hydration. Both reduce humidity in the air: Less moisture in the air means less moisture in your skin. That’s why after a long day in the office AC, your face can feel intensely papery and tight.

Over-cleansing or over-exfoliating can strip away your protective barrier. Once that barrier is compromised, it struggles to retain onto water, making dehydration worse.

In short: dehydration is sneaky, multi-triggered, and does not discriminate based on skin types. But with the right tweaks to your routine (and a few barrier-loving, water-binding products), you can definitely give it the boot.

Common Signs Of Dehydrated Skin

Not sure if you’re dealing with dehydration or something else? Dehydrated skin often disguises itself as dryness, oiliness, or even sensitivity. These are the tell-tale signs to watch out for:

Tightness (even if your skin is oily): Dehydrated skin is lacking water, not oil, so even oily skin types can feel tight and uncomfortable. If your skin feels squeaky but still shiny, that’s dehydration talking.

Fine, papery lines that disappear when you apply moisturiser: Unlike deeper wrinkles, dehydration lines are surface-level and usually vanish as soon as you apply a hydrating serum or cream. They tend to show up across the forehead, around the eyes, or anywhere your skin is feeling parched.

Dullness or lack of bounce: When your skin isn’t holding enough water, it loses that healthy, plump look. Instead, it can seem flat, lacklustre, and a little tired — even when you’re particularly well-rested.

The Best Products for Dehydrated Skin

When dealing with dehydration, you’re going to want to slot in a few hydrating heavyweights into your skincare routine. Go-To’s hydration dream team includes:

Much Plumper Skin. Our hydrating serum which teams up four types of hyaluronic acid and provitamin B5 to quench the skin with hydration for a plump, juicy complexion.

Very Useful Face Cream. Our buttery dreamboat of a daily moisturiser is packed with antioxidants and nourishing oils to lock in hydration from your serum and protects against environmental stressors.

Very Lightweight Moisturiser. Designed for oily or combination types (or anyone who hates the feeling of “too much” on their skin), this gel-cream does the heavy lifting without feeling heavy. It’s airy, fast-absorbing, and perfect for hot weather when heavier creams just feel like too much.

Very Luxe Face Cream. This is your skin’s comfort blanket when it’s feeling dry, tight, or cranky. Richer in texture and loaded with barrier-supporting ingredients, this face cream deeply replenishes and leaves skin soft and cushioned.

Face Hero. Oils don’t add water, but they do help your skin hold onto it. This nourishing superoil strengthens your barrier with 10 plant and nut oils to help prevent transepidermal water loss (translation: the sneaky evaporation that likes to steal your hydration).

Key Ingredients to Target Dehydration

When your skin is dehydrated, it needs ingredients that can pull in water, hold it there, and protect your barrier from anything that might make matters worse. These are the big hitters:

Hyaluronic Acid. This is the holy grail of hydration. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, which means it literally attracts water into your skin (like a magnet) and keeps it there for plumper, smoother, bouncier skin that looks instantly refreshed. Go-To’s Much Plumper Skin is loaded with four types of hyaluronic acid for long-lasting moisture too.

Provitamin B5. Also known as panthenol, this clever little vitamin soothes sensitivity while boosting hydration. It works to bind water to the skin and improve its ability to hold onto it, meaning less tightness and fewer fine dehydration lines. You’ll find it in Much Plumper Skin, where it joins forces with hyaluronic acid for a double hydration hit.

Glycerin. The ultimate hydrator which has a multi-century track record to prove it. Glycerin draws moisture into the skin and helps maintain hydration throughout the day, giving you that soft, supple feeling. Go-To uses it in both Very Useful Face Cream and Very Lightweight Moisturiser to make sure water doesn’t just get in — it stays in.

Antioxidants (like CoQ10 and Vitamin E). Dehydration doesn’t just come from the weather or lifestyle; environmental stressors play a huge role. Antioxidants defend your skin and keep the barrier strong and resilient so it can retain hydration more effectively. You’ll find these protective antioxidants in Very Useful Face Cream, Very Luxe Face Cream, and The Repair Shop.

SPF. Daily sunscreen is non-negotiable if you want to keep dehydration at bay. UV exposure weakens your skin’s barrier and speeds up water loss, making your face feel tighter, drier, and more reactive.