are you dehydrated?

My one and only facial experience was at Exhale spa in NYC. After being steamed, poked, moisturized, and exfoliated, I was left with glowing, smooth, seemingly poreless skin for a couple of days. It was a great experience, but I could never afford the upkeep - facials are over $100, and my budget certainly doesn't allow me to do that weekly.

My biggest reward, I guess you could say, was the reality check I got when my facialist and Director of Skincare, Red Zoe, told me how dry AND dehydrated my skin was. Fine. I'll apply moisturizer and be back to normal, right? No.

Dry skin is a skin type. Dehydrated skin is a skin condition.

If you have dry skin, you were most likely born with it, although diet can exacerbate dry patches and flakiness. Dry skin lacks oil from too little sebum production, so the best way to treat it is to keep skin nourished with a diet rich in EFAs (essential fatty acids, like those found in salmon), an oil-based moisturizer, and a moisturizing mask once per week.

Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, can actually effect all skin types, whether it's oily, combination, normal, or dry. This means that skin lacks water (in addition to oil, if your skin is dry as well), caused by not drinking enough H2O, extremely dry weather conditions, or use of diuretics or alcohol. If you're dehydrated, your skin is probably also dull.

One way to test for dehydration actually comes from my boyfriend's survival guide/camping manual. Pinch the skin on the back of your hand (although beauty experts recommend back of the wrist because the skin is thicker), then release it. If your skin quickly snaps right back into place without any indents or wrinkles, then congrats! You aren't dehydrated. Keep doing whatever you're doing. If your skin takes a second or two to go back to normal, you're dehydrated like me. Congrats.

The good news is that as easy as you can become dehydrated, you can become not dehydrated. Here's how to slow and prevent future moisture loss:

1. Make sure you're drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day, and a few more if you exercise daily. 2. Apply a water-based moisturizer onto skin twice per day.
3. Take short, lukewarm (not hot) showers.
4. Cut back on the martinis.
5. Consume healthy fats (like those found in nuts and fish).

Good luck!