Do you know the difference between hydration and moisture? While these two words are often used interchangeably by beauty brands, they are not the same thing. Skin hydrators and moisturisers are two very different types of products and serve a different purpose for your skin. Here is everything you need to know to navigate successfully thought the maze of skincare products:

How to tell if your skin is dry or dehydrated?

Dry skin is a skin type characterised by a lack of skin oils and epidermal lipids. Common signs of dry skin are flakiness, tightness and increased sensitivity. You might have naturally dry skin, but it can also be due to environmental factors such as ultraviolet radiation and pollution.

Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, is a skin condition. Dehydrated skin has a lack of water in the top layer of the epidermis. It can affect all skin types, including oily and combination. Dehydrated skin shows accelerated signs of ageing such as fine lines, sagging and overall dull appearance.

How to treat dry skin

· Protect your skin from the elements

External elements such as ultraviolet light, heat and air pollution can zap the moisture from your complexion, exacerbate irritation and cause further damage to your skin’s lipid layer. So, the most important step in your skincare routine is sun protection.

Oclipse® Smart Tone SPF 50 shields your skin from harmful UVA, UVB and HEV rays and restores healthy moisture levels. It’s enriched with antioxidants and skin barrier replenishers to help your skin stay soft, firm and hydrated.

· Help your skin keep its natural hydration

If your face is dry and flaky, your first instinct may be to scrub until it's all smooth and soft, right? Wrong. The worst thing you can do to your dry and parched skin is use harsh, gritty exfoliators. Aggressive physical exfoliation will strip the epidermis from its already insufficient oils and leave your face tighter and drier.

Wouldn’t it be nice to tackle cleansing and hydration all at once? Offects Hydrating Cleanser acts both as a cleanser and moisturiser. It removes dirt and dead cells from your skin and replenishes its natural moisture levels.

· Repair your skin barrier

When you have a healthy functioning skin barrier, your complexion is plump, soft and hydrated. The lipids in the protective layer of the skin fight off dehydration by locking water molecules inside the stratum corneum –the top layer of your epidermis–and protect your skin from external factors.

Ommerse Renewal Crème is packed with powerful ingredients to give your skin a major hydration boost. Formulated with sodium hyaluronate to restore the healthy functioning of your skin barrier, along with jojoba esters and antioxidants soothe irritation.

How to treat dehydrated skin

· Drink plenty of water (no, water in your coffee doesn’t count)

All cells in your skin, especially those responsible for collagen production, require water to function properly. Inadequate water intake causes your skin to lose elasticity and makes wrinkles and pores more visible. So, drinking enough water is crucial to your skin looking and feeling great. Aim for eight to ten 8-ounce servings daily and try to spread them throughout the day as your body can only absorb 17 ounces each hour.

· Add a serum to your skincare routine

There is a tricky part with hydration – simply drinking water is not enough to fix your dehydrated complexion because it will reach all the organs inside your body before it goes to your skin. So, don’t skip topical hydrators, if you want to get rid of dull skin.

The key to proper hydration lies in supplementing your skincare with moisture-enhancing serums that penetrate the deeper layers of the skin rather than sitting on the surface. Ossential® C-Bright Serum contains naturally occurring lipids that replenish hydration and boost skin barrier function.

· Cut back on alcohol

Cocktails and wine, like many other things we enjoy on a Friday night, can wreak havoc on our skin. Alcohol is a double whammy for your skin; it forces water out of your system and hinders the production of vasopressin – the hormone that helps your body (and your skin) restore its hydration levels. So, if your skin looks tired and sallow all the time, maybe it’s time to replace your glass of wine with a cup of green tea.