How to hydrate dehydrated skin: causes, symptoms & solutions

As with all aspects of health, skin health is holistic. We need to do a lot of things right — get adequate rest, eat a nutrient-dense diet, find the right lotions, and many other things — to keep our skin from resembling a catcher’s mitt.

But what many people fail to consider is that hydrating your skin also depends on hydrating your body as a whole. If you don’t replace fluids and electrolytes after a sauna, for instance, you can develop dehydrated skin.

That said, most people get plenty of fluids. We’ve been drilled from a young age to drink at least eight glasses of water per day, regardless of your thirst or how much water you’re getting from other sources. (Yes: Coffee, tea, and many foods provide water, too!)

A better strategy is to drink to thirst, but water is just the half of it. Electrolytes like sodium and potassium help balance fluidsOpens in a new tab throughout your body, which supports healthy skin, though the exact mechanisms are still being studied. 

In fact, if you drink too much plain water, it can dilute the concentration of electrolytes (like sodium, potassium, and chloride) in your blood — which could lead to a condition called hyponatremiaOpens in a new tab when sodium levels drop too low.

When that happens, your body tries to restore balance (homeostasis) by pulling electrolytes from other tissues or storage sites, such as bone, muscle, or interstitial fluid (the liquid that surrounds your body’s cells ), to bring blood levels back up to normal.

In this article, we’ll cover skin hydration basics, plus causes and remedies for dehydrated skin.

Why Skin Hydration Matters for Healthy Skin

Most bodily tissues depend on water — we’re mostly water weight, after all — and skin is no exception. In particular, water keeps the outer layer of your skin (called the stratum corneum) functioning properlyOpens in a new tab.

The stratum corneum is how the world sees your skin. It’s the barrier that protects the rest of your body from the outside world. It’s also the barrier that keeps materials (like fluids) from spilling out. 

In fact, maintaining skin moisture depends on the ability of the stratum corneum to prevent transepidermal water loss and your hydration statusOpens in a new tab. If you don’t consume adequate fluids and electrolytes, your skin may begin to show it, appearing dull, tight, and thirsty for hydration.

Beyond hydration habits, other factors influencing skin health includeOpens in a new tab:

• The levels of various lipids, sugars, and proteins (glycerol, hyaluronan, water-transporting protein aquaporin-3) found in skin cells
• Genetic factors
• Micronutrient intake (zinc, selenium, and vitamin A are all crucialOpens in a new tab for skin health)
• UV exposure
• Alcohol consumption habitsOpens in a new tab
• Sleep habits

Today is a deep dive on skin hydration, but don’t neglect the other factors. Skin health is a holistic endeavor.

Is Dry Skin the Same as Dehydrated Skin?

According to several skincare and dermatology-related websites, dry skin is distinct from dehydrated skin. The claim is: 

• Dry skin is a skin type characterized by low sebum levels (aka, the natural oils your sebaceous glands produce to help lubricate and hydrate the skin).
• Dehydrated skin is a condition of low skin moisture, often caused by environmental dryness, impaired skin barrier function, or insufficient water content in the outer skin layers.

Medical literature doesn’t support this distinction, though. In one paperOpens in a new tab published in The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, the authors report that “dry skin is a common condition that is attributed to a lack of water in the stratum corneum.”

Note how dry skin is labeled a “condition,” not a skin type, and that poor skin moisture is the proximate cause. Other researchers point outOpens in a new tab that the outermost layer of “skin requires a water content of 10-15% to remain supple and intact.” Again, the focus is on skin hydration.

Basically, healthy skin is synonymous with hydrated skin. In turn, hydrated skin depends on many factors, including your hydration habits, natural skin oils, and nutritional status.

In other words, although dehydration can cause dry skin, the two aren’t always identical. Dryness often results from impaired skin barrier function (low natural oils), while dehydration reflects low water content. Both can coexist, and both benefit from adequate hydration and topical care. 

This doesn’t mean that dehydration is the only cause of dry skin, but it does suggest that we should stop viewing the two as totally distinct and separate.

Symptoms of Dehydrated Skin

Dry skin is a well-documentedOpens in a new tab dehydration symptom. Other symptoms of dehydrated skin include:

• Itchy skin
• More pronounced wrinkles and fine lines
• Cracked lips
• Dark circles under the eyes
• A lack of color or dullness to the skin
• Pallor

These symptoms suggest something is wrong with your skin hydration. They don’t necessarily mean you need more fluids.

To triangulate, look for other dehydration symptomsOpens in a new tab like thirst, dark urine, or feelings of fatigue. In particular, thirst and dark urine are clear signs to drink more water. But be sure to include sodiumOpens in a new tab in that water. I’ll explain why in a bit.