Dehydrated Skin Routine

Looking for skincare to help quench and comfort dry, dehydrated skin? Our hydration powerhouses have you covered. Keep reading to discover our skin saviours for dehydrated skin.

Can you imagine going all day without any water? H20 is essential for every single function within our body, and our skin is no exception. Hydration is integral to skin health for every skin type, but if you have particularly dry or rough skin, it's a sign that your skin is crying out for more moisture than most. Enter: Clinique's dehydrated skin care routine.


Dry, dehydrated skin not only looks dull, it can also feel very uncomfortable and draw attention to common skin concerns such as fine lines and wrhinkles. More importantly, you could also have an impaired moisture barrier, meaning your skin is less efficient in holding on to moisture, and keeping harmful daily irritants and aggressors at bay.

Here's everything you need to know about reviving your dehydrated and dry skin (and finding your way to our best moisturiser for dehydrated skin). Keep reading to discover our best dehydrated skin products.

Dehydrated skin vs dry skin

Dry and dehydrated may sound synonymous, but when it comes to skincare, their definitions separate like oil and water — quite literally. Essentially, dry skin lacks adequate oil and water. As a result, dry facial skin can feel rough and look dull.

Dehydrated skin, as the name suggests, lacks water, but may have sufficient (or even excess) oil. Our skin's moisture barrier is its first line of defence against environmental aggressors and is key to helping maintain hydration. Without enough water, this protective barrier can become compromised. Additionally, dehydrated skin often looks dull and feels tight and rough.

At Clinique, we consider dryness a skin type, and dehydration a skin concern. This means that any skin type can also experience dehydrated skin at some point due to a lack of moisture – even extremely oily skin. Dehydrated skin can look dull and crepey, and can cause fine lines and wrinkles to look more defined and prominent. That's why the goal is to hydrate our skin so it not only looks and feels healthier, but is also stronger and more resilient.

What causes dehydrated skin?

It's impossible to avoid all environmental stressors that can dehydrate your skin, but it's important to recognise some of the main ones, including:

Pollution: Pollution can compromise your skin's moisture barrier (which helps protect skin and maintain hydration), resulting in rough, dull skin.

Air travel: Flying isn't so friendly to your skin, owing to the dry atmosphere in airplane cabins. When the air is drier than your skin, it draws moisture out, which can make it dull and dry.

Weather: Your skin can get dehydrated with shifts in weather like winds or in the cold, which is why your skin might feel dry, especially during the winter months.

With life throwing everything at us, it's important to know how to hydrate skin effectively.

Best hydrating ingredients

When we're thirsty, we drink a glass of water. It's not quite so simple when it comes to skincare – or is it? With the right ingredients on rotation, boosting your skin's hydration for a more youthful glow is much easier. Here's what to look for when creating your dehydrated skincare routine.

  • Hyaluronic acid: Hydrates and plumps skin. Learn all about hyaluronic acid here.
  • Aloe bioferment: This ingredient exclusive to Clinique helps skin retain moisture. We start with responsibly grown organic aloe and concentrate it 500 times. It then gets fermented so those molecules are broken down into smaller, more absorbable elements for your skin.
  • Glycerin: Glycerin is a skin-identical humectant and is similar to hyaluronic acid in the way it behaves. It offers lightweight, lasting hydration and helps to strengthen and fortify the skin's moisture barrier. Learn more about glycerin skin benefits.
  • Urea: Urea is an effective humectant, a moisture-magnet ingredient that attracts and retains moisture, and an emollient, which softens and smooths the skin. It's known for it's intensely moisturising properties. Learn more about urea skin benefits.

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    There are many other great ingredients for dry and dehydrated skin including ceramides, squalane, shea butter, vitamin E and panthenol.

    Best moisturiser for dehydrated skin

    Clinique offers a wide array of effective moisturisers specifically formulated for dry and dehydrated skin types. The iconic Dramatically Different™ Moisturizing Lotion is a dermatologist-developed silky lotion powered by glycerin, urea and soothing extracts of barley, sunflower and cucumber. It's a great option for those who like a lightweight lotion texture, but our most-loved moisturiser for dehydrated skin is actually Moisture Surge™ 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator, a gel-cream formula designed to hydrate, plump and strengthen skin's moisture barrier.

    Lock in moisture for hours

    Every type of skin can benefit from moisturising, and our Moisture Surge™ 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator can benefit every type of skin. This oil-free, gel-based moisturiser delivers instant hydration that soothes in seconds and lasts for up to 100 hours. Like a tall drink of water for your skin, it delivers soothing hydration in three seconds, leaving skin refreshed, hydrated and glowing.

    It's expertly formulated with hyaluronic acid, aloe vera bioferment and a blend of vitamins C and E to penetrate skin's surface for deeply nourishing hydration. For very dry skin types, we also offer a richer version: Moisture Surge™ Intense 72H Lipid-Replenishing Hydrator. This rich cream-gel delivers an instant moisture boost, thanks to barrier-strengthing lipids, soothing cica and activated aloe water.

    How to apply: Use twice daily after cleansing, applying it to your face as a lotion or as a five-minute mask.

    Dehydrated skin products

    Pollution, weather and sun exposure can zap the moisture from your skin, leaving it dull and rough, and exacerbating any existing dryness. Moisture Surge™ SPF 25 Sheer Hydrator effectively quenches your skin, while protecting from the elements. It's a gorgeous cloud-like creamy texture, which feels so comfortable on skin and leaves a glowing finish, with no white cast.

    The oil-free formula is also non-acnegenic. It provides instant hydration that lasts all day, for smooth, glowing skin that's perfectly primed for makeup. Aloe bioferment works together with hyaluronic acid to help retain moisture, while provitamin D is a powerful antioxidant.

    How to apply: After using the Clinique cleanser and Clarifying Lotion of your choice, apply Moisture Surge SPF 25 liberally to the face and neck. The pink formula will guide your application so you're getting it in all the key parts — then just blend until sheer. Make sure to use SPF every day if you experience dryness – protection is an integral part of your dry skin routine, as UV rays are as drying as they are damaging.

    Skincare for dehydrated eyes

    As the skin around the eye area is thinner, it is one of the first places to show signs of dryness and dehydration. Formulated for all skin types, All About Eyes™ is a lightweight cream-gel treatment that hydrates and brightens the delicate eye area by reducing dark circles and puffiness over time. For very dry skin types, we recommend All About Eyes™ Rich, a moisture-rich eye cream with shea butter to intensely hydrate, brighten and restore moisture.

    How to apply: Use twice daily after cleansing. Just put a dab on your ring finger and pat gently over the entire eye area.

    Our dermatologist-guided dehydrated skin routine:

    Backed by 50+ years of dermatological expertise, Clinique has always specialised in tailored formulas for specific skin types and concerns – including dehydrated skin products. This is our step-by-step dry skin routine to help you achieve healthy, balanced, happily hydrated skin.

     

    Step 1: Cleanse.
    Start with our Liquid Facial Soap Mild formula. This dermatologist-developed cleanser for dry skin cleans thoroughly, without every stripping or drying the skin. It leaves skin feeling refreshed and comfortable – never tight or dry. There's also an Extra Mild formula for very dry skin types.

     

    Step 2: Exfoliate.
    A gentle liquid exfoliator like Clarifying Lotion sweeps away daily impurities and dry, dulling flakes. It helps to even out and smooth the complexion, plus it preps skin for next skincare steps, allowing for better absorption of your chosen moisturiser. There are five Clarifying Lotion formulas for all skin types – Clarifying Lotion 1 is designed for very dry skin, Clarifying Lotion 2 is formulated for dry/dry combination skin and Clarifying Lotion 1.0 is an alcohol-free exfoliator for dry, sensitive skin.

     

    Step 3: Hydrating Serum or Concentrate.
    For particularly dry or dehydrated skin, we suggest layering lightweight, hydrating formulas to flood skin with moisture. Before your chosen moisturiser for dry skin, apply a hyaluronic acid serum or concentrate like Moisture Surge™ Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate. This water gel contains encapsulated vitamins E and C, hyaluronic acid and activated aloe water to quench and plump up skin – it's one of our hero products for dehydrated skin.

     

    Step 4: Eye cream.
    Apply your chosen All About Eyes™ to the entire eye area, gently massaging with your ring finger.

     

    Step 5: Moisturiser.
    The most important step. Apply your chosen moisturiser for dry skin all over the face and neck, massaging until absorbed. A few of our favourites? Moisture Surge™ 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator; Dramatically Different™ Moisturizing Lotion+; Moisture Surge™ SPF 25 Sheer Hydrator. At night, layer up the hydrating goodness with Moisture Surge™ Overnight Mask.

    Need some guidance?

    Not sure which dehydrated skin products to choose? Our dermatologist-educated experts are at your service. Book in for a complimentary Clinical Consultation, led by one of our in-house experts, for a full skin evaluation, 1:1 expert advice and a bespoke, tailored skincare routine designed to help you achieve great-looking skin. You can book an online or in-store consultation, which will be followed by three mini check-ins with your dedicated skin expert to ensure you're seeing results, and make any routine tweaks where necessary.