The terms dry skin and dehydrated skin are frequently used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. If your skin feels rough, flaky, and tight, it could mean that you have dry skin, but it can also mean that your skin is just in need of a hydration boost. Vague? We get it. To explain, we tapped board-certified dermatologist and BeautyLeeBar.com expert Dr. Dendy Engelman.
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The Difference Between Dry and Dehydrated Skin
There is a minor (albeit important) distinction between dry skin and dehydrated skin. Dehydrated skin is a skin condition, and it can affect all skin types. Even oily skin can be dehydrated if it is lacking in moisture and hydration. “Dehydrated skin can be the result of not drinking enough water or liquids,” says Dr. Engelman. “It can also be caused by irritating or drying products, which can strip the skin of its moisture.”
Dry skin, on the other hand, is askin type. “ Anyone can be categorized as having a dry skin type if you have minimal oil production,” says Dr. Engelman. Many factors can play a part example age, climate, genetics, hormones, or untreated dehydrated skin.
The moral of the story? Dry skin lacks oil, and dehydrated skin lacks water.
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How to Know if Your Skin Is Dry or Dehydrated
“Dehydrated skin feels parched and crepe-y,” says Dr. Engelman. “It might have an oily film on the skin because dehydrated skin can be mistaken for dryness by skin cells, causing them to produce excess oil as a result.”
Dry skin tends to flake, so if you see lifted skin — white flecks, usually — you probably have dry skin, Dr. Engelman says. Because dehydrated skin can affect all skin types, it’s possible to suffer from dehydrated skin and dry skin at the same time. When in doubt, consult with a dermatologist.
“ Dry skin will benefit from products that replenish oil and repair the lipid layers of the skin,” Dr. Engelman says. The SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 boasts a maximized concentration of lipids in its formula — including 2% pure ceramides, 4% natural cholesterol, and 2% fatty acids — to help restore the skin’s moisture barrier and provide up to 24 hours of hydration.
Omega Fatty Acids: Fatty, moisturizing molecules that hydrate while visibly restoring and plumping. Hyaluronic Acid: Visibly plumps and supports hydration on the skin‘s delicate surface. Acai Berry Sterols: A plant sterol that is known to mimic and support the cholesterol found naturally in skin.
Tri-Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid: A powerful humectant in three molecular sizes, that helps boost skin’s moisture content, plump, and smooth skin on multiple levels. Ceramides: A lipid that naturally occurs in skin that helps strengthen the skin barrier and moisturize. Oxygen: Upon contact with air, creates a blanket of bubbles to energize skin and help active ingredients penetrate.
Triple Lipid Complex: Helps to restore skin’s natural lipids and fatty acids for glowing, smooth, healthy-looking skin. Peptide Protein Blend: Nutripeptides support the skin barrier function and help protect the skin from free radical damage. Lily Root Extract: Tightens the look of skin, and helps reduce water loss and support long-term moisturization.
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 from The Ordinary is formulated with a combination of low, medium, and high molecular-weight hyaluronic acid, as well as a next-generation hyaluronic acid crosspolymer, at a combined concentration of 2% for multi- depth hydration. This system is supported with the addition of B5 for enhanced surface hydration.
Kiehl’s Vital Skin-Strengthening Hyaluronic Acid Super Serum strengthens skin while helping defend against skin-aging stressors for youthful, radiant skin. These stressors include UV exposure, pollution and extreme temperatures along with tobacco, stress, lack of sleep and nutrition which can cause dullness, dehydration, fine lines and other signs of aging.
Pro-Vitamin B5 promotes long-term hydration and healthy looking skin. Three molecular weights of Hyaluronic Acid pull moisture deep into the skin (and keep it there) to instantly smooth the skin’s surface. The silky formula is fast-absorbing and never sticky—designed to layer with moisturizers and makeup.
Not too long ago, a girlfriend of mine sent me a picture of her hair. After the shoot, about a decade of being natural, she decided that she wanted to get another perm and chile, her hair is all down her back. After I cursed her out (because she never struggles with hair growth while my tale is a bit different), I decided to use her as inspiration as I’m still on the journey to grow mine out. So far, its’ looking like this winter is going to do more for my hair than this past and summer did. And a big part of that is because I’m focused on implementing some fall/winter hair hacks that I learned about a couple of years ago, but I wasn’t the most consistent back then.
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If one of your 2021 goals is to gain a few more inches come, say, March, I’ve got 10 tips that could have you actually being the envy of your friends when it comes to hair length retention.
1. Eat More Vitamin C
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First up, consider adding more foods that are high in Vitamin C into your diet. There are a couple of reasons why this is a good idea, as far as your hair is concerned. For one thing, Vitamin C is loaded with antioxidants that can help to reduce oxidative stress; that’s the kind of stress that can affect hair growth (and not in a good way) over time.
Another cool thing about Vitamin C is it helps to trigger the production of collagen. That’s a good thing because collagen is what helps to hold your hair follicles and the dermal layer of your hair together, so that your hair is able to retain length. Some Vitamin C foods that are in season this time of the year include broccoli, oranges, Brussel sprouts, kiwi, butternut squash, leafy greens and pears.
2. Do an Herbal Tea Rinse
I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if something that you’re drinking more of, right through here, are herbal teas. Aside from a cup of hot cocoa, there are few things that feel more warm and comforting than tea on a chilly day. Well, the next time you’re making some, make enough to create an herbal rinse for your beautiful hair. Remember, herbal tea is full of all kinds of nutrients so, pouring some of it onto your hair will help to promote healthy hair growth.
For instance, if you go with black tea, it can decrease the hormones in your body that may be triggering hair loss (black tea can reduce hair shedding too). Sage tea is able to prevent oil build-up on your scalp. Rosemary tea is known to increase hair growth. Green tea is the ultimate scalp soother. Peppermint tea stimulates your scalp and increases blood circulation. All you need to do is put two cups of water into a pot and add 2-3 tea bags of your preferred tea. Once the water is boiling, turn down the heat and let the tea steep for 15 minutes. Then, once it has cooled completely, pour the tea onto your hair after washing and conditioning it. Let the tea sit for 30 minutes and then rinse a final time with cool water (it will help to seal your cuticles). Your hair will instantly feel softer and your scalp will feel revived.
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3. Massage Your Scalp with Bergamot Oil
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One of the best ways to de-stress is to give yourself a scalp massage. It can also benefit your hair in the long run because it helps to increase blood circulation to your scalp which ultimatelyencourages hair growth over time. If you want to really pamper your locks, warm up a little bit of bergamot oil. This spicy-yet-citrusy oil contains anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties that can help to soothe an irritated scalp and keep a healthy scalp in great shape, so that long-term growth can transpire. Just mix 5-7 drops of the oil into one-fourth cup of a carrier oil like almond, grapeseed or coconut. Zap the mixture in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, put some on your fingertips and then use your fingertips to gently massage your scalp for 15 minutes or so. It will feel heavenly and your scalp will only benefit from you doing it.
4. Turn the Heat Down
Because there is oftentimes less humidity during the colder seasons (more on that in sec), the less heat that you apply to your hair the better. Now, as someone who is team blowout, I’m not saying that you should go without your blow dryer or flat iron entirely. However, make sure that you use styling tools that are made out of ceramic, that you stay around a medium-level of heat, that you apply a thermal heat protectant and that you keep the “less is more” approach from now until spring. Heat-damaged hair is irreparable. The only real solution is to cut it off. If you keep that in mind, each and every time that you apply heat to your tresses, it should help you to constantly handle your hair with extreme care.
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5. At the Same Time, Apply Some Steam
On the flip side, something that can definitely do wonders for you hair is applying steam to it. Think of it as being a humidifier for your hair. Since you already know that you need to work a little overtime to make sure that you replenish the moisture that fall and winter zaps out, steaming your hair can help to lift the cuticles of your hair, so that water is able to deeply penetrate your tresses, giving it more elasticity and making it more manageable too. As a bonus, if you know that you struggle with dry scalp, steaming your hair can also soothe your scalp while increasing blood circulation to it too.
Some people steam their hair by putting a plastic bag over it and standing in a hot shower for about 10 minutes. Or, if you’d prefer to use a literal hair steamer, there are some good ones on the market that are less than a hundred bucks. I’ve got one of them for you righthere.
6. Make Sure Water Is the First Ingredient in Your Hair Products
You might think that cold wet weather would equal your hair getting a lot of moisture, yet actually, that isn’t really the case. As the temperatures begin to drop, oftentimes that results in low humidity. Then, if you add to that cold harsh winds and then the central heat going up in your house in order to keep your body warm, again, it’s very easy for your hair to become zapped from the moisture that it requires in order to remain healthy and avoid breakage.
That’s why, if you do happen to be a bit of a product junkie, it’s a good idea to look for items that list water as its first (or at the very least, second) ingredient on its label. That way, you can be certain it’s something that is full of moisture that can help to keep your hair protected.
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7. Keep Your Ends Off of Your Clothes
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Personally, my favorite time of the year is the fall/winter. I like the beauty of the season. I also like how it provides us with the opportunity to layers our clothing like nobody’s business! Still, with all of the flannel, tweed, velvet, wool and corduroy that a lot of us are rocking, when we wear our hair in a style where our ends are constantly rubbing against the fabric—whew, that can not only zap moisture out of our hair but it can lead to constantly snagging (and fairy knots and breakage) too. So, as much as you can, try and style your hair in a way where it’s not rubbing against all of your fashionable wear. Also, on wash day, make sure to seal your ends. The more extra conditioner your ends receive (because they are the oldest part of your hair ‘n all), the better.
8. Invest in Some Baobab Oil
Speaking of your ends, an oil that doesn’t get brought up much (tell me if you’ve heard of it in the comments) is baobab oil. Oh, but it should.Baobab oil is great because it’s loaded with fatty acids, Vitamin E, calcium, tannins (which are basically tea compounds) and beta-carotene (which is a precursor to Vitamin A). Something else that’s dope about this particular oil is it’s loaded with antioxidants and inflammatory properties. All of this works together to strengthen weak hair cuticles, deeply moisturize your strands and “feed” hair follicles, so that your hair can grow healthy and strong. Applying a little bit of this oil every morning and night to your ends can help to protect them from the bitter cold that can try and zap the moisture out of your tresses.
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9. Be Careful with the Hair Accessories
Remember what I said about how certain fabrics can dry your hair and snag your ends? Some hair accessories that are currently all the rage are hair clips, velvet hairbands, and fancy hairpins. Those things and a dope fedora are never gonna go out of style. Those are all prone to do some pulling and snagging too, so just make sure that, before putting them onto your head that you dab a bit of a light oil (like sweet almond, avocado or jojoba) and that you’re extra gentle when taking them out. Oh, and that you definitely don’t sleep with any hair accessories on your head. Oh, one more—that you make sure your wool hats are lined with satin.
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10. Wear More Wigs
So long as you’ve got on a quality wig and you take extremely good care of the hair that is underneath it (check out ” This Is The Way To Properly Care For Your Hair While Rockin’ A Wig” ), I think fall and winter are the perfect times tobecome Regine (the real ones know what I’m referring to) and rock your wig out! It’s a great way to keep your hands out of your head, protect your hair from the harsh weather elements and give your tresses the stressless time that it needs in order to grow. Plus, what keeps your hair warmer, right? Definitely bless yourself with a wig in the next couple of weeks. Watch your hair thrive because you did. Enjoy these next couple of seasons, sis. From head to toe. Literally.
Sleepy girl makeup emerged as one of NYFW’s softest beauty trends at Sandy Liang’s FW26 show. Created by makeup artist Romy Soleimani in collaboration with Rare Beauty, the look focuses on luminous skin, pastel pink blush, subtly emphasized under-eyes, and glassy lips for an intentionally undone, just-woke-up effect that’s surprisingly wearable in real life.
Just like beauty and life hacks, yes, there’s an app for that. From front-door service to neighborhood alerts, we have the knowledge and tools at our fingertips to ease our daily routines with just one swipe. The apps we use can a) drain our bank account (Postmates, we’re looking at you) or b) today’s focus, make our lives way easier. Below, we’re highlighting the apps we use nonstop to make adulting a little less stressful. Scroll on for a peek at what’s on the BeautyLeeBar team’s phones.
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Mint: Budgeting made simple. Mint syncs with your bank account to track and file your spending activity through digestible graphs. Dare we say it makes figuring out your finances fun?
Citizen: Receive live safety notifications about what’s going on in your neighborhood through the Citizen’s emergency response system. Consider this the digital version of being a nosy neighbor (all in the name of safety, of course).
Venmo: What was life even like before the convenience of Venmo? Send and receive money with three simple clicks.
Flo: Never worry about when your cycle starts/ends again. Flo makes it easy to track menstruation and menopause through its user-friendly calendar. It also offers quizzes to educate about and monitor women’s health. The app Clue is another great option for ovulation tracking.
Happy, Not Perfect: Prioritize self-care with this guided meditation app. Use your smartphone to reduce stress and anxiety. It’s a great way to start or end your day.
EWG/Skin Deep: A free app that gives you access to a database that ranks ingredients in skincare and beauty products so you can avoid dangerous chemicals and toxins.
Planta:Planta keeps track of when you watered your plants and reminds you when to water based on the type of plant. It also gives you tips on how to care for your greenery. You can even lookup plants by uploading a photo. And if your plant dies, they create a plant graveyard for you, lol.
Canva: The graphic design editing app has templates for invites, resumes, business cards—anything you can think of. Step up your next hosting duties with an easy-to-create invitation.
Hopper: If you’re not already using Hopper to watch for airline tickets, let today be the day you download it. After you’ve selected a destination and date range, it alerts you when flight prices jump and are at their lowest. Book your next trip the smart and savvy way.
Co-Star: If you’re into astrology, this is a gem. It sends push notifications and one-liners for the day.
What apps do you use to make your life less chaotic? We want to know in the comments.
Anxiety has a very unwelcome way of popping up when you least expect it.
When you’re anxious or stressed, you don’t usually pay attention to your breathing. You either overdo it, taking short breaths or don’t do it at all. It’s quite possible to suddenly realize you’ve been holding your breath and clenching your jaw for ages if you’re stressed out.
Just thinking about your breath and paying attention to it can have a calming effect though. It’s not something we do very often but breathing properly is so important. And using a focused breathing technique can be even more helpful when you’re anxious or stressed.
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It’s a technique that has been used in yoga for thousands of years and yes, it focuses on breathing through the nose. Hillary Clinton gave it a shout out in her autobiography, What Happened in 2017. It was one of the things she said she used to recover from losing the American election to Donald Trump in 2016.
And, hey, if it’s good enough for Hillary…
It’s a very simple trick to master and you can use it anywhere – once you get the hang of it.
HOW TO PRACTICE ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING:
Step One:
Sit in a comfortable position if you can. On the floor on in a chair with your back straight and feet planted on the ground.
Step Two:
Using your right thumb, gently close your right nostril and inhale slowly through your left nostril.
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Step Three:
Gently close your left nostril by pressing on it with your ring (third) finger. As you do so, open your right nostril and slowly exhale out of it.
Step Four:
Still in this position, inhale through your right nostril, then close it, before opening your left nostril and slowly exhaling thought it. Then inhaling once again.
And that’s basically it! You can repeat the moves five to ten times and the technique will get smoother after a few goes.
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Taking deep slow breaths in this way could help you find your way out of feeling anxious or stressed. Fans of alternate nostril breathing also reckon it helps with focus, lowers the heart rate and makes you more alert too.
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