Dryness & dehydration

Dry skin lacks oil. It is a skin type, you are largely born with it, and it tends to feel rough and look dull. Dehydrated skin lacks water. It is a temporary condition, anyone can have it, and it can happen on oily skin — which is why people with shiny skin are often surprised to be told they are dehydrated.

Dehydration usually comes from a damaged skin barrier: over-cleansing, too many actives, hot showers, harsh weather, or air conditioning. The fix is to stop damaging it, not to layer more product on top.

Wellington's wind and the swing between heated indoor air and cold outdoor air are genuinely hard on a skin barrier, and it is one of the more common things we see here.

• Working out which one you actually have, which changes the entire plan.
• Deep hydration facials to restore water content and support the barrier.
• A deliberate pause on active ingredients while the barrier repairs — usually the most effective single change.
• Adding a facial scalp massage or a body treatment, because dry skin is rarely confined to the face.
• A simplified home routine. Almost always fewer steps than you are doing now.

Dehydration can improve within days once the cause is removed. A genuinely damaged barrier takes four to six weeks to rebuild properly.

• Facials & Skin Treatments
• Massage & Body Therapies