How to Tell If Your Skin Is Dehydrated

Confession: I don’t drink enough water. In fact, I’m currently feeling dehydrated. And so is my skin.

Dehydration can occur in all skin types, especially oily complexions. (Dry skin, unlike dehydrated skin, is a skin type, usually characterized by peeling and flaking.) I have combination skin with a touch of sensitivity (e.g. a reactive oily complexion), and my dehydration is usually easy to diagnose. That being said, here’s how to tell if your skin is dehydrated.

Pinch yourself.

No, really: pinch your cheeks. If your skin wrinkles with the pressure and doesn’t hold its shape, it’s likely dehydrated. You’ll also notice your skin may look and feel taut after pinching, with more pronounced fine lines.

On the other hand, if you’re well-hydrated, your skin may appear slightly more voluminous. “When we think of water weight elsewhere on the body, we think of bloating and swelling,” dermatologist Ross C. Radusky, MD, previously told Allure. “It’s the same thing on our skin. When hydrated, our skin cells swell, and this can be a great thing. It minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and generally makes us look less tired.”

Other signs of dehydration to look out for are dry mouth, chapped lips, and headaches. All of which I’ve experienced. All this to say, once you determine your skin’s hydration status (or lack thereof), here’s how to fix it.

Drink more water. This one is obvious, right? While the amount of H2O you should be intaking daily is different for everyone, you should be refilling your emotional support water bottle at least a couple of times a day for your overall well-being. “It’s true that the skin needs water, just like every part of your body to function properly, but as long as you drink enough fluids to maintain body hydration, you’re fine,” dermatologist Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, previously told Allure. “Drinking water is essential for overall health, but it has very little to do with the level of skin hydration.”

So then what does boost skin hydration?

Moisturizing! And… exfoliating? While the former is fairly obvious, finding a chemical exfoliator to help slough away dead skin cells will make it easier for your moisturizer’s hydrating ingredients (ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin) to seep deeper into skin, faster.