Dehydrated skin wants water. Dry skin wants oil.

Dehydrated skin and dry skin are not the same thing, and treating them wrong in winter can make things worse.

Here’s the short version: dehydrated means your skin lacks water. Dry means it lacks oil. Your skin can be both – and winter air tends to cause both – but the fix is different. If you load up on heavy creams when you really need water, you’re just sealing in the problem. If you spritz water without locking it in, you’ll evaporate colder and drier.

How to tell: pinch the back of your hand or your cheek. If it springs back slowly or stays creased, that’s dehydration – low water. If it feels rough, flaky, or tight in a “needs lotion” way, that’s dryness – low oil. Another