Maintaining Your Skin's Oil-Water Ratio

The common narrative is that oil and water don’t mix, but they are equally important when it comes to your skin’s health and appearance. Both of these are required for your skin to look its best and fight external factors, therefore, you need to understand how to maintain a good balance so your skin can look its best.

The challenging part, though, is that although the skin naturally produces oil, the same can’t be said for water. Therefore, water must be sourced externally, mostly through consumption (drinking) and hydrating skin products. For the latter, all it takes is an efficient and effective skincare routine to have your skin looking its best.

Here, we’ll take a closer look at how to go about maintaining a good oil-water ratio for moisturised and nourished skin.

What is the difference between dehydrated and dry skin?

Although these two terms are often used interchangeably, they don’t mean the same thing. The difference between the two is the oil-water ratio in the skin. Your skin can be described as dehydrated when it’s lacking water, whereas dry skin is a term typically used to describe skin that doesn’t produce enough oil.

Bearing the above in mind, it’s safe to say that oily skin can actually be dehydrated. It can reach that stage if it’s not getting enough water or if you exfoliate too much and ultimately strip it of its natural oils. Skin that lacks moisture can end up producing excess oil, which causes an imbalance in the water-oil ratio. This can cause your skin to be dull and greasy at the same time.

What does water do for the skin?

There are multiple skin benefits of adequate water consumption, including promoting plump, elastic, and bouncy skin. This is why water is crucial if you want to avoid fine lines, age spots, wrinkles and the like. It’s also a key part of helping skin cells function optimally.

Why is oil important for the skin?

Sebum, most commonly referred to as oil, is a key component of keeping skin hydrated and encouraging overall well-being and protection from external factors by creating a barrier. Oil also has antioxidant and antibacterial properties which create a barrier to defend the skin against free radical damage. Such damage can be caused by environmental factors like UV exposure, extreme weather, and pollution.

Maintaining oil-water balance

The best way to maintain a good oil-water balance for skin health is to adopt a good skincare routine that comprises a face wash for oily skin, dry skin or combination skin, depending on your needs. However, it’s vital to choose a skincare routine that is best suited for your own skin, depending on your skin type. For example, oil-control skincare will differ from skincare for dry or dehydrated skin.

Not giving your skin the hydration it needs will lead to it producing more oil to compensate for the lack of water, which may be in excess. To deal with this, you should adopt the most appropriate skincare for oily skin. A prime example of this is our Rose & Hyaluronic Acid Deep Hydration Emulsion and Rose Deep Hydration Moisturiser. These won’t clog your pores and have countless benefits that are great for the skin.

On the flip side, dry skin could do with layers of hydration. For best results, find a suitable essence, serum, and emulsion, followed by a moisturiser and facial oil to lock everything in. Highly recommended is our Kombucha Antioxidant Facial Treatment Essence, which has antioxidants and hyaluronic acid to boost moisture, and our Crème Ancienne Face Oil Elixir, which is ideal for encouraging supple and healthy-looking skin.

Over and above hydrating your skin, be careful not to overdo your skincare routine. It’s not unheard of for people to overcompensate and exfoliate too much. The danger in that is potentially stripping your skin of necessary oils. This can end up damaging your skin barrier. Ideally, exfoliating should be done once or twice a week, but it will be guided by your skin’s sensitivity. Our Sugar Face Polish Exfoliator has a gentle formulation and is well-loved by the masses. Made with real strawberry seeds, plum seed oil, brown sugar, and grapeseed oil, it gets rid of dead skin cells and nourishes your skin to create the ideal canvas or foundation for oily skin if that is your main skin concern.

Find effortless balance with fresh

If you’re struggling with striking just the right balance, at fresh, we have the solution for you. Whether you’re in search of a moisturiser for oily skin or dry skin, or are wondering how to combat oily skin, our extensive range has something for you. Explore our skincare heroes to find your perfect solution and enjoy balanced, healthy skin.