Your skin is dehydrated

Without moisture, your skin looks dull, but the problem is deeper than you may realise. And we mean that literally. “Loss of hydration from below the skin’s surface – in the dermis and the lower levels of the epidermis – causes decreases in the thickness of the skin,” says Dr Zeichner. “Think of a deflated balloon: it doesn’t shine as well as an inflated one.”

THE SOLUTION

Pat on a hyaluronic acid serum with damp fingers to drive moisture deep into skin. Then layer a moisturiser with powerful emollients, like cetyl alcohol or dimethicone. “Emollients create a thin, transparent film over the skin’s surface,” says dermatology professor Dr Zoe Diana Draelos. That film will help skin cells lie flat and reflect light.