As someone who’s spent nearly two decades caring for complex, stressed, and chronically dry skin, I’m asked almost daily: “Sevine, what is your body lacking when your skin is dry?”
When your skin is dry, it’s usually because your body is low on lipids, natural oils, hydration and all the essentials your skin barrier needs to function, especially ceramides, omega-3s and sometimes key vitamins like Vitamin A, C, D & B. It’s not just about choosing the right moisturiser; things like UV exposure, sunscreen habits, chlorinated pools and seasonal changes in Brisbane all play a part in making skin lose water and get dehydrated.
Every time I see a client with dry, flaky skin, especially after the heat of Brisbane’s summers or its rapid humidity drops in winter, I notice the same thing: their skin is signalling an imbalance in the moisture barrier, not just a superficial problem. When your barrier is struggling, water leaks out of your skin faster. We call this transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and that’s when dehydrated skin shows those fine lines.
A healthy, well-hydrated stratum corneum is a beauty thing that just so happens to be a health thing as well. Figuring out what’s missing means you can avoid those nasty breakouts or irritations that come from overusing moisturisers or forgetting about sun protection.
The minute you know what your body is lacking, getting your moisture barrier back in balance is a whole lot easier and more intuitive.
Dry, rough skin that’s always getting irritated is often a sign that you’re low on essential fatty acids – especially omega-3s – which help keep skin cells strong and prevent water loss. Lack of them can also contribute to things like atopic dermatitis or contact dermatitis – I see a lot of that in Brisbane.
Adding foods rich in healthy fats to your diet, or using a good body lotion with nourishing oils like OrganicSpa Rosehip Oil, can improve your barrier strength in as little as 4-6 weeks.
Ceramides and natural oils make up most of your skin’s moisture barrier. When they get low, through over-exfoliating, getting older, using harsh soaps or getting too much UV, your skin becomes fragile and can’t hold onto hydration.
If your skin feels tight even after you’ve applied moisturiser, it’s probably because you’re low on barrier-supporting lipids.
While drinking more water is helpful for skin, and things like electrolyte drinks or water-rich veggies can do a lot to help, dehydrated skin isn’t just about drinking enough water. Proper skin hydration depends on the acid mantle and moisture barrier being in good working order. Otherwise, even getting IV fluids just won’t cut it.
Hyaluronic Acid is great at drawing moisture in, but you’ve got to seal it with a good emollient cream or moisturiser that’s right for your skin type.
These vitamins are all important for skin renewal and keeping your barrier strong. Vitamin A is key to keeping cells turning over, lack of it can show up as dry, rough skin. Vitamin C supports your skin’s antioxidant defences and helps fix damaged skin cells. Vitamin D has a hand in keeping your skin’s immune system in check. Vitamin B, especially niacinamide, really helps to strengthen your barrier function and calm down inflammation
If you’re unsure whether your dryness is nutrient-related, a simple blood test can sometimes uncover mineral deficiencies or vitamin gaps.
I don’t think many of us realise just how quickly our daily routines and surroundings can suck the moisture out of our skin, and it’s not even down to the products we use.
In Queensland, we have some of the harsher UV exposure in the world, and that’s awful news for our skin. Prolonged sun exposure can really harm the lipids in our skin, break down those protective ceramides, and basically weaken our moisture barrier. For clients with very sensitive skin or skin of colour, I recommend a broad-spectrum sunscreen with zinc oxide. Mineral formulas are generally easier on the skin and less likely to cause allergic reactions.
All of these are basically sucking moisture out of our skin. They disrupt that all-important acid mantle and just make it harder for our skin to hold onto water – even if we’re drinking loads of water internally.
A lot of people come to me using harsh foaming cleansers or really strong exfoliants without realising they’re basically stripping their skin of its natural oils. For people with dry skin in particular, a hypoallergenic soap or a gentle cleanser with some lovely botanicals (like lavender oil in small amounts) is a much kinder option.
And then there’s the impact of stress and hormones on our skin – cortisol can really affect how much oil our skin produces, which can end up making things like eczema or seborrheic dermatitis even worse. As a skin therapist, when people come to me with persistent dryness, I always try to get a sense of what’s going on internally as well as with their external skin care routine.
Here’s a table I share with clients during skin consults:
| What’s Lacking? | What It Does to Skin | What It Looks Like on Your Face | Where It Often Comes From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential Fatty Acids | Strengthens barrier, reduces water loss | Rough texture, flakiness, irritation | Low dietary fats, restrictive diets |
| Natural Oils | Protects acid mantle + moisture barrier | Tightness, dullness, dehydrated skin | Harsh cleansers, over-exfoliation |
| Internal Hydration | Supports skin cells + stratum corneum hydration | Fine dehydration lines, dullness | AC, caffeine, low hydration, hot showers |
| Vitamin A, C, D, B | Supports renewal + barrier repair | Roughness, slow healing, dullness | Nutrient-poor diet, low sunlight, mineral deficiencies |
| Ceramides | Keeps the moisture barrier intact | Tightness after cleansing, patchy dryness | Ageing, sun exposure, UV radiation |
| Zinc (dietary) | Supports repair + regulates oil production | Irritation, barrier sensitivity | Low intake of foods rich in zinc |
Dry skin needs some routine consistency, not a complicated scheme to follow – and this is where taking a very individual approach can make all the real difference.
We use gentle, effective clean beauty products that help protect your skin’s acid mantle and keep your moisture barrier safe and sound. This can include:
These will all help with skin renewal and calm any inflammation caused by skin conditions like atopic dermatitis or contact dermatitis.
My facials that really work are all about deeply restoring your skin hydration and include:
If you arrive with a flare-up of dermatitis, we may need to slow things down, avoid using anything too potent, and avoid overusing topical steroids until the barrier is fully healed.
We take a thorough look at everything from your daily UV exposure habits to your water intake and electrolyte balance, and we even consider the possibility of an allergy. If I suspect that something in your routine is irritating your skin, I might recommend an allergy test to get to the bottom of it.
One of my clients once said to me “I changed my cleanser and my skin changed my life” and honestly with dry skin that is often the simple truth.
Skincare these days has all shifted toward understanding moisture-barrier science, gentle formulas, and evidence-backed simplicity.
The latest dermatology insights show:
People are moving away from aggressive routines and leaning into restoration, which is just what I’ve been saying at The Facial Hub for ages now.
Your skin isn’t being stubborn; it’s actually screaming for help. And once you figure out what it needs when it’s feeling all dry and tight, everything just clicks: your routine becomes easier, making decisions about what to use on your skin gets tonnes simpler, and you start to see some actual results.
Not sure what kind of skin you’ve got or want a bit of one-on-one guidance? Pop into The Facial Hub in Brisbane, and I’ll be stoked to help you sort out your barrier, get some much-needed hydration back into your skin, and generally get you feeling more at ease in your own skin.
At The Facial Hub, I’m often asked, “What is your body lacking when your skin is dry?” Dry skin isn’t always just about a lack of water — it often points to a compromised skin barrier and a deficiency in lipids that help retain moisture.
From my clinical experience, dryness can be influenced by factors like environment, over-cleansing, or a lack of essential fatty acids and proper topical support. It’s not just internal — what you apply to your skin plays a major role in maintaining hydration. For me, improving dry skin is about restoring barrier function, supporting hydration both internally and externally, and building a routine that keeps moisture locked in.
— Sevine Foster
Not by itself, no. The thing is, dry skin isn’t just about being dehydrated; it’s also about having a damaged moisture barrier. Drinking water is a good start, but you need to pair that with some barrier repair as well.
Well, for one thing, you might just be missing out on some lipids or natural oils in your skin. And if your moisturiser isn’t up to the job (ie, it’s not a proper emollient cream, or it’s not actively repairing your acid mantle) then all the moisturising in the world isn’t going to fix it.
Absolutely. We’re talking about things like Vitamin A, C, D, B and zinc here. Get a blood test, and it might just reveal the culprit.
Oh, you bet they can. Atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and athlete’s foot are all good examples of things that can mess with your barrier and leave you with chronic dry skin.
Most of the time, you can see some improvements within 2-4 weeks with the right treatment, but if your barrier is in pretty bad shape, it can sometimes take 6-8 weeks or even longer to get it sorted out, depending on your individual circumstances.
