From Ann Donnarumma, Founder of Founder's Formula
One of the most common questions I get asked is some version of "why does my skin feel so tight and papery, even though I moisturise every single day?" It's a fair question, and it usually comes from someone who has already tried adding richer creams and more products, only to find the tightness and dullness keep coming back. In almost every case, the answer isn't that they need more product. It's that they're treating the wrong problem.
Dry skin and dehydrated skin get used all the time interchangeably, but they aren't the same thing, and understanding the difference changes everything about how you care for your skin. I want to walk you through both properly, what causes each one, what makes them worse without you realising it, and how I'd build a routine to genuinely fix it rather than just cover it up for a few hours.
What's actually going on
Dry skin is a skin type. It's something you were largely born with, caused by your skin producing less natural oil (sebum) than other skin types. Because that oil is part of what keeps moisture locked in and the surface soft, dry skin tends to feel tight, look a little dull, and can flake or feel rough, particularly around the cheeks and jawline. It's a fairly constant state that doesn't change much day to day, and it tends to become more pronounced as we age, since oil production naturally slows with time.
Dehydrated skin is a condition, not a type, and this is the part most people miss. It means your skin is lacking water, not oil, and it can happen to absolutely any skin type, including oily and combination skin. Dehydration tends to show up as a feeling of tightness that comes and goes, fine lines that look more pronounced than usual, a dull or tired complexion, and sometimes an odd combination of shine in some areas with tightness in others. Unlike dry skin, dehydration can be caused by something as simple as a big night out, a long flight, or a few too many strong coffees, and it can be turned around relatively quickly once you address the cause.
You can have both at once. In fact, a lot of the women I speak with have naturally dry skin that has also become dehydrated, which is exactly why layering on more rich cream alone doesn't solve the problem. You need water back in the skin, not just oil on top of it.
Why it happens
Genuine dryness usually comes down to genetics, hormonal changes such as perimenopause and menopause, certain skin conditions like eczema, and simply getting older, as the skin's natural oil and lipid production declines over time. Climate plays a role too. Cold, dry air and low humidity both pull moisture from the skin's surface.
Dehydration has a longer list of causes, and most of them are things we do without thinking twice. Not drinking enough water is the obvious one, but skin dehydration is rarely that simple on its own. Alcohol and excess caffeine are diuretics, meaning they encourage your body to lose water, including from the skin. Long stints in air conditioning or heating quietly draw moisture from the air and, in turn, from your skin.
Hot showers and baths strip the skin's surface lipids, which lets water escape more easily afterwards. Sun exposure and wind both increase what's called transepidermal water loss, essentially water evaporating out through a compromised barrier. Certain medications, including some blood pressure treatments and antihistamines, can also contribute.
What makes it worse
This is where I see people accidentally undo their own good intentions. Over-exfoliating strips away the outer layer that's meant to hold moisture in, so skin that already feels dehydrated becomes more so. Skipping moisturiser because skin feels oily on the surface is a common mistake, since oily and dehydrated can absolutely exist together, and skin that isn't getting enough water often overcompensates by producing more oil. Harsh, foaming cleansers and alcohol based toners strip the skin's natural lipid barrier, which then allows water to evaporate more freely. Long hot showers feel wonderful but do real damage to the surface barrier over time. And using products with fragrance or strong actives when your barrier is already compromised tends to add irritation on top of dehydration rather than solving it.
How I'd approach fixing it
The first step is genuinely simple: drink enough water throughout the day, and don't rely on that alone to fix your skin, because topical hydration matters just as much as what you drink. Beyond that, the goal is twofold. You want to draw water into the skin using humectant ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, and then seal that water in with the right balance of oils and emollients so it doesn't simply evaporate again. Skipping the sealing step is one of the most common reasons hydrating serums seem to stop working after an hour or two.
Swap hot showers for warm ones where you can, and try to keep them shorter. Choose a cleanser that cleans without stripping, avoid over-exfoliating (once or twice a week is usually enough for most skin, sometimes less), and apply your moisturiser while your skin is still slightly damp, since this helps trap extra water at the surface. If you're in an air-conditioned office or a heated home for long stretches, a hydrating mist or a facial oil kept at your desk can make a genuine difference by midafternoon.
The routine I'd build for dry or dehydrated skin
Hydration is something we think about in almost everything we formulate, largely because the Australian climate makes it such a constant challenge. Here's the routine I'd put together.
- Cleanse with our Macadamia Omega-7 Cleansing Oil. It dissolves makeup and impurities thoroughly without stripping the skin of its own oils, which matters enormously when the goal is to hold onto moisture rather than lose it during cleansing.
- Exfoliate gently, once or twice a week, with our Wild Pandanus Exfoliating Enzyme Cleansing Grains. Clearing away dead surface cells allows serums and moisturisers to actually absorb rather than sit on top of built-up debris, but this step should never be rushed or overdone.
- Treat with our Wild Harvested Kakadu Plum Vitamin C Serum, applied morning and night, to help defend the skin against the free radical damage that accelerates moisture loss and dullness, while supporting collagen at the same time.
- Moisturise with our Wild Rosella Hydrating Moisturiser, which delivers long-lasting hydration and helps the skin hold onto that moisture rather than losing it again within the hour.
- Seal it all in, particularly if your skin is on the drier side or you're heading into winter, with a few drops of our Australian Botanicals Nourishing Facial Oil pressed over the top. This locks the hydration underneath in place and stops it evaporating throughout the day.
If you want to build on this further, our Purslane and Commelina Gentle Balancing Toner works beautifully as a hydrating mist you can reapply over makeup any time your skin starts to feel tight, and it's a small habit that makes a noticeably bigger difference than people expect.
A gentle final word
Give any new routine a few weeks before judging it. Skin that has been dehydrated for a while doesn't bounce back overnight, but it does bounce back, and the change is genuinely visible once the barrier has had time to recover. Be patient with your skin, keep the routine consistent, and remember that more product isn't always the answer. Sometimes it's simply the right product, used the right way.
With warmth, Ann
This article is general skincare information and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. If dryness or flaking is severe, persistent, or accompanied by pain or a rash, please see a doctor or dermatologist.