Our Guide to Understanding The Difference & Giving Your Skin What It Needs. When it comes to skin health, most of us have a pretty good idea of what healthy skin feels like. It’s soft, supple, smooth to the touch, and naturally a little bit glowing. However, when you start to notice that your skin is lacking in these qualities, your first thought may be that your skin is dry, or dehydrated, or possibly both. What most people don’t understand, however, is the difference between the two.