Does Drinking Water Make Me Beautiful?
By Emily McCollin
If you have any health issues, someone will inevitably advise drinking water as a solution. And when it comes to skin problems, we’ve heard it a thousand times: drinking enough water is the solution for everything from acne to flakes. Surprisingly, while drinking water is important to overall health, the consumption of H2O is not the magic formula for all skin problems.
Don’t misunderstand - staying adequately hydrated is vital for all parts of the human body, including the epidermis. The skin hydrates by pulling from the little capillaries that run through skin, the largest organ of the body. If someone does not consume enough water to provide full body hydration, the skin will begin to dry (along with many other negative side effects!). So the question becomes: does drinking extra water provide any additional health or beauty benefits for the skin? The Mayo Clinic says there is nothing indicated in the research to back up this idea due to the way the body absorbs water.
Topical products are the best solution for effective skin hydration from tip to toe. As the winter months approach, using a high-quality moisturizer is your best bet for keeping your skin soft and smooth. Go one step further by using a gentle exfoliant at least once or twice weekly to slough off dead, impenetrable skin cells, thereby allowing your skin to completely absorb the moisturizing product. An extra gentle moisturizer on your face, and organic shea butter-based products on your body can help you stay flake and itch-free. During the dry months, it can even be helpful to substitute a concentrated hydration facial moisturizer for wrinkle and spot-reducing products often used during more humid months.
A moisturizing product for the face with a light SPF number is a good idea all year round. Even though people are less likely to seek out sun rays during cold winter months, they are still affected by UV rays absorbed just walking to the car, watching a child’s soccer game, or sitting outside for lunch. Sun-damaged skin looks like old skin, so SPF along with hydration is a must to keep skin at its best.
The moral of this story is drink water and use an excellent topical moisturizer. Reading the labels is important. The Mayo Clinic recommends avoiding products that “contain alcohol, fragrance, retinoids or alpha hydroxy acid,” as they are extra drying to the skin, even when found in lotions and face creams. Moisturize regularly and well, and your face and skin will glow year-round.
