It's time to debunk the myths about drinking water
Why drinking water has not given you perfect skin
Drinking water and minding the business that pays you is a lifestyle, hun. This is what all the Instagram hotties with perfect lighting and tiny pores say. On Instagram, every girl who has at least 10K+ followers touts water as her skincare secret. Never mind that they FaceTune and edit their pictures to perfection. Or if water were all you needed for clear skin then, most of us would glow considering our bodies are over 70% water. In case you needed a reminder - Instagram is not a real place. If you spend a lot of time taking advice from people on there, you may or may not end up disappointed af. But that is a topic for another day.
To be clear, water hydrates. That means, when we drink more water, our skin is more hydrated. If you have dry skin, this is excellent news! As for everyone else, you may be wondering now what? Well, we are willing to bet that “drink more water” is one of your New Year’s resolutions. If it is, keep reading as we unpack a few facts and myths about drinking water for skincare.
4 benefits that drinking water lends to your skin
1. Drinking enough water will improve your skin’s tone
Is there a magical skincare ingredient in water that helps to do this? No. Uneven skin tone occurs for many reasons, and dehydrated, dry skin is one of them. Since water hydrates, regular consumption should improve your skin tone over time.
2. It improves the elasticity of your skin
As we age, it is natural for the body to lose elastin and collagen. These are two proteins that are present in your body’s connective tissues. Elastin helps your skin to regain its shape after stretching or contracting. What happens when your skin loses elasticity? Your skin starts to show signs of aging that include fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. Drinking water keeps your skin hydrated and increases its elasticity. While you cannot stop aging altogether, you can delay the process by drinking water.
3. Helps to prevent acne
This is a bit controversial because many people with acne-prone skin drink water! If you are one of those people, we understand. In a previous post, we touched on the different skin types and which is more acne-prone.
If you guessed that oily skin is more acne-prone, you guessed right! Oily skin is the result of the overproduction of oil by your sebaceous (oil) glands. If you do not have a strict skincare regimen, you risk acne outbreaks. Drinking more water will not stop acne - again, this is a skin disease for which there is no cure. However, it will balance out the oil and water levels in your skin.
4. It flushes out toxins
To build on the last benefit, let’s talk about free radicals and other toxins that are harmful to your skin. When you drink the right amount of water, you help your body to get rid of them! Rather than pushing through your skin, you tend to pee them out. By the way, did we mention that drinking more water keeps you in the bathroom?! Anyway, a toxin-free body is healthy and radiant. That means glowing skin!
Once again, drinking water does not solve your skin’s issues. It is not the Holy Grail of skincare. Retinol, peptides, niacinamide, and other potent skincare ingredients are. Anyway, now you need to know how much water you should drink daily, right? Contrary to popular belief, not everyone needs a gallon of water a day. Depending on your age, height, and weight, too much water may lead to water intoxication.
As expected, men should drink more water than women every day. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends the following:
- Men: 15.5 cups of water or 3.7 liters per day
- Women: 11.5 cups of water or 2.7 liters per day
In other words, men are the ones who need a gallon of water per day. Women can subside off about 70% of that. If you are more active, you should drink more water per day regardless of your gender. Drinking more water than you need will only increase your trips to the bathroom. If that is something you do not mind, then go for a gallon of water or more. People who spend a lot of time in the sun also need to drink a lot of water.
So there you have it. Drinking water is an essential part of your health. It has many benefits for your skincare routine, and anything that improves your skin is worth it! In the meantime, try to develop a consistent and strict skincare routine unique to your skin’s needs. Until next time…