Do you suffer from dry, dehydrated skin?
If you’re drinking less than 2 litres of water a day then chances are you’re under-hydrating and your skin and cells will pay the price.
How much water do you drink in a day? Not tea, coffee, juice or other fluids, just pure, natural water?
Some side-effects of inadequate water intake are
- dull and dry, dehydrated skin
- lack of energy
- inability to concentrate
- headaches
- constipation
We’ve all heard the “drink a minimum of eight glasses of water per day” health advice, but few of us realise that not drinking sufficient water has a direct negative impact on the appearance of our skin. Dehydrated skin appears less plump and lacks elasticity, resulting in more fine lines and wrinkles.
Did you know that by the time you feel thirsty your body is already experiencing dehydration?
Water makes up two-thirds of the human body and 85% of the brain. Because of this, adequate hydration is essential for all our organs to operate efficiently, including, of course, the skin.
The Importance of Hydration for Your Skin
As mentioned in our previous blog Why Use Natural Skin Care, the skin is the largest organ in our bodies and is extremely important when it comes to detoxification processes.
Skin that is adequately hydrated will appear plump and maintain flexibility. One University of Missouri – Columbia Study showed that adequate hydration immediately increases blood flow to the skin.
Keeping your skin properly hydrated can help:
- Reduce signs of ageing – Keeping your body well hydrated can help maintain your skin’s elasticity and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
- Improve the overall appearance of your skin – Lack of hydration can make your skin appear dull, tight and dry. When skin is hydrated, plump, and elastic, it’s less likely to crack and let in external particles that can cause irritations and blemishes.
- Help combat acne and breakouts – Adequate hydration helps decrease the concentration of oil by balancing the water to oil ratio on the surface of the skin and combating the build-up of dead skin cells.
- Help with detoxification processes – Drinking water helps the body to detoxify. It flushes toxins through the skin via perspiration, as well as using the liver, kidneys, lymphatic system and digestive system.
Stay Motivated!
If you’re not in the habit of drinking much water each day, it can seem like an insurmountable challenge.
Keep motivated by breaking it down into manageable portions – Drink one 250ml glass of water each hour, for instance, instead of trying to drink a litre at a time.
One of the complaints I hear most frequently is that water tastes “boring”, which makes it so much more challenging to drink it. Solve this problem by spicing up your water – add slices of lemon or wedges of other fruit, sprigs of mint or rosemary, etc.
If possible, invest in a good quality water filter so you know you’re drinking decent quality water, and it will taste better too!
Invest in a decent glass water bottle so you stay away from plastic! Plastic can leach chemicals into your water, not to mention the negative impact on the environment, so it’s best avoided wherever possible.
These are just a few reasons why you should add “drink more water” to your daily skin care regime. One study in The International Journal of Cosmetic Science states that “…drinking more than two litres of water per day can have a significant impact on skin physiology”.
Remember to space your intake out throughout the day, as your body can only absorb so much water in an hour, and any excess will be excreted.
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