Everyone knows that staying hydrated is extremely important to maintaining bodily functions and for overall health. Here’s how your skin benefits from drinking water.
Your Skin Benefits from Drinking Water
There’s only few scientific or clinical studies on how water consumption specifically affects the health of the skin.
Of the few studies that were done, most were inconclusive how water affects skin health. However, one must only look to the overwhelming health benefits that hydration provides to every other organ and cell in the body and know that the alternative to hydration is not good for your skin.
Just because there’s few studies on the effects of hydration levels on skin health, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have an effect.
Many celebrities and beauty enthusiasts claim that the secret behind their glowing skin is due to remaining fully hydrated. Indeed, many skin specialists and doctors agree that without adequate water intake, wrinkles appear more pronounced as the skin is not as plump and elastic as it is when someone is fully hydrated. Under a microscope researchers have found that the wrinkles still exist, but hydrated skin minimizes the appearance of age.
Your skin is an organ that provides many vital roles. It’s one of the largest organs of the body in weight and is made up of 64% water. Your skin has three layers, the outer most layer is the epidermis and the inner layer is the dermis. Beneath that second layer is the fatty layer called the hypo-dermis.
Your skin has three main functions, protection against infections of viruses and micro-organisms, regulation of body temperature and fluid balance, and sensation though a network of nerve cells. Your skin also synthesizes vitamin D from Sun exposure and stores it.
What is the Role of Water in the Body?
The main role of water is to transport essential nutrients, minerals, vitamins, glucose and keytones to all the cells in the body and to transport the wastes that your cells produce and reject and toxins that make it into the body. Water is absolutely essential in helping your body to eliminate them.
Water makes up 70% to 75% of your total body weight. In addition to being a carrier, water is vital for every metabolic function in your body, such as metabolizing fats, digestion and elimination, lubrication, enzymatic and chemical reactions. Water moves hormones, antibodies and oxygen throughout the lymphatic system and through the bloodstream.
Where is Most of the Water in the Body Located?
Two-thirds of the water is found inside the trillions of cells in your body, including your skin. One-third makes up our blood and is found in the spaces between the cells. Your cells must continuously be replenished with new clean water to live.
The condition of being dehydrated will not only cause problems with the elimination of wastes through your digestive and urinary tracks, but will also disrupt your bodies cooling mechanism of sweating though your skin.
If you don’t replenish this water loss, your body will have a difficult time continuing all the vital functions it performs.
Collagen Needs Plenty of Water to Maintain Skin, Nails and Hair
Collagen, the main structural protein found in skin and other connective tissues, requires water to work effectively. Hydrolyzed collagen powder is fairly inexpensive and can be supplemented in warm drinks and soups to add lost collagen through aging.
When the skin is hydrated, it’s much less likely to crack or blemish and is quicker to heal. Additionally, dehydration may trigger oil glands in the skin that lead to acne legions, while proper hydration may help to dilute skin oil concentrations and fend off acne.
The lack of hydration will cause your skin to become dry and tight, lose elasticity and cause surface skin cells to become flaky and feel rough. You would then need to exfoliate (clean) the dead skin cells away to expose the soft, live ones underneath, giving a nicer, healthier appearance. Dry skin is less resilient and is more prone to wrinkling. Perhaps dehydration leads to premature aging of the skin.
Make sure that your drinking water is free from toxins and other contaminants. See my recommendations for Residential Reverse Osmosis Systems.
How Much Water Should you Drink a Day for Glowing Skin?
At the very minimum, it’s been recommended that women drink about 1-3/4 quarts of water, and just over 2 quarts for adult men per day. Drink more if you’re doing heavy work, working out, the climate is hot, or you’re just feeling thirsty. This should be spread out throughout the day as your body can only absorb a limited amount of liquid at a time.
The water you consume makes its way through your intestines, through circulatory systems and to the cells that make up your body and skin. Eventually it makes it to your kidneys and bladder, carrying extra sodium, urea and other toxins with it.
Is Drinking a lot of Water Good for Your Kidneys?
Research has proven that remaining fully hydrated helps your body and kidneys eliminate harmful wastes, but the kidneys can only eliminate about 5-1/2 to 7-1/2 gallons (20-28 liters) per day. You should avoid drinking more than 3/4 to 1 quart (0.8 – 1.0 liter) per hour.
Drinking more than the recommended minimum will help your body to eliminate wastes and toxins, helping to improve your skins complexion, and maintain your healthy appearance. Just don’t drink too much that you overtax your kidneys.
What Is Water Intoxication?
Drinking lots of water increases the amount of water in your blood, but drinking too much can make you water intoxicated by causing a disruption in brain function.
Excess water will dilute essential electrolytes in your blood, such as calcium, potassium and especially needed sodium. When sodium levels fall too low, it’s called hyponatremia. This condition is dangerous because it can cause fluid shifts into the cells, causing them to swell. In brain cells, this is potentially life threatening.
An example volume of water required to cause water intoxication is about 2 gallons (7.6 l), in just 3 hours.
Maintain the Hydration of Your Skin Topically
- Avoid prolonged contact with hot or chlorinated water.
- Use a gentle exfoliating cleanser instead of soap.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to dry air and cover exposed skin.
- Use a humidifier indoors in the winter.
Apply moisturizing cream right after a shower or bath. - Avoid using skin care products that contain alcohol.
Sources:
How Drinking More Spring or Filtered Water Can Improve Every Facet of Your Health – https://www.mercola.com/article/water.htm
Can You Drink Too Much Water? – https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/water-intoxication#
Mayo Clinic – Does drinking water cause hydrated skin?