Does Drinking Water Benefit Skin? Real Effects
When it comes to skincare tips, one tip that seems to be at the top of everyone’s list is to drink enough water. Supposedly, drinking water for your skin can help clear acne and even help dry skin - however, while staying hydrated is important for your entire body, it’s important to know what the limits are if you’re thinking of drinking water for healthy skin.
While drinking water is important for staying healthy and well, you might be surprised what it actually does for your skin. Read on to find out how drinking water for skin makes a difference.
The Benefits of Drinking Water for Skin (Supposedly)
There are two main concerns that people suggest drinking more water for: skin dryness/dehydration and breakouts. Here’s your guide on whether or not drinking water for your skin will help you get naturally clear skin and if it will rehydrate dry-feeling skin!
Elemis Rehydrating Ginseng TonerCan Drinking More Water Help Dry Skin?
Of all the benefits of drinking water for skin, this is actually the most counter-intuitive one. If your skin feels dry, we don’t blame you for your instinct to drink water for dry skin. After all, dry and dehydrated skin can make you feel like a dried-out sponge - and the obvious solution is to drink more water, right? However, there’s one important question that actually needs to be answered here: does drinking water help dry skin?
The truth is, no. Skin dryness and skin dehydration are issues related to the outer layers of the skin, where the water we consume in our bodies actually has a really hard time getting to. There’s no scientific evidence to suggest that if you drink water for dry skin, that this actually has an impact on how the surface of our skin feels and looks.
Minenssey Dynamic Hydrating Facial EssenceWhat Can I Do Instead of Drink Water for Dry Skin?
If your skin feels like it needs a cool drink of water, you’re better off using hydrating skincare ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol. These humectants attract water to themselves and increase your skin’s water content for skin that no longer feels tight and dry!
Layering water-based skin care products work well to boost hydration, too; consider adding an essence and a face mist to your skincare routine. Our best tip for using a face mist for dry or dehydrated skin is to spritz on your skin between skincare steps - this method instantly increases your skin’s hydration for a noticeable glow and bounce.
Dermalogica Our Hydration Heroes KitDoes Drinking Water Clear Skin?
According to research, there hasn’t been an established link between drinking more water and having clear skin. While drinking water is often listed as one of the natural clear skin remedies, there isn’t any proof that this works as a proven remedy for breakouts.
It’s thought that drinking more water improves hydration of the skin and helps it detoxify from breakout-causing molecules - however, there’s no scientific evidence to support this. Just like with drinking water to help with dry skin, your best bet is to use skincare that targets acne from the outside, rather than relying on drinking water to clear skin.
SK-II Facial Treatment Clear LotionWhat Can I Do Instead of Drinking Water for Clear Skin?
Drinking water for clear skin doesn’t work as well as using the right skincare products to help get rid of acne! One of the best ingredients to use is salicylic acid. This exfoliator helps to sweep away dead skin cells that clog pores and cause acne. It’s also ideal for reducing the appearance of pores thanks to its power to dissolve away sebum for clearer skin and smooth skin texture.
Is Drinking Water Good For Your Skin?
So, you might be left wondering if drinking water for healthy skin is worth it at all. Well, one important thing to not leave out is that drinking enough water is important for your entire body to function normally! Drinking enough water makes sure your body has enough water stores to just work as it should. While that doesn’t sound as cool as water being a cure-all for dry skin and breakouts, drinking enough water is important for your health.
Severe dehydration can impact the skin in one way - it reduces its elasticity and bounce. However, this happens only in cases of extreme dehydration where no liquids have been consumed for a long period of time - not something that you and I are likely to experience!
Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster
The bottom line is, the benefits of drinking water for skin are not as set in stone as most people think. Skin issues like dehydration, dryness and breakouts are best addressed by applying the right skincare ingredients to the skin, instead of increasing water intake. However, drinking water for healthy skin and body is important - so don’t put down the water bottle just yet!
Trying to create the best skincare routine for your skin type? Try our skin analysis!
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