Experts in dermatology have been able to observe what nutritionists have known for a long time: that our diet has a profound effect on our skin’s texture and appearance. Significant factors in healthy looking skin not only depend on the cosmetics that we apply on the outside, but also largely on our diet, which affects our skin from the inside.
As the New Year begins, many of us will be searching for a new diet routine, but is there anything in our diet which we should implement to help our skin look great? Yes there is, and it’s water.
Our bodies are 70 percent water; therefore, it’s logical that lack of sufficient water intake will affect our appearance. Drinking water is one of the easiest and most efficient ways of preventing the signs of aging, maintaining smooth skin and keeping the body healthy.
HOW DOES WATER AFFECT THE SKIN?
The solution to pollution is dilution! Our skin is an organ of excretion. Water helps to eliminate toxins that can be stored in our body from contact with pollutants, tobacco smoke, stress and other sources of free radical formation and damage. Free radicals are the principal cause of skin diseases and premature aging.
Water not only gives skin a more youthful appearance but also helps to eliminate the elements which cause the appearance of acne. Acne is formed by the accumulation of bacteria, oil, dead skin and dirt on the skin. Even for those with oily skin and problems with acne, water is needed to dilute and wash away both internal and external impurities.
Additionally, water helps vitamins and nutrients to more easily flow throughout the body. In particular, it collaborates with all of the body’s organs to distribute vitamins E, C and B12, which help maintain smooth and younger looking skin.
HOW MUCH WATER DO I NEED TO DRINK DAILY?
Many experts recommend an intake of half of your body weight, but in ounces. For example if you weigh 160 lbs, half would be 80. 80 ounces of water is 10 one cup measurements per day.
Remember that it is important to drink and replenish lost fluid after exercising or sunbathing.
BEAUTY INSIDE AND OUT
When cleansing the face or body, it’s best that the water be lukewarm. Very hot water can dry out the skin, but at an adequate temperature, its cleansing power is enormous. Don’t overdo it either. Cleansing too often in one day will strip your skin of natural oils, which you need to form a protective barrier against bacteria, and environmental concerns to the skin.
Drinking water first thing in the morning may help reduce a puffy or swollen face. Warm lemon water in the morning can help to cleanse your digestive system, and wake it up, which may help you process foods more efficiently during the day.
Water is one of the most important elements in a skin care routine. Don’t leave home without it! Having a travel bottle filled with water with you at all times will make it easier for you to naturally add more water into your daily routine. Not a fan of drinking plain water? Jazz it up with lemon slices, a few blue berries, or cucumber with mint. Like any new habit, it may take a bit of time to get used to drinking more water. The rewards are completely worth it, and before you know it, you won’t be interested in less healthy alternatives.
