When it comes to skin care tips, we pride ourselves in not dishing out the same old tired advice everyone else does. You know what we’re talking about – the whole “clean your skin,” “don’t touch your face,” “drink more water” – or what we like to call Duh.
But recently, we came across something that got our panties in such a bunch that we’ve decided to make an exception, just this once, to scream: If you want perfect skin, you really do need to drink water.
As it stands right now, an estimated 43% of American adults drink less than four cups of water every day. And 7% of adults drink…no water at all.
That adds up to roughly half the American population not doing one of the easiest things you can do to get perfect skin. And that makes us cry.
But crying never solved anything. So here we are, doing what we swore we’d never do, just to get you to drink more water.
Here why clear skin starts from within – and water is a crucial part of that deal…
Water Makes Your Skin Glow
Okay. This is one of the most popular claims people use to get other people to drink more water.
But is it true?
Honestly, we’d love to say that it is. That chugging down a few cups of water will instantly reveal massive skin glow. But water doesn’t really do that. In fact, nothing does that.
The things that most benefit your skin work best when consistently applied. It’s like sleeping. You can’t slumber for 16 hours straight and then hope that will give you all the sleep benefits you need for the rest of the week. Consistency is a requirement.
Water is the same. There’s no magic, no instant glow. Instead, water helps you digest things. It helps your circulation. It even helps you *ahem* stay regular. And all the regular, perfect workings of those internal processes – digestion, circulation, and excretion – that helps your skin glow.
Why Drinking Water is Essential for Your Skin
Your skin is your biggest organ and just like any other part of your body, your skin is made up of cells. And skin cells, like all other cells, are mostly made up of water.
“Skin cells require water to function properly. Dehydration causes damage, accelerated aging, and inability to heal properly,” says Dr. M. Christina Lee, a dermatologist from Walnut Creek, CA. “All skin conditions and diseases would become worse in a body not receiving proper nutrition or adequate hydration.”
And that ‘adequate hydration’ part is crucial for your skin. Water comprises approximately 70% of your body so it is not an overstatement to say that it plays a hugely important role in maintaining your bodily functions.
It aids digestion and excretion, both of which have a tremendous impact on the quality of your skin.
It improves circulation and blood flow, both factors that greatly influence the appearance, tone, and quality of your skin.
And water has the all-important dual purpose of both carry nutrients and vitamins to all your cells (crucial for skin health) as well as flushing out toxins and waste products (significant in clearing up your skin). Without sufficient water, those toxins accumulate in your body and become trapped under your skin, leading to unwanted nasties like blackheads. And nobody wants that.
How to Get Perfect Skin with a Water Habit
Like so many things in life (aka learning to ride a bike), developing the habit of drinking water is only difficult in the beginning. Once you get over that hump, water will feel like the most natural thing in the world (which, it kind of is) to drink.
Eventually, you’ll even prefer water to drinking anything else. It doesn’t happen quickly but one day, you’ll be sitting at a restaurant, sipping on some water when a waiter comes by to ask you if he could get you something to drink. You’ll glance at the drink menu, at the list of various sodas and a few sugary fruit juices and find yourself saying, “No, thanks – I’m fine with water.”
And that’s when it’ll hit you that you have officially become a habitual water drinker.
But to get to that point, it takes a little easing. Here are some of our tips to help you get over that initial hump as quickly and painlessly as possible…
Tip #1. When you exercise, bring nothing but water. If you go to the gym, make sure you lock your wallet and all money in the lockers and take water as your only option of hydration. You won’t want to head back to your locker to get money for a Gatorade when you get thirsty and in time, your body will start to crave water as the best thirst quencher there is.
Tip #2. Make drinking water a pleasurable activity. Water can seem a tad boring at first, but it doesn’t have to be.
Brightening up your water with delectable fruits and herbs is an awesome way to tempt yourself to drink more water.
Even better – get yourself a stylish BPA-free water bottle to spruce up the water drinking experience.
Tip #3. Trade soda for a healthier substitute. We don’t really believe in going cold turkey. Mainly ’cause the pain factor is quite high and we like to avoid pain. What we do believe in is substitution.
If soda is your choice of poison (and it actually is poison), you can ease yourself off it with the help of the absolutely brilliant SodaStream. This little contraption needs no electricity and no batteries to transform plain old tap water into fresh, sparkling soda water in less than 30 seconds.
- This kit includes: (1) Jet Sparkling Water Maker, (1) Mini CO2 Carbonator (makes up...
- Light weight sleek design with Twist-lock technology and doesn't require electricity...
- CO2 Carbonator Compatibility: 60L, which can be exchanged at several of your favorite...
It comes with over 60 all-natural soda mix varieties that taste yummy and contain none of the high-fructose corn syrup or aspartame that sodas do.
Seriously, if you’re a die-hard soda drinker and you know you need a change – SodaStream is it. Get it on Amazon. It’ll be the best thing you do to overcome a soda addiction.
So now you know that water is an integral part of getting perfect skin…what are you waiting for?
Oh, and on a random, yet slightly related note – did you know mid-day fatigue is most often due to simple dehydration? Just something to chew on.
