Number one on our list of good foods for your skin is water. Ok, not technically a food for skin care, I know. But for argument’s sake, assume that I mean consumable foods and liquids when I use the word “food.” Water’s benefits for healthy skin simply can’t be overstated. While there are foods that will specialize in promoting different health benefits for your skin, think of water as the A-bomb of skin care. Everything in your body requires it to function efficiently. Your cells (including your skin cells) thrive when ample water is present in the body. They literally starve in its absence.
Drinking too little water will lead to dehydration and that will become very evident in your skin. As your body suffers from inadequate water, your skin loses elasticity, becomes dry, flakey and splotchy. And no shortcuts here, folks. When we say water, we mean pure water, not soda or beer. And here’s a surprise, I’m not recommending bottled water either unless it is mineral water. Those minerals found in your clean and perfectly drinkable tap-water are actually good for you and your skin. Excessive filtration or distillation strips water of those minerals.
While your particular hydration needs will vary based on climate, activity levels and your body’s own specific requirements, a good safe amount to consume for normal activity is roughly 8 glasses a day. Yes, if you haven’t been good about your water consumption, you’ll find yourself making frequent trips to the bathroom until your body adjusts, but this isn’t just about vanity, folks. Looking good is just the bonus you get for actually being healthier. So go grab a glass of water and then continue reading. We’ll wait…, back? Ok, read on.
Now, why is water so good for you? If you haven’t kept up on your science, liquid water is the one requirement for life scientists can absolutely agree on. In fact, your body consists of about 65% water. When something is that fundamental to your make up, it doesn’t take a huge intellectual leap to conclude that the lack of that substance can be detrimental to you in many ways. At the extreme end of the spectrum, there’s death. The average survival rate for somebody deprived completely of water in any form is 3-4 days. That amount can be extended by a day or two or diminished by a day or two based on activity level and climate but, deprive yourself completely of water and the absolute best case scenario will have you dead inside of a week.
Less dramatic than death but very relevant here are the results of too little water. Many of us are slowly starving our bodies of this vital fluid on a daily basis. The results can be as mild as increased appetite (pay attention, gang, that means that too little water can leave you eating too much food which leads, of course, to weight gain). Dehydration is often misinterpreted as hunger. Want an easy way to shave off a few pounds? Make sure you drink your 8 glasses of water every day to suppress your appetite.
Other symptoms of mild dehydration include headaches, irritability and other nuisance symptoms. But the most relevant for our purposes is that prolonged dehydration will show in your skin. Let me elaborate a bit on that to explain what I mean by prolonged dehydration. I’m not talking about the failure to consume any liquid at all, but the long-term results of drinking too little water every day or substituting too many diuretics (coffee, tea, soda) in place of plain water. Over the course of months and years, chronic dehydraters (I made that word up) will see all kinds of undesirable results in their skin.
Even if you aren’t ready to jump on the virtues of water wagon yet, here’s something you should consider… those expensive skin care products you’re buying, useless. Useless, that is, if you aren’t adequately hydrating by consuming water. What good is locking in moisture if you don’t have enough in you to begin with? Most skin care products that promise healthy, glowing skin cannot come through on those promises if you are inadequately hydrated.
Finally, if you wake up with bags or dark circles under your eyes, you may be dehydrated. Both are symptoms of inadequate hydration (though poor sleep and illness can also cause this symptom). But, if you are otherwise healthy and rested yet still waking up to puffy raccoon eyes, it’s time to hit the bottle (the water bottle) and make a positive change in both your looks and your health.
The next time you’re out shopping for skin care products or if you buy skin care products online, take a minute to carefully read the product descriptions. You’ll notice they often state “for healthier looking skin.” There’s the difference between most skin care products and legitimate nutrition and hydration. Products give you healthier LOOKING skin while nutrition and water give you healthy skin, plain and simple.
We’ll leave it at that for now but the message here is pretty straight forward. Given the choice between healthy looking skin and actual healthy skin, the choice should be simple. And it’s just water, my friends; inexpensive, abundant, healthy water. It is the best anti aging skin care… no, the best overall skin care product you can buy affordably and use regularly. Drink a little today and, in time, you’ll be rewarded with healthier skin than even the most impressive organic skin care products could ever promise you.
Update: our next post on foods that are good for your skin is up. We’ll be introducing you to the benefits of delicious fruits and berries.