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I’m not here to remind you of how vital water is to the functioning of every single cell and organ in your body–up to 60 percent of your body is made up of water and life, as we know it, would cease to exist without it. Instead, I want to focus instead on the fun stuff, namely the numerous beauty benefits of drinking water.
Simply put, water can make you more beautiful. You can slather your skin with every expensive luxury cream and serum on the market, but if you’re neglecting one simple but crucial health and beauty necessity–drinking enough water each and every day–you might as well kiss any chance of having flawless skin, hair and nails good-bye. Water can help you achieve the complexion of your dreams, keep your hair glossy and shiny, and promote strong nails. But just what are these brilliant beauty benefits we often hear are associated with water? Let’s get to the bottom of this once and for all.
Water And Your Skin
“One of the best–and easiest!–ways to keep your skin healthy is by drinking water,” says Dr. Jill Waibel, owner of Miami Dermatology & Laser Institute. “When your skin is dry and dehydrated, it can look dull and defeated and water has the super power to bring it back to life. Dehydration can cause wrinkles and pores to be more prominent and visible, but with adequate water intake, your skin will look more hydrated, plump and healthy.”
Waibel recommends drinking the recommended eight to 10 ounces of water throughout the day. “Drinking sufficient amounts of water can give your skin a strong healthy glow even when you’re suffering from lack of sleep or when the dry weather is wicking moisture from your skin,” she explains. “Drinking water is the best way to keep your skin looking refreshed and rejuvenated and replenish your body from the inside out.”
In addition to giving you more radiant skin, New York City Celebrity Facialist Ildi Pekar lists the following beauty benefits:
– It’s great for elastin production, which makes your skin less prone to wrinkles
– It reduces acne/hormonal/stress breakouts by stimulating our digestive systems
– Water can help aid with weight loss and help control cravings from dangerous foods that are not nutritional
– Water helps you detox and eliminates toxins from your body
– It creates a natural flow of energy within your body for better movement with muscles and joints.
A simple way to enhance the beauty benefits of a glass of water? Add a squeeze of lemon, says Raw Food Chef, Nutritionist, and Healthy Living Expert Sophie Jaffe. “Lemons are high in antioxidants, which combat those pesky free radicals that weaken our collagen and further age our skin. The fruit also contains vitamin C, which aids in collagen synthesis.”
Water And Your Hair
If your hair never seems to grow past your shoulders, the reason might have more to do with your water intake than you think. Dehydration affects every part of your body–including hair growth. Without adequate amounts of H2O, the cells responsible for hair health and growth can’t reproduce and properly do their jobs, which could mean you wind up suffering from dry, brittle hair that grows at a slower rate.
As with your skin, adding lemon to your water can also help improve the condition of your hair. “Squeezing in lemon juice to your water will also amp up its beauty-boosting benefits,” said Jaffe, who also mentioned water can keep your hair soft and strengthen tresses.
Water And Your Nails
Ever notice your nails seems to grow more during the warmer months? It isn’t just your imagination–it has a lot to do with water! Experts say the Vitamin D in sunshine contributes to nail growth–but so does the extra water we tend to drink during the summer, when we’re hot and more thirsty. Drinking water also helps hydrate your cuticles and nails, making them stronger and less likely to break and tear.
Is There A Such Thing As Drinking Too Much Water?
Yes, so stop doing it now!
“It’s a myth that you should drink water until you can’t hold it anymore. That is not doing your body any good,” says Dr. David Bank at The Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery. “If you are, just follow this rule of thumb: If you are making more than one trip to the bathroom an hour, you’re probably drinking too much for your body to handle, or for it to do your skin any good. Once your body is hydrated, no more moisture can get into your skin internally. When the body has become saturated, the kidneys, which are the prime filters of the blood and the ‘balancers’ of the body’s water lever, will excrete any additional fluids that enter the body.”
“If you feel you are NOT drinking enough water, check your urine,” advises Dr. Bank. “If it’s dark yellow, this may be an indication that your body doesn’t have enough water and is conserving it. If you are drinking enough water and eating enough fruits and veggies (which are 75% water), your urine will be clear and plentiful. Also, if you don’t drink enough water, your skin won’t be supple or elastic as it can be and everything you eat is digested less efficiently. ”
For more beauty tips, check out the 7 Instagram accounts every beauty lover should follow and the best way to remove bikini line hair.
