MYTH or FACT? Is drinking water good for your skin?

There's no doubt - there are many benefits to drinking water. You are continually losing water and it needs to be replenished. According to Kaiser Permanente nephrologist Steven Guest, MD: "Fluid losses occur continuously, from skin evaporation, breathing, urine, and stool, and these losses must be replaced daily for good health," he says.

Drinking water can help your metabolism, stave off effects of dehydration like headaches and low energy, fuel your muscles and more. But can it really help keep your skin hydrated?

That is the big question. We hear it all the time - drinking water keeps your skin looking hydrated and younger. Celebrities swear by it, beauty editors write about it, friends recommend it.  But does it really work? Well, the jury is actually out on that one. According to the Mayo Clinic:

"If the outermost layer of the epidermis doesn't contain enough water, skin will lose elasticity and feel rough. Despite this connection, however, there's a lack of research showing that drinking extra water has any impact on skin hydration or appearance."

Katie Rodan, coauthor of Write Your Skin a Prescription for Change, says in an article from Real Simple magazine: “humans aren’t like plants. Our skin doesn’t perk up when we consume water." She goes on to say that when water is ingested, "it doesn’t go straight to the skin. It goes through the intestines, gets absorbed into your bloodstream, and is filtered by kidneys. Then it hydrates cells.” So basically, by the time it reaches skin cells, it's not contributing much.

In the end, there just isn't enough proof out there that indicates that drinking water results in a clear positive benefit on skin. That said, there are so many other great reasons to keep your body hydrated, so certainly keep at it. Staying hydrated is pretty simple - according to the Mayo Clinic, "Generally, if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and your urine is colorless or light yellow your fluid intake is probably adequate. The 8 glasses a day is not really a "one size fits all" recommendation. And it doesn't have to be water - lowfat milk, seltzer, and other naturally low-calorie beverages are good choices. Even coffee and tea (and, gasp, wine or beer) can contribute a bit as well - just in moderation.

So how should you keep your skin hydrated? And how do you know if it's dry skin or dehydrated skin? Read Is My Skin Dry or Dehydrated for an explanation of the difference between the two, and discover simple ways to keep your skin looking its best by keeping it deeply hydrated. 

Oh - and if you do find that your skin looks better if you drink more water, then by all means keep it up! Just know that science hasn't quite proven that there is a cause and effect connection.