Does Drinking Water Help Skin?
Drinking adequate water is essential for overall health including skin health, but drinking extra water beyond normal hydration has limited direct impact on skin appearance. Severe dehydration does affect skin, but most skin issues like acne, wrinkles, and dryness have other primary causes. Topical hydration often matters more than internal.
Key Takeaways
- Your skin, like all organs, needs adequate hydration to function properly.
- Some people may see mild improvements when going from chronically under-hydrated to properly hydrated.
- Caffeinated and alcoholic beverages can have dehydrating effects that may affect skin.
Explanation
Your skin, like all organs, needs adequate hydration to function properly. Severe dehydration can cause skin to lose elasticity and appear dull. However, once you are adequately hydrated, drinking more water does not continue to improve skin - the excess is simply excreted.
Skin dryness is primarily caused by external factors (weather, harsh products, low humidity) and is best addressed with topical moisturizers that trap water in the skin. Drinking water does not directly moisturize skin cells from the inside out.
Acne is caused by factors like hormones, bacteria, and oil production, not hydration levels. While staying hydrated supports overall skin health, water is not a treatment for acne or wrinkles. A balanced approach including skincare, diet, and sun protection is more effective.
A 2007 study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science tracked 49 participants who increased their daily water intake by 2 liters for four weeks. Researchers measured skin density and thickness using ultrasound and found modest improvements in skin hydration for participants who had been drinking below recommended levels. Those already drinking adequate water saw no measurable change. This supports the idea that water helps only when you are going from dehydrated to properly hydrated.
The skin is the last organ to receive water you drink—your kidneys, brain, and muscles take priority. By the time water reaches the dermis and epidermis, your body has already distributed it to higher-priority systems. This is why applying a moisturizer with humectants like hyaluronic acid (which holds 1,000 times its weight in water) or glycerin directly to damp skin is far more effective at keeping skin hydrated than drinking an extra glass of water.
Things to Know
- Some people may see mild improvements when going from chronically under-hydrated to properly hydrated.
- Caffeinated and alcoholic beverages can have dehydrating effects that may affect skin.
- Skin 'glow' attributed to water is often more related to overall health, sleep, and diet.
- People living in dry climates or heated indoor environments may notice skin benefits from both increased water intake and using a humidifier to maintain indoor humidity above 30%.