Water brings life to a successful and effective body. You’ve probably heard the term “glow” refer to someone’s overall wellbeing and aura, but the fact that people look and feel better whenever they’re well-hydrated is actually a well-documented scientific phenomenon.
When a person drinks water, their body’s cells become nourished and hydrated. Skin, hair, nails, and every other part of us blossoms when H20 is added, leading to overall enhancements in our appearance.
The National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine recommends that women drink at least 2.7 liters of water every day, and men at least 3.7 liters. This can help give you overall better health and help the body function normally — but it can also provide lesser-known beauty benefits.
Here, we’ve compiled a guide explaining why water is a quintessential part of an everyday beauty routine.
Water for Beautiful Skin
According to the University of Wisconsin Madison, your skin is the last to receive benefits after drinking water making it the hardest organ to hydrate. This is just one major reason why it’s essential to make sure you’re drinking adequate amounts of water each day.
Helps Keep Skin Young
Without water, the skin begins to shrivel up and dry. Prolonged periods of dehydration will exacerbate skin damage and the effects of dry air on the skin. While water won’t cure wrinkles, consistent hydration can help keep skin looking younger and healthier for longer.
Increases Skin Elasticity
To increase the skin’s lifespan and reduce stretch marks, drink water. According to Michigan State University, water directly increases the skin’s elasticity. This means that well-hydrated skin can be stretched further without being damaged. In other words, drinking water is like stretching your muscles, only for your skin.
Boosts Skin’s Glow
Because the skin is comprised of about 64 percent water, it becomes flaky without hydration. Causing ashy and itchy skin, a lack of water can exacerbate these ailments in dry areas. This is why moisturizers like lotion help smooth out skin and contribute to a water-based “glow”.
Helps Combat Skin Conditions Like Eczema
While there are medical treatments for skin conditions like eczema, drinking more water can help these medical treatments work more effectively. In addition to medications, experts recommend taking showers to hydrate the skin and drinking enough water each day.
Water for Gorgeous Nails
Moisture plays a key role in nail maintenance. Since your fingers are constantly exposed and come into contact with plenty of harsh materials every day, it’s important to make sure they’re strong and healthy by keeping them hydrated. Besides, who doesn’t like to keep their nails looking well-manicured?
Prevents Peeling
Water helps hydrate the nail itself and will strengthen them over time. Without adequate water, nails can peel much more easily, as the typical amount of water content in a human nail is 18 percent — when the amount drops below 16 percent, the nails will start to become brittle.
Aids Against Chipping
For the same reason as above, water can also prevent nails from chipping. This is especially relevant for those who expose their nails to harsh conditions regularly — as this can exacerbate nail dryness and crack susceptibility.
Water for Beautiful Eyes
Water helps eyes shine and stay sparkling. In addition to numerous health benefits, having well-hydrated eyes is the key to helping them twinkle — and stay comfortable at the same time.
Combats Dry Eyes
Nothing ruins a beauty routine quite like red, dry eyes. According to the University of New Mexico, staying hydrated is a great way to help combat this issue. If you notice this sign of dehydration make sure to drink a few glasses of water right away.
Works Against Sunken Eyes
Another telltale sign of dehydration is deep, sunken eyes. Indicating dehydration and fatigue, sunken eyes can make you look older and more tired. Make sure you stay hydrated to keep your eyes looking fresh!
Water for Physical Health
Clearly, water is important. With over 37 trillion cells in the body (many of them consisting of water), it’s essential to feed them the proper amount of fuel. Getting this balance right will keep you in all-around better condition, but can certainly impact your overall appearance and physical fitness.
Flushes the Body, Making Skin Clearer
As Harvard Health states, water is what flushes bacteria from your bladder — it’s why we urinate. Lighter urine can indicate that you have fewer bacteria in your body and thus equate to healthier and more productive living. This can directly impact your skin making it appear healthier, clearer.
Helps Prolong Workouts
One of the major keys to a healthy and fit body is being able to work out. Drinking enough water prevents the onset of dehydration and leaves you with enough energy to work out safely. While your body is adequately hydrated, exercise sessions can last longer and you will feel less fatigue. This can, in the long run, result in a more fit physical figure.
Hydrates the Skin’s Foundation
Water helps circulate nutrients throughout the body. This, in turn, aids brain functions, muscle health, and dietary processes. Because all of these actions are interconnected, hydration ensures smooth running for your whole body. Thus, the skin and the body as a whole are more nourished and they look that way, too.
Water for Detoxification
Why pay for an expensive detox in the name of beauty? One of the purest and most effective ways to detoxify the body is to just drink water. It helps get toxins moving through and out of us in a completely natural way.
Prevents Bloating
Water helps breakdown waste and ensures bowel movements are regular. Should you not have enough fluids to start this process, greater medical repercussions may present themselves. In addition to that, carrying extra waste and water weight can leave you looking a little thicker around the edges than normal.
Opens Pores and Detoxes the Skin
Sweating is our body's natural form of detoxification. According to the University of Connecticut, sweat lost through heat must be replenished in order to maintain a healthy balance within the body.
When we sweat, our body is flushing out toxins that may be built up in our systems, too. The sweat is removing the bad, but we are responsible for putting the good back in. Once you rehydrate with water, you tend to look fresher and “glow” brighter.
Tips for Drinking More Water
So, how do you drink enough water? It’s important to note that the appropriate amount of H2O we all need varies greatly depending on the person and environment — but the overall need remains constant. Here are some ways to keep hydrated:
- Carry a water bottle with you at all times.
- Have at least one glass of water with every meal.
- Set goals for when you want to have a bottled drank by.
- Drink a glass while waiting for your coffee to brew.
- Have a water filter available at work.
- Drink a glass every time you take a break from a task.
- Add fresh fruit to your water bottle for a flavor spritz.
- When out on the town, drink a glass of water in between each cocktail.
- Always bring a bottle of water to a workout and refill it at least once.
Water is the basis of life. We need it to survive and so do all other organisms in the known universe. So, it only makes sense, then, that H₂O is a crucial factor that contributes to us looking our best.