It’s National Hydration Day today and that means we’re going to talk about water. We all hear about how good water is for you but most of us don’t drink nearly as much as we should. There’s also a lot of confusion about how much to drink and that changes from study to study. So what’s the big deal about water do we actually need it?

Yes we do, first of all living in a dry place like Colorado means the air is lacking in humidity so the body needs an extra boost. Secondly water is a large component of the human body (around 60%) and plays a key role in maintaining our physiology so it has to be in a state of constant hydration. Aside from that water is critical for great skin. It is the largest organ in the body that protects the inside from the outside, it helps regulate our body temperature and generally keeps us safe. One of the easiest ways to keep skin happy is by drinking water. So how does that actually affect how the skin looks and feels?

• It tightens the skin by improving elasticity, you can check by doing a pinch test, if skin springs back it’s hydrated
• It flushes out toxins, that have accumulated in the tissues and skin
• It helps certain bacteria to flush out of the skin so that pores don’t clog as readily and pimples form
• It reduces wrinkles by improving elasticity and softening scars and scar tissue
• It adds moisture that plumps up the cells and reduces flaking and dullness
• It helps facial treatments work more effectively

If you have sudden dark circles that could be another sign of dehydration.

So we’ve gathered now that water is good, not those fancy electrolyte drinks, fruit waters, added sweetener drinks or even the carbonated stuff. Just good old fashioned plain water. They say you should drink eight glasses a day but it also depends on your height and weight, your metabolism and routine. I drink about 5 or 6 and don’t include caffeine or tea in that.

We’ve talked about drinking water, but it’s also important to add it to the skin via washing and cleansing. This helps to maintain the skin pH at a balanced 7 (which is the measure of how acid or alkaline a substance is, 7 is bang in the middle with too acidic being 0 and too alkaline being 14). Hyaluronic acid is a great topical to use as it draws moisture from the atmosphere and puts it in the skin. But I only advise use if it’s sealed in tight with an oil afterwards because in dry climates hyaluronic acid takes moisture out of the skin from deeper levels to keep the higher levels moist.

If you need some extra help then I can recommend a whole raft of hydrating facials and skin peels (lactic acid for one is very hydrating as it draws moisture to the skin).

Come in and see us at Invigorate Advanced Aesthetics in Centennial, Colorado for facials and chemical peels.