One thing Nefera founder Dr Kazem insists upon is the importance of caring for your skin from the inside out. Without proper nutrition and hydration, your skin’s vital structure cannot function adequately. This means it’s unlikely that any skin crème, however expensive or ground-breaking, will make much difference to the condition and appearance of your complexion.
In this article we explain why hydration is one of the key aspects of skincare – and why the quality of what you drink and quantity should never be ignored.
Water is a vital component of skin cells
Like all cells, skin cells are predominantly comprised of water. Without sufficient hydration, skin cells cannot function or develop properly. This in turn can contribute to common complaints and visible acceleration of the ageing process.
Each day, our bodies use and lose water – water that must be replenished. When you fail to consume enough liquids (or choose the wrong ones) this can cause an imbalance. Notably lack of water can cause skin to become dry, tight and flaky – it is less resilient and flexible, therefore it’s more prone to sagging and wrinkling.
Hydration of the skin is important – and tricky
Water reaches every other part of the body before it finally comes to the skin – our largest organ. Living, breathing, sensitive and permeable, our skin needs sufficient hydration to survive. This involves drinking water or another beneficial beverage at regular intervals throughout the day – preferably around 8 glasses, or 2.5 litres.
Quality is as important as quantity
You may think that any liquid consumed contributes towards happier, healthier skin – but this mistaken belief causes many women to unwittingly damage their complexions over time, sometimes permanently. This is where advice becomes confused and tricky to follow – as many experts have differing opinions on the benefits of certain beverages.
It’s universally agreed that the safest possible liquid to consume is water – preferably spring water or mineral water without chemical components added. Therefore if you want to make a difference without too much effort, a couple of large bottles of spring water each day will help you to easily increase your fluid intake. Green tea has been proven in studies to support and strengthen skin – so if you prefer a little variation try a hot cup of tea every now and then or serve over ice with a little honey.
Drinks to avoid include sugary, fizzy sodas and anything high in caffeine, which acts as a diuretic, meaning it dehydrates as opposed to rehydrating our bodies and skin. Sugars are also damaging for skin – so steer clear of concentrated juices. Certain studies found coffee and red wine to be high in antioxidants that are beneficial to skin’s structure – however they should still be consumed in moderation. It’s widely agreed that coffee in particular has more significant impact applied topically – without any of the adverse affects.
For more expert skincare tips take a look at our related blog posts here.
