Since I started this blog, I’ve been thinking to have a series of posts related to beauty essentials; having in mind to talk about the countless available and natural ingredients that most of the time we ignore. It would have been ridiculous to start this list with something else than our #1 element that is Water.
Personally, in order to do something, I need to know the logic behind it; otherwise I’m not motivated and the reasons for drinking water are limitless. Nevertheless, I will only enumerate in this post few of the effects of water related to beauty. So let’s get started!
Every part in the human body counts on water for a smooth functioning. It’s also used to help our body heal itself from damage or disease and to maintain youthfulness and carry you into old age in health.
All celebrities seem to claim that drinking water is the secret behind their supple and glowing skin. It is in fact keeping the skin cleansed and hydrated and having enough water simply decreases the probabilities of dehydration which also lessen dark circles. Just like the plant, when skin loses moisture, it gets dry. Besides that water helps restoring elasticity of the skin and maintaining the pH balance for a healthier glow and less wrinkles.
“Without adequate water intake, skin appears duller, and wrinkles and pores more prominent. That might be because water plumps up the skin, causing wrinkles and pores to, more or less, get filled in. What’s more, a variety of structures in the skin that support collagen require water to work effectively”, says Julius Few, M.D., director of The Few Institute and clinical professor of plastic surgery at the University of Chicago.
Water may also resist breakouts by decreasing the concentration of oil on your skin. “It is critical to have a stable balance of water to oil on the surface of skin," says Few. "If the skin is too heavily covered in oil relative to water, this can lead to clogged pores with acne breakouts and blemishes.". From the other hand, drinking water today doesn’t implicate that the skin will look great for years.“Although clinically, when skin is hydrated, it looks plumper, and the signs of aging are minimized, technically, on a histopathologic level [when examined under a microscope], the wrinkles are still there—and nothing has changed permanently,” says Rachel Nazarian, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at the Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City and an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital. “Hydrated skin minimized the appearance—so if you were to withhold water, the skin would show all the original signs of aging again.”
For decades, water therapies have been famous to detoxify and tighten the skin. The process involves a steam room session to open pores and followed by an immediate cold pool plunge to shock the skin. A similar technique can be practiced at home but in a much simple version; soak a wash cloth in steaming hot water and set it over the face for a minute. Afterwards use a cleanser to wash and rinse with warm water. And the “plunge” could be just splashing cold water about 10 to 15 times. This may sound old fashion for some of you, but it really works.
People have been pursuing a mythical fountain of youth for centuries. I bet that everyone would be so eager to know what it is especially if you are told that it will provide you glow, reduce the fine lines and wrinkles and help your overall health. Well this myth has always been a reality in our life; the fountain of youth is simply water!
With all these benefits for the skin, hair is no exception. Drinking plenty of water, can only make hair naturally soft and silky. Don’t bother with expensive products to fix frizzy or brittle hair, simply increase the intake of water and a difference will be noticed.
You may not believe it but water helps burn fat. It also works as a natural appetite suppressant. It’s quite often that thirst is confused with hunger. Thus, those who are serious about losing weight (like myself J), drinking enough water is an absolute must. The reason for this is to improve the metabolism with leads to improve digestion.
Whether you want shinier skin, younger skin, a healthier body or all three, only pure, clear water is the world’s best beauty elixir. Hopefully by now you are convinced about the benefits of drinking plenty of water but how much do you think is enough? Experts don’t seem to agree on the quantity. However one of the formulas to apply is the famous “8x8”. This means “8 ounce x 8 times” or simply divide your weight by 2 and that equals the amount in ounces of water that the body needs per day. In addition to this there are different factors to be taken into consideration such as pregnancy, breastfeeding or even weather which plays a major role in this; as our need of water is higher in hot days than cold ones. At the end, the best way I would recommend is listening to the needs of our bodies.
Knowing the tremendous benefits of water, don’t you think that we should make this fluid our main and favorite everyday beverage? That said, below are few tips to make little changes to our everyday:
1. Keep a water bottle with you all the time; in the car, in the purse, or at the desk.
2. Drink at least one glass of water between meals.
3. Add lemon or other favorite fruits to your glass for flavor.
4. Sip water to allow the body a slow absorption.
5. Spread the water consumption throughout the day as it’s not healthy to guzzle all at once.
6. Eat fruits and vegetables with amount of water such as tomatoes and watermelon.
7. Avoid alcoholic and caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda as they don’t count in the fluid intake.
8. It doesn’t matter if it’s bottled or tap as long as it’s clean clear water. No need for fancy and expensive mineral water.
By the way, don’t worry about needing a bathroom close by just because you’ve upped your water intake. Your body will gradually start to adjust. I’m sure you’ve heard it many times “Drink more water, it’s good for you!”, and if you didn’t take it seriously up to now, PLEASE START!
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