Water -- Keeping the Glass Half Full

Hello, again, skin-loving friends!

     In this post, I thought I would talk about something we have all heard a million times before and why it is important for the health of your skin -- drinking lots of water! As many of us may know, water makes up about 60% of our body and is a major component of every organ (including skin!) -- so kind of important, right? In addition to making up a lot of the body, water you get from food and liquids that you eat and drink fill out a lot of functions. For example, water helps to absorb shock for your brain and spinal cord from movements that put pressure on your body, like jumping or running. Also, water makes sure that your body doesn't get too hot by making up a large part of sweat, which your body excretes to cool the skin. Last -- but not least -- water acts as a major transport system for nutrients and cells throughout your skin, as well as excreting the materials you don't need anymore in urine. Hopefully I have made it pretty clear, water is absolutely vital to your body functioning properly!

     You may be thinking, but what about the skin? Well, let me tell you, water's importance in the skin is comparable to its importance throughout the rest of the body! As you have probably figured out by now, skin -- just like everything else in your body -- is made up of cells. These cells have many components, but the cytoplasm is what acts as the major filler in cells that all of the organelles are suspended in. This cytoplasm is made up of 80% water and has a variety of jobs, such as providing materials needed for biochemical reactions. However, and most applicably to skin cells, cytoplasm allows for cell growth, flexibility, and the alteration of shape. This is very important for the skin as we all want plump, elastic skin cells that can maintain the youthful look we live in as twenty-somethings.

     So if cytoplasm is composed of mainly water, and the skin is made up of cells, meaning that it is made of mainly water, then it is pretty clear that water is necessary for the maintenance and health of our skin. Basically, if you don't have enough water then your skin will become -- you guessed it -- more dry! This will cause your skin to appear flaky and tight, though it may also look dull or cracked in appearance. This is because the top layer of your skin is pretty much the last of the organ to get water, so the cells on your top layers will be noticeably very dry due to the cytoplasm having less water and thus the skin cells will shrink a bit. In addition to this problem with the uppermost skin layer, your skin in general is the last organ to get water out of all of the organs in your body. This means that if you don't get water in your body in excess, then the allotted amount of water going to your skin will decrease first and your skin may suffer.

     So how do we get enough moisture to our skin? Basically, besides drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day (8 fluid ounces a piece), you can also put lotions on. Lotions are most effective when you put them on right after your shower -- as in within a few minutes of getting out -- because this is when your pores are open and clean and your skin is looking for a source of hydration. Lotion, depending on the type you use, can also help your skin to retain moisture throughout the day. So if you have dryer skin on the average, then a thicker lotion would probably be more beneficial. I know a lot of people who don't like lotion because they feel greasy or slippery afterwards, and this can definitely happen with certain formulas. However, putting lotion on right after your shower and rubbing it in completely will increase the rate of absorption and will leave you feeling greasy for a shorter period of time. Also, buying lotions that are thinner, due to more water than oils, will also decrease how long you are dropping things from your post-lotion hands.

     Hopefully this has made it clear why you're constantly hearing about drinking lots of water, as well as how this applies to the health of your skin. So let's all not only look at the glass as half full, but let's keep it half full by drinking enough water throughout the day!

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Feel free to comment below or read through my references linked throughout the post!

Thanks for reading!