First, the curious facts:
1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
2. 37% of Americans have a weak thirst mechanism and often mistake thirst for hunger.
3. While 75% of Americans are aware of the rule of thumb about drinking eight, 8 ounces of water daily, only approximately 34% of us drink this amount of water daily.
4. A University of Washington study found that 1 glass of water is sufficient to shut down night-time hunger pangs for 100% of dieters!!
What do you need to know about water and how it benefits your skin?
Your body requires water to survive and function properly. The human body is about 60% water. Your muscles and brain are about 75% water, your blood is 82% water and your lungs are about 90% water. Water provides much needed hydration to our cells. Hydration facilitates removal of toxins, transport of nutrients, protection of our tissues and regulation of body temperature.
Hydration is essential to the proper functioning of the skin as a whole, especially the outermost layer of the skin. When you are dehydrated, the necessary desquamation (shedding) of the stratum corneum does not occur. This leads to skin cell adhesion and impaction, which gives rise to dry, flaky skin.
What should you be doing to keep your body and skin healthy?
1. Until there is definitive evidence to the contrary, drink the recommended 64 ounces of water per day. No, coffee, tea and other caffeinated beverages do not count. Caffeine is a diuretic that makes your body get rid of water. Carbonated beverages are acidic. To offset the acidity of 1 glass of a carbonated beverage, you’ll need to drink 32 ounces of water.
For best results, stick to water. If you must, drink 100% fruit juice diluted with an equalamount of water.
2. Apply a moisturizer to you skin after cleansing. All skin types need moisture. It is a myth that oily skin does not need moisture. Adding moisture to oily skin prevents over- production of sebum. Moisture to dry skin adds much needed hydration. Look for formulations that contain urea and glycerin, which have been clinically proven to penetrate into the skin cells, and humectants like hyaluronic acid, that hydrate the stratum corneum.
SkinMD
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