One thing I’ve been hearing since I was a wee little lass is something known as the “8 x 8” rule: If you drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water every day, you’ll stay hydrated. Needless to say, this doesn’t include coffee or other caffeinated drinks, so those 2 or 3 coffees I drink every day aren’t doing anything to keep me hydrated (American Journal of Physiology, JASN). Apparently.
If we take this a step further, there’s a beauty myth also being propagated here: following the “8 x 8” rule will result in healthy, moisturized, younger-looking skin. According to this beauty fix, the key to fixing dry skin might simply be drinking gratuitous amounts of plain old water every day. But does science support this beauty legend?
The Basics: Water and Your Skin
Generally, your skin is made up of about 30% water, which is what helps to give it its plumpness, elasticity, and resiliency. But you don’t really hydrate your skin by throwing water onto it; in a sense, the outermost layer of your skin, the stratum corneum, is “waterproof” due to its overlapping structure with the lipid content in your skin, which helps your body maintain water levels and prevent water loss (Journal of Investigative Dermatology). Only serious dehydration is shown in your skin through reduced skin turgor, which is the time it takes for the skin on the back of your hand to snap back after you pull it. If it doesn’t really snap back into place, you’re probably dehydrated, but this is typically only seen in serious cases (Nutrition Reviews).Â
The Studies: How Drinking Water Affects Your Skin
There aren’t really a lot of studies out there that look at the effect of drinking water on your skin. According to an article published by BBC News, investors don’t want to fund such studies because they can’t make money off of them (or at least break even); water isn’t a new or innovative invention, after all. But research funding and politics aside, there are a few studies out there that are definitely worth mentioning.
One study published in 2007 found that drinking 500 mL of water will increase the blood flow and circulation to the skin. In theory, this would allow your skin to have a plumper, more youthful look. But the downside of this study is that researchers only looked at the skin samples 30 minutes after drinking the water, so it’s not clear how long this effect would last (Wound Repair and Regeneration).
Other studies on the effects of increased water hydration focus primarily on mineral water rather than your run-of-the-mill tap or well water. An initial study published in 2006 found that increased intake of mineral water would correspond to increased skin hydration, as measured by skin surface hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin color, thickness, and micro-relief on the forearms of eighty subjects with a median age of 56. Subjects “perceived” improvements in the softness, smoothness, and moisture levels of their skin (Skin Research and Technology).
Taking this study a step further, another set of researchers compared the effects of drinking mineral water versus tap water. This pilot study involved ninety-three patients who were split into two groups, each of which drank either 2.25 L of mineral water or tap water every day. Individuals were monitored for two weeks prior to official testing to determine individual drinking habits. Of those drinking mineral water for four weeks, skin density showed a statistically significant decrease (which some believe to be a sign of the skin holding more water) while thickness increased only a little bit, but not enough for it to be statistically significant (International Journal of Cosmetic Science).
Those drinking tap water for four weeks, meanwhile, saw the opposite; skin density increased while thickness decreased, and both results were statistically significant. What was most interesting, however, was looking at the invidual results of those drinking mineral water. Only those who had drank comparatively little before the study were the ones to see a statistically significant increase in skin thickness (International Journal of Cosmetic Science).
What These Studies Mean for Your Skin
Mineral water, as it turns out, might be beneficial for your skin due to the various components found within it, but it’s really not going to make much of a difference unless you’re already severely dehydrated. As far as your regular water is concerned, it also isn’t going to do much, if at all, for the hydration of your skin. And even if your skin is sufficiently hydrated, it’s still not going to prevent signs of aging, like fine lines or wrinkles, which are more commonly caused by sun exposure and genetics (Journal of Investigative Dermatology).
Verdict: Trick
Unless you’re severely dehydrated, increasing your daily intake of water isn’t going to do much for the hydration of your skin. If you’re looking to combat dry skin, try Obagi Medical Hydrate Facial Moisturizer ($30.51, amazon.com), or the Tatcha Ageless Enriching Renewal Cream ($185, tatcha.com), which is a greally great moisturizer, albeit a very expensive one (my advice – try the sample before you commit). For all-over moisturized skin, try the Sabon Body Lotion with Carrot ($23, sabonnyc.com), or Olay Quench Ultra Moisture Lotion with Shea Butter ($14.68, amazon.com). And of course, keep drinking water daily; it may not be making you look younger, but it certainly isn’t hurting your body.
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