Does Your Skin Benefit From 8 Glasses of Water a Day

It has been drummed into our heads often that drinking 8 glasses of water a day is essential for good health. Our bodies are made up of 80 % water and it is essential to replenish the amount of water in the body to help the body’s circulatory and excretory functions.

Importance of water to good health

The skin is the largest organ in the body and has tens of thousands of sweat pores through which toxins in the body are flushed out. Skin cells need to be constantly moisturised to stay plump and smooth, and what better way than by supplying skin cells with water?  There is still a lot of debate on the body’s exact requirement of water. While some scientists say that 2 litres of liquid- in the form of water, juices, tea, coffee or milk is sufficient to meet the body’s needs, others say that 2 litres of water is definitely required. What they all agree upon is the importance of water to good health and the adverse effects of ingesting too little water.

How does drinking 8 glasses of water benefit the skin?

1. The skin is lined with a network of fine blood vessels which carry blood to all organs of the body. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to all the cells in the body and carry back toxins- primarily carbon dioxide and the by-products of digestion to the excretory organs. The skin is an important excretory organ and toxins in the form of sweat are dispersed out of the body by the skin. Drinking sufficient quantities of water enables the kidneys to work efficiently and eliminate toxins out of the body effectively. If there is an insufficient amount of water in the body, the toxins in the body build-up .kidneys are unable to function effectively and the toxins manifest as diseases. On the skin, toxin build up reflects as acne outbreaks and malodorous sweat.
2. The skin cells, like all other cells, are made up of 80 % water. Lack of sufficient water in the body results in dehydration. Surface cells of the skin lose water being exposed to the elements and without replenishment of the lost moisture, skin becomes dry and flaky. Beauty experts recommend periodic spraying of water over the exposed skin to cool the skin and keep it moist. However, the skin also needs moisturising from within – to which 8 glasses of water is the answer.  Keeping the skin hydrated is necessary for maintaining a healthy and radiant skin while expelling toxins and impurities from the body.

In order to ensure that you drink sufficient water try these

1. take a water bottle with you wherever you go, this will ensure that you remain hydrated

2. try keeping a water bottle with you whenever you know you are going to have a long sitting

3. Put an alarm after every one hour to remind you to drink water while you are busy in a meeting or in college.