We all know that drinking ‘til you can’t stand (or can’t remember the night before) is awful for your health and can have harrowing effects on your skin. But even having a drink every afternoon at the end of a long day may be more harmful to your body than you think. Alcohol has many adverse effects that can make your skin look and feel more aged than it should, and regular consumption of alcohol can contribute to ongoing skin and health issues.
Drinking too much alcohol can lead to different forms of damage to the body, including liver, cell, hormone and immunity damage. It also contributes big time to inflammation, dehydration and breakouts, which can all take a serious toll on your skin.
INFLAMMATION
Alcohol contributes heavily to inflammation, which is when the skin appears red and puffy and can even lead to broken capillaries in the face (which causes the hot and flushed look you often see when someone has been drinking). Drinking can also make your stomach look and feel bloated – nobody wants that! Skip the puffy look and try cutting down on (or completely cutting out) alcohol – your body will thank you for it!
DEHYDRATION
Alcohol contributes greatly to dehydration – one of the biggest contributors to dry and dull-looking skin. As the body ages, its ability to absorb and retain moisture slowly declines, and this in addition to heavy drinking makes the body even retaining moisture. Alcohol is also a diuretic – meaning, it encourages the passing of water from your body, another contributing factor. All of these elements combined make drinking a disaster for skin hydration and health.
BREAKOUTS
Alcohol also contains high levels of sugar which we all know can lead to blackheads and whiteheads, irritate the skin and result in acne and scarring/pigmentation (horrible, we know)! As a rule of thumb, save your skin the trouble and avoid alcohol when you can. Your skin will thank you when you dodge the enlarged pores, dullness, dryness, bloating, fine lines, wrinkles, breakouts and unwanted discolouration!
But don’t fret! An occasional drink may not be so detrimental to your health (just remember to stay hydrated)! And there’s more good news – red wine can benefit the skin when consumed in moderation. Red wine contains resveratrol, which acts like an antioxidant and helps fight the effects of free radicals. So, if you’re looking for a drink to wind down, wine down! (Just remember to drink responsibly!)
If you’re looking for a healthier way to relax at the end of the day, skip the alcohol altogether and treat your skin to some TLC! Sheet masks are incredible for hydrating the skin and combatting signs of ageing.
Find our entire range of sheet masks catering to different types of skin here.
