It’s a well-known fact that water is the miracle cure-all for pretty much everything. Want to lose weight? Drink more water. Need more energy? Drink some water. Constipated? You need water! One of the biggest benefits of drinking water is the impact it has on your skin. It’s the common consensus that drinking a lot of water leads to clear, healthy, hydrated skin. The only question is: Exactly how much water do you need to drink for healthy skin? You might be tempted to guzzle gallons of water every day in hopes of getting smooth, glowing skin, but do you really need to drink that much? After all, how is anyone going to admire your beautiful skin if you’re in the bathroom all day peeing from the swimming pool of water you consume? Before you drown yourself in endless H2O, check out our breakdown of just how much water you should drink to get flawless skin:
How Does Water Help Your Skin?
First things first, you need to understand how drinking water helps your skin. Drinking water leads to healthy, radiant skin in numerous ways. One way is by hydrating the skin. Hydration is vital to not only for good health (your organs cannot function without an adequate amount of water every day), but it is also vital for your appearance. If you become dehydrated from not consuming enough water, it takes a major toll on your skin. Dehydrated skin becomes dull and dry, sometimes to the point of irritation and cracking. You may think that slathering on a good moisturizer can remedy this, but even the best moisturizers on the market cannot save dry skin if the body is dehydrated. You need to hydrate yourself from the inside out by drinking an adequate amount of water. Making sure that your skin is properly hydrated by drinking enough water will lead to soft, supple, glowing skin!
Another way that water leads to healthy skin is by ridding your body of toxins. Even if you live the healthiest lifestyle, toxins accumulate in your body no matter what. There are toxins in the environment that you breathe in. There are the toxins you consume in the foods that you eat. There are the physical toxins that accumulate on your skin and in your pores no matter how often you wash your face. All of these toxins create awful problems for your skin. They increase oil production and clog your pores which can lead to acne. When it comes to fighting these toxins, water is your best ally. Drinking water helps your kidneys to filter toxins out of your system through urination. Adequate water intake also facilitates regular bowel movements, ridding your digestive system of this toxic waste. Basically, the cleaner you keep your body on the inside, the clearer your skin will be on the outside!
How Much Water Do You Need To Drink?
So now that you know how water benefits your skin, we can get to the real question: How much water do you really need to drink for healthy skin? Previous information had stated that individuals should drink six to eight glasses of water daily to have a healthy body and healthy skin. At eight ounces per glass, this would equate to 48 to 64 ounces of water per day. While this may be enough to keep you at optimal health, recent research has shown that you will need to consume more than that to see any real changes in your skin. How much more exactly? The recommended amount of daily water intake for healthy skin is anywhere from 60 to 160 ounces per day! The exact amount depends on your body weight and height. Taller individuals who weigh more will have to consume more ounces per day to see optimal benefits. The chart below can help you figure out the best amount for your body:
While this likely seems like a large quantity of water, you should take into account how that water will be distributed throughout the day. Much of that water will help filter toxins from the body and pass through urination. If you lead a very active lifestyle or exercise daily, much of this water will pass through perspiration – which also rids the body of toxins. So if you want to start drinking your way to gorgeous, glowing skin, fill up your water bottle and start chugging!
NOTE: It is important to remember that nothing is good in excess and it is possible to drink too much water. While we understand that you want to drink enough for clear skin, you should not drink more than a gallon of water in one hour’s time. Water consumption must be spread out throughout the day. Drinking more than one gallon of water in one hour’s time can lead to a condition called “water intoxication,” which can have serious consequences, such as coma or even death.