DRINK UP
Is Water The Secret to Clear, Glowing Skin?
By Shari Shallard
Earlier this year, New Scientist magazine ran an article called “Good Hydration: Do I
Need 8 Glasses of Water a Day?” Of course, we took notice. The drink-eight-glasses-of-
water-a-day mantra is pretty much ingrained in our DNA.
W
e see strong, beautiful celebrities
hensive dermatological care in medical and
touting its benefits all the time.
cosmetic dermatology, including everything
Cameron Diaz says she starts each
from performing fillers and laser surgery to
morning with water because it turns her “from
treating acne, rosacea and skin cancer.
being a wilted plant to one that has been re-
While they believe some water is good, more
juvenated by the rain.” Beyoncé told Vogue
water isn’t necessarily better. “Although drink-
that she drinks at least a gallon — with lemon
ing water is important for the overall health of
— a day. Jennifer Aniston claims she drinks
the skin,” says Dr Kristina Goldenberg, “there
100 ounces of Smartwater daily. (Okay, Anis-
is little evidence that extra water intake improves
ton is a paid ambassador of the Smartwater
the appearance or texture of the skin.”
brand; but we believe her anyway.)
But, Kristina cautions, insufficient water will
Yet the New Scientist
take its toll. “This has
piece questioned There’s a belief that if your skin is manifestations not
some of the conven-
only in the proper
tional wisdom around dry, you simply need to drink functioning of our
water, claiming that
bodies but also on the
more water
those eight glasses are
appearance of the
an arbitrary measurement and that water
skin,” she says. “Dehydrated skin feels dull,
doesn’t actually improve the complexion in
fine, itchy and less supple — and fine lines
any visible way. Wait, what? We’ll buy the “eight
become a lot more apparent.”
is a random number” theory, but the latter
Dr Gary Goldenberg feels many people
suggestion — that water doesn’t improve our
wrongly rely on water as a cure-all. “There’s
skin — just felt wrong. So we turned to a
a belief that if your skin is dry, you simply
married pair of skin experts to hear the truth
need to drink more water,” he says. In reality,
for ourselves.
though, “skin hydration is related not only to
Doctors Kristina and Gary Goldenberg are
having internal hydration, but also to hydrat-
the husband and wife team behind Goldenberg
ing your skin by applying moisturisers and
Dermatology, based just off Madison Avenue
avoiding harsh chemicals.”
in New York City. As board certified derma-
Kristina agrees. “I don’t recommend over-hy-
tologists, the Goldenbergs provide compre-
dration,” she says. “It is more important to
ISSUE #04 | 2017 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 34