SHOULD YOU BAN THE BOOZE FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR SKIN ?
By Shari Shallard
If you ’ ve ever looked in the mirror the morning after a night of heavy drinking , you know your skin doesn ’ t love alcohol . Wrinkles are a little more pronounced , your skin is dry and flaky , a couple of zits popped up overnight , and a general puffiness has settled over your cheeks and eyes . This is an all-too-common sight this time of year , and it ’ s no real surprise : for some people , December feels like an endless string of openbar Christmas parties and nights out at wine bars . Not to mention we ’ re contending with blustery December weather and ubiquitous Christmas chocolates . It ’ s a winter-face disaster waiting to happen . Does this mean we have to completely abstain from the cocktails and pinot if we want to look presentable this year ? Goodness , no ! But we should become more informed drinkers so we can make smart decisions about how much and what type of drinks to consume .
What does alcohol do to your skin ? A lot . As the liver processes alcohol , dangerous toxins are released that inflame our insides , which manifests in a range of ways including puffiness
in our faces . Meanwhile , certain drinks are also sneaking loads of sugar into your body . Sometimes it ’ s obvious ( if you like pina coladas ...), but even wine has ‘ residual sugar ’ and most mixers are incredibly sweet . Unfortunately , sugar also begets inflammation , breakouts , a whole host of unlovely skin attributes . As a diuretic , alcohol dehydrates the skin . All those trips to the loo are reminders that your skin is losing the fluid it needs . Goodbye supple and smooth face , hello flaky and wrinkled . For those with rosacea , alcohol — like sunshine and stress — can also trigger flare-ups . ( Red wine is said to be particularly problematic in this regard .) Lastly , alcohol disrupts sleep . Drinking may more quickly lull us off to dreamland , but then we wake up in the middle of the night as the alcohol wears off . Since sleep is when our skin rejuvenates itself , inadequate rest shows up on our faces .
Five easy ways to consume less alcohol You can have a drink and keep your good skin , but you must be strategic about your overall intake of alcohol and sugar . Here are our five favourite moves :
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