Skin Health, Sugar and good old-fashioned H20

Your skin is the largest organ of the body. It too needs to be fed the proper nutrients in order for it to function as normal. Not to mention hydrated. You can use all the lotions and potions in the world, if you do not hydrate your body correctly, it will not function at its most optimal. This is a fact. And this also includes your SKIN. We should be drinking around 8 glasses of water per day. This is only for our bodies to be able to function as normal, so what really happens when we don't drink enough water?

Well, quite a lot of things start to happen in the body when it hasn't been chugging enough of the clear stuff as it happens. You can perceive thirstiness as hunger, this can lead to unnecessary snacking. I don't know about you, but I don't need any extra encouragement there on the snacking front at the minute, because, lockdown has us all eating the cupboards out. But put down the Jaffa Cakes and reach for the water instead, your waistline (and your face) will thank you for it. Being dehydrated takes its toll on the face. Have you ever noticed when you have maybe over done the sun after a hot summers day? A sunburnt face can look as if you've aged a bit in one sun session- more lines, is that a wrinkle? Horror! In reality, this is the skins way of telling you to hydrate the body, as it is badly drying out. Drier skin, means finer lines and wrinkles will start to show up. SPF is our best friend when it comes to premature aging, but we need to remember what an ally water can be for our faces also! If you are hydrated and at balance on the inside, it will show on the outside.

Drinking water regularly also aids digestion and helps with bloating. What we put into our bodies plays a massive role in our skin. For example, if you are constantly consuming greasy, sugary foods, this will show in your complexion. Oilier, spotty skin may present. Sugar is known to wreak havoc on the skin through a process called "Glycation". This is a natural chemical reaction which happens when our blood sugar levels spike beyond what our insulin can handle. Glycation, affects the collagen and elastin in our skin. These are the important proteins we need to maintain skin firmness and elasticity. When these two proteins link with sugars, they become weaker and the bonds begin to break down. Signs of aging become more apparent, not to mention a duller appearance to the skin and wrinkles can begin to develop. Naturally, this means the more glycation occurs in our bodies, the quicker our skin ages. If that's not reason to chuck the Cadburys Fingers, I don't know what is.

Maybe you have been blessed with amazing skin, have no skincare routine, detest water, live for sugar and haven't a wrinkle on your face. Well aren't you the luckiest person in the world! If this is you, why don't you try cutting down a bit on the sugar, try and bear the water, and I promise you, your amazing skin will knock your socks off. Even more than it does now. For the rest of us mere mortals, especially if you haven't been feeling your skin recently, give it a go and see what a difference small changes can make to your skin. If you haven't a skincare regime in place either, its time you do. After the age of 25, collagen is no longer produced by the body, so we want to hang on to as much of it as we can, and we can boost this in our skin with the use of skincare products and regular facial treatments.

Now this post isn't about cutting out all your favourite snacks or drinks and replacing them with celery sticks and water, but being aware of what your body needs to function at its best and finding a healthy balance between the things you do like and the things you need to cut back on. If you make a conscious effort to drink more water and eat less sugar, you will notice changes in your skin for the better. Added bonus- less headaches, less snacking, clearer complexion. Win-win!