Turn Up: How Alcohol Affects Your Skin
However, drinking every day and abusing alcohol can wreak havoc not only on your health, but on your skin as well. Alcohol hinders the production of vasopressin, an anti-diuretic hormone, in the body. This causes your kidneys to work harder to remove excess water from your system and sends more water to your bladder and less to your other organs. Remember, your skin is your body’s largest organ, which means that alcohol can leave your skin dehydrated, dry, red and puffy. Dry skin is more likely to wrinkle (especially in the sun!), and as alcohol depletes your storage of Vitamin A (an essential vitamins for cell renewal), your skin can take on a lackluster appearance.
Drinking water with alcohol is the best way to protect your skin (and prevent a hangover!). Being depleted of nutrients, electrolytes and fluids leads to bloating and swelling, and alcohol can also exacerbate preexisting conditions like rosacea. Over time, drinking heavily can have more serious, long-term effects on skin and health.
There are drinks that are less stressful for your skin, but the reason has less to do with the alcohol itself than what else is in the drink. Clear shots like vodka and tequila are less disastrous for your skin than mixed drinks because there is no added sugar or salt (although we cannot say the same for the aftereffects). Other favorites like margaritas and beer have high sodium content, adding to their negative health benefits.
Alcohol can also affect other areas of your appearance like causing bloating around the middle, causing you to sweat and even leading brittle hair and split ends.
As summer approaches, an even more harmful cocktail may be in store for your skin. Mixing overexposure to the sun with alcohol can have detrimental effects on you skin’s health (as well as lead to serious dehydration). As a precaution, do not spend a lot of time drinking in direct sunlight, and make sure to use a broad spectrum sunblock anytime you’re outdoors.
Brush On Block® Broad Spectrum SPF 30 mineral powder sunscreen contains naturally-occurring ingredients titanium dioxide and zinc oxide to provide full coverage sun protection, green tea leaf extract and safflower seed oil to help moisturize and chamomile and honeysuckle that help prevent skin inflammation and irritation.
