While you may readily try new serums, supplements, and facials to save your skin from aging prematurely, there’s one effective method you may not have considered: cutting back on drinking alcohol.
If you enjoy the occasional night out or relaxing with a glass of wine and are noticing changes in your skin like fine lines or dark spots, the culprit might be in your beverage. Studies have found that drinking alcohol can cause extrinsic skin aging, which can appear as wrinkles, fine lines, or patchy hypopigmentation [1].
Let’s take a look at the impact of alcohol on your skin in more detail, as well as some methods to keep your skin healthy and vibrant.
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Alcohol and Dehydration
The first effect you’ll likely notice after consuming two or more alcoholic beverages is dehydrated skin symptoms. When asking yourself, does alcohol cause wrinkles, the answer lies in the way alcohol intake affects your cell membranes.
Dehydration can cause dry mucous membranes, and alcohol consumption can damage the mucous membranes in your body, including those in your:
- Liver
- Pancreas
- Skin
Prolonged dehydration can present potential consequences on your skin’s health and overall appearance. One clear indication of dehydration is a decrease in skin turgor, or elasticity in the skin, which over time can lead to wrinkles, fine lines, and other signs of aging [2].
While applying moisturizing products can help treat your skin’s dryness, cutting back on how often you drink alcoholic beverages and increasing your daily water intake can help hydrate your skin at the source.
Alcohol and Inflammation
After a few cocktails, it’s normal for some people to experience flushing in the face, especially the cheeks. That’s actually because of inflammation, a process that occurs when the body throws up a defense against a perceived irritant.
Inflammation is actually part of the body’s immune defenses and when it senses an intruder, like a foreign body, toxin, or pathogen, it releases chemicals that prompt the body’s cells to have an inflammatory response [3]. Since alcohol content is a toxin, it can trigger inflammation throughout the body. As a result, symptoms can occur like:
- Dehydration
- Puffiness
- Redness
- Discoloration
Over time, inflammation can have a damaging effect on your skin cells.
Alcohol can cause health problems, such as systemic inflammation, which is particularly noticeable in the appearance of your skin [4]. Chronic, or consistent, inflammation as a result of alcohol consumption can cause the inflammatory cells to remain active, causing them to damage healthy tissues like your skin, which can reduce its elasticity and lead to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles [5].
Ways to Help Repair Your Skin After Alcohol
When it comes to your skin, not all beverages are created equal. While water is always the best option for your skin’s health, you may still decide to indulge in a cocktail once in a while. Fortunately, there are more beverage options than you may think that can help keep your skin vibrant. The rule of thumb is, if you’re ordering a beverage with your skin in mind, keep the drink simple.
Light-colored drinks, like gin, tequila, and vodka have fewer additives and the lowest pH, so they have less acidity and are easier for your body to digest and process [6]. This means there’s less time for your body to recognize a toxin has entered and prompt an inflammatory response.
When you arrive home from a night out (or you’ve put your pajamas on after a mixology night in), there are a few products you can use to help your skin repair itself.
Products that reintroduce hydration, like a customized night cream, can help your skin rejuvenate and hydrate while you sleep. The next day, you can also protect your skin from other factors that cause inflammation, like the sun’s rays, by using a daily moisturizer with SPF [7].
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Tips for Keeping Your Skin Hydrated and Vibrant
Whether you’ve linked your skin aging signs to alcohol or something else, there are a few lifestyle habits you can work into your routine to preserve your healthiest, most hydrated skin.
First, if you do notice more severe or frequent inflammation in your skin after consuming alcoholic beverages, you may want to consider cutting back on your alcohol intake. Consult with your healthcare provider about your specific body’s limits when it comes to alcohol consumption.
Beyond this, work these easy tips into your day-to-day to help your skin repair and breathe:
- Drink plenty of water – Especially after a few drinks, but in general, drink plenty of water throughout the day. Women should consume about 11.5 cups of water per day, and men should drink about 15.5 cups [8]. In addition, if and when you do partake in happy hour, try cycling a glass of water in between each alcoholic drink.
- Use a nightly moisturizer – Nighttime moisturizers are formulated to sink deep into your skin while you sleep, helping your skin restore and repair dead skin cells and hydrate the innermost skin layers. Whether you’ve had a stressful week at work or you’ve just come home from a particularly lively bachelorette party, using an eye cream before you doze off can help give your skin a leg up.
- Stick to a tailored skincare routine – At the end of the day, every person’s skin is different—which means your skin has different needs than the person sitting next to you. Keeping your skin healthy requires a consistent skincare regimen, but it also requires a regimen that is uniquely tailored to your skin.
Maintain Your Glow With PROVEN
From your go-to cocktail to your favorite glass of white, your choices are unique, and so is your skin.
That’s why it’s important to have a personalized skincare regimen that includes products specifically tailored to your lifestyle and needs. At PROVEN, we help you find customized products that help you cleanse, hydrate, and protect your skin, from morning ‘til night.
From our facial cleanser to our day moisturizer and night cream, we make it easy to give your skin the ingredients it needs to thrive. Put your skin first and find your glow with a customized skincare routine from PROVEN.
