How Alcohol Effects Skin

I think we all know what this is. Alcohol. It can often be a sensitive subject and, especially since the pandemic started, people have been consuming more than ever (I am not an exception to this fact).
The holidays are also another trigger that usually lead to an increased consumption of alcohol and the biggest party night of the year, New Year’s Eve is right around the corner. This is why I feel like now is a good time to talk about how drinking alcohol can affect your skin. Trust me when I say, it does, and it’s not good. Alcohol has a pretty lengthy list of negatives when it comes to your overall health but my focus today is what it does to your skin (it can have both short and long term effects).

Here is a quick and dirty on how alcohol is damaging to skin:

It terribly dehydrates the skin which leads to premature aging (wrinkles, spots, lines and cracks) and if that’s not bad enough, it causes inflammation (blood moving to the surface of your skin) which can cause acne, rosacea and puffy/swollen eyes. With continuous drinking (about 2+ drinks per day for an extended period of time) other skin conditions can be triggered or develop like psoriasis, dandruff and eczema. To make it worse, studies have shown a link between alcohol consumption and skin cancer (which is just one of the many cancers alcohol has been linked with). I truly don’t like the sound of ANY of those!!!

Using the best skin care products is an amazing way to keep your skin young and healthy but to achieve the greatest results from all of your skin care routine efforts certain lifestyle habits must be in alignment. This includes eating nutritious food, drinking loads of water, exercising, getting plenty of sleep and avoiding alcohol.

If you’ve thought about taking a break or “cleanse” from drinking, include that goal as part of your New Years Resolution and get 2021 off to a great start! I know I will be! You’re body and your skin will thank you for it 🙏