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    How Your Skin Feels About Alcohol

     

    Alcohol often accompanies our most festive celebrations of the year, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and, often enough, St. Patrick's Day. On these days, there is a tendency to over imbibe, which we know has its own consequences. Most of us can feel the affect alcohol has on health after a night of drinking, but what about your skin? Understanding the short and long term effects of alcohol on skin health is the first step to preventing any unwanted damage in the future.

    Short Term Damage TO SKIN

    Alcohol (and caffeine, too) reduces the production of vasopressin in your body, a hormone that regulates the absorption of water in the body. When vasopressin production is suppressed, your kidneys start working harder to pump out water from your system. This severely dehydrates your body, affecting the complexion of your skin. Dehydrated skin is the main culprit of a number of skin problems, including:

      • Wrinkles
      • Dull, tired skin
      • Dry skin
      • Hyperpigmentation

    Alcohol also has the short term effects of disrupting sleep. Even two glasses of wine can significantly reduce the ability to reach REM, the part of sleep where your skin does the most collagen repair and oxygenation. There is truth behind the meaning of "beauty sleep!"

    Alcohol and Sensitive Skin Types

    Even short term alcohol use is bad news for sensitive skin types. Alcohol is known to trigger skin conditions like psoriasis, rosacea, and even acne. Because it increases circulation, alcohol can cause blood vessels to dilate, causing flushing and potentially broken capillaries in sensitive-skinned individuals.

    Long Term Skin Damage

    As we get older, our skin needs more micronutrients and special attention to retain its natural elasticity and youthfulness. Alcohol can seriously impede this process, blocking the absorption of vitamin A and depleting the H20 skin needs to stay healthy. Drinking regularly without replenishing those vital nutrients can cause premature aging, in addition to skin problems caused by vitamin deficiency. Some experts even believe that long term alcohol use can contribute to the appearance of cellulite, as it causes fluctuations in circulation.

    Beating the Skin-Damaging Effects of Alcohol

    Yes, alcohol has some serious consequences for your skin. The good news is that with proper skincare and hydration, you can attempt to counteract the potentially negative effects of alcohol on skin! Here are some tips:

    • Always wash and moisturize your face before bedtime. Using a restorative moisturizer like our C-Fine Milk Lotion or our Dermist M3HA to stimulate collagen production, even if you can't squeeze in those 7 hours you need.
    • Drink water every time you drink alcohol. Ideally, you want to drink more water than your alcohol intake to restore electrolyte balance.
    • Know your triggers. If sugar makes you break out, try to stay away from extra sugary-drinks at the bar. Be conscious of how alcohol affects your skin so you can avoid any problems in the future.
    • Replenish nutrients. After a night of heavy drinking, your body is wiped of vital nutrients. Try our ReFine Milk Lotion and our 20% Vitamin C Serum with Ferulic Acid and Tocopherol to replenish essential vitamins A and C to your skin.


    If you are planning to drink this St. Patty's day, make sure your giving skin the extra love it needs to stay beautiful! Contact us at
    Hale Cosmeceuticals to learn how we can help you fight the aging effects of alcohol with high potency skincare.

     

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