They jump out at you at the newspaper kiosk, the articles that are supposed to tell us how to become beautiful or even more beautiful, how to maintain our youthful appearance, how to start the summer fresh. Many of them have a common basic tenor: drinking lots of water is the solution. What is behind it? Is water applied from the inside really the beauty elixir par excellence? Or just one of many trends?
Our body needs water
An adult’s body consists of around 65 percent water. This proportion decreases in the course of life. While babies still have a water content of around 80 percent shortly after birth, the body of an old person only has a water content of around 50 percent. Other factors that influence the body’s water content are gender and training status. Due to the greater proportion of fat in their body mass, women have a 5 percent lower proportion of water in their total weight than men. Overall, the body’s water content increases with increasing muscle mass.
With a total surface area of around 2 square meters in adults, the skin is our largest sensory organ. Their water content is around 70 percent of their own weight, which in an adult is around 8 kg. Around 20 percent of the fluid excreted by the body is transpired through the skin. It regulates the body temperature through perspiration and also protects the body from external influences with a thin layer of acid directly on the surface and fends off viruses, bacteria and harmful substances.
The skin is made up of three layers: Epidermis, cutis and subcutis. Its fibrous framework of collagen and elastic fibers can store a large amount of water and thus plumps up the skin. If the skin’s moisture depots are not full to bursting, it becomes dry and feelings of tightness and dryness lines develop. However, water not only has a plumping effect on the skin. The body also needs sufficient water to achieve optimum metabolic performance and maintain the acid-base balance in the body. Over-acidification of the organism can lead to skin blemishes, acne and cellulite.
Beautiful from the inside
An adequate supply of fluids is a basic prerequisite for the optimal functioning of metabolic processes in the body. We recommend drinking 1.5 to 2 liters a day. If we meet this target – preferably with water – we are not only sufficiently hydrated, we are also doing something for our appearance. Researchers at Charité Berlin were able to prove in a pilot study that just half a liter of tap water has a positive effect on the blood circulation of the skin and on the entire metabolism. According to this study, an increased oxygen supply and metabolic activity of the skin can be detected just ten minutes after drinking half a liter of tap water. This vitalizing effect is noticeable in the long term in a fresher and more radiant appearance.
So it’s definitely worth starting with a glass of water first thing in the morning. This activates the metabolism and, especially in the case of the skin, its oxygen supply. If you establish regular drinking as a fixed ritual in your everyday life, your skin’s fluid reservoirs will always be well filled. This prevents wrinkles caused by dryness and makes the skin appear firmer and more youthful.
The hair also becomes beautiful and benefits
A radiant complexion is not the only thing that makes us beautiful. Shiny, firm hair rounds off our overall look. Our hair also benefits from drinking enough and regularly. Like the skin of the rest of the body, the scalp is optimally nourished and supported in its metabolic processes. Caring for the scalp in this way is worthwhile, because the 100,000 to 150,000 examples of our terminal hair on the head are rooted in it. Each individual hair consists of around 80 percent keratin, water makes up 10 to 15 percent and the rest is made up of pigments, minerals and lipids. The outer layer of the hair forms the so-called cuticle. It covers the cortex, which makes up around 80 percent of the individual hair.
If we drink enough, the scalp and structural parts of the hair are sufficiently hydrated. If we also reach for a bottle of mineral water, the minerals it contains provide additional raw materials for healthy hair growth.
Natural care from the outside
Simple care with water makes hair beautiful. If you make a conditioner with quince or apple cider vinegar, you have a real all-rounder when it comes to hair care. Whether oily, dull, brittle or brittle hair – quince essential oils act like a hair treatment and leave the hair delicately scented. Thanks to its antifungal effect, apple cider vinegar helps with greasy dandruff, which is often caused by a yeast fungus. Simply mix water in a ratio of 3:1 with the respective vinegar and massage into the hair and scalp like a conditioner. After a reaction time of a few minutes, the hair is rinsed out again and is simply beautiful.
However, if you mix the apple cider vinegar in a ratio of 1:1, you can do your skin some extra good with this natural home remedy in addition to drinking enough. The mild acids it contains remove excess oil, stimulate blood circulation, shrink pores and restore the skin’s pH value in a completely natural way. Apply the mixture to the face with a cotton pad and leave to dry. You can then care for your face as usual.
All-rounder water
Mixed with vinegar, water is a traditional natural beauty elixir for skin and hair that is ideal for daily care. If you make the mixture yourself, you can be sure that it only contains what you want it to contain.
When drunk, water is the elixir of life for our bodies – and makes us beautiful inside and out. If our body is sufficiently supplied with it, our skin glows and remains wrinkle-free for longer. The metabolism of the skin and scalp functions optimally, smooth hair can sprout and impurities are prevented from occurring in the first place. Water can do everything you would expect from an all-rounder when it comes to beauty.
