ABSOLUTELY!

Hydration is one of the most important factors in keeping skin youthful. Simply put, water is the difference between a raisin and a grape, which would YOU rather look like? Our bodies are made up of 70-80% water. Our bodies LOVE water. Our bodies CRAVE water. Our bodies REQUIRE water to have normal functions. In the skin for example, we as estheticians have for years analyzed out clients’ skin on each visit and I can attest to the fact that to find someone perfectly hydrated all of the time is an impossible feat. Close, but no banana. Even amongst these considered champion H2Oers, myself being one, hydration is relative to how much you consume and how much you expel through physical activities, caffeine and alcohol consumption, medications, stress, diet (are you eating a diet that consists of a lot of fruits and vegetables which contain water or processed foods), and believe this one, a lot of talking. YES! Talking, singing, yelling dispels water. Just hold your hand in front of your mouth for a moment when you’re speaking. You’ll feel the moisture. I realized that when I worked for the Chicago Lyric Opera doing makeup and saw opera singers constantly drinking water, yet when I did their makeup, why so much dehydration? I mentioned to the singer I was working on and she explained to me that when one uses their voice with such force for so many hours a day a lot of water is lost. She told me to put my hand in front of my mouth and speak and then notice the slight condensation. Point taken.

So water needs to be a constant flow through the body. Specifically related to the skin, maintaining a good hydration level (notice I did not say perfect hydration level) a newer school of though amongst skin care professionals is that dehydration creates impaired enzyme activity within the skin and impedes the natural desquamation function the skin has by not having the hydration required to activate the lamellar bodies in the stratum granulosum layer of the epidermis to stimulate that process. We end up with dull, congested skin with uneven texture (hyperkeritinization). Your products work better due to better absorption when you’re hydrated, also. Consider a dry sponge versus a slightly damp sponge and how much better the slightly damp sponge absorbs when you’re trying to wipe up.

I’m hoping that’s enough to make you start enjoying more water. I could SO go on! Simply put, the difference between a raisin and a grape is water. That is dehydration and oxidation in action! You choose which you are.