11 ways water benefits and affects your beauty

If you've underestimated the power of water for your beauty, here's what your missing out!

By: Kriti Saraswat | | Published: December 22, 2014 3:56 pm

If you ask most celebs their beauty secrets, they will often say it is drinking ample amount of water every day. Though there is more to their skincare routine than just water, this colourless liquid is one of the best solutions to resolve any skin problems. Don’t believe us? We tell you how.

1. Helps flush out toxins

Now water may not directly flush out toxins from the body but it certainly helps the kidneys function better. If you are drinking adequate amounts of water, your urine will be pale in colour without much odour. When your system is clean internally, it will reflect on the outside too. Your skin will have a glow in it and look supple.

How to use:

The best way to cleanse your system using water is to drink a glass of warm water with a few drops of honey and a lemon squeezed into it, first thing in the morning. Here’s how drinking this concoction can better your health in 10 ways.

2. Delays wrinkles

Dry and dehydrated skin is likely to show wrinkles and fine lines as the skin is stretched without much moisture in it. On the other hand, when your skin has water in it, your cells are rejuvenated which prevent the appearance of wrinkles. According to experts at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals, the skin is an organ and its cells are made up of water predominantly. When these do not get adequate amounts of water, the skin is prone to getting dry, flaky and more prone to wrinkles.

How to use:

Drink at least 2 litres of water every day. Note, water is also found in fruits and vegetables so you can count those too to make up for the 2 litres. Apart from this, splash cold water on your face or rub ice cubes on your skin. This helps tighten pores. Here are some more benefits of ice for your skin.

3. Prevents puffiness

Your body tends to retain water which makes you look puffy but by not drinking water, you are inviting more water retention. When your body does not have enough water, it will try and retain whatever is available which can lead to more puffiness. On the contrary, drinking water will flush out impurities and help lessen fluid retention.

How to use:

Stay hydrated to prevent puffiness. Mostly, people notice puffy eyes quite often due to water retention. In order to get rid of this, you can use spoons dipped in chilled water and place them around your eyes to reduce puffiness within minutes. Watch this video to learn how to use spoons for enhancing your beauty.

4. Unclogs pores

Water is an essential part of a face cleanse wherein trapped dirt and impurities are released from the skin. Though plain water may not be enough, steam from hot water will certainly do the trick. This is because it helps open up pores which are clogged due to excess sebum and dirt and give rise to black and whiteheads on the skin.

How to use:

Use a steamer filled with water to get some steam on your face for a few minutes or boil water and cover your head with a towel and place your face close to the vessel. This will transfer the steam on your face. Once your pores are open, you can use a tweezer to loosen blackheads. Remember to apply a cold compress to close pores after the procedure. Here are some more ways to get rid of blackheads.

5. Reduces redness on skin

People who are extremely fair or have sensitive skin may often find their skin turning red even after a simple scrub or if they press it too hard. This redness can easily be managed with a simple ingredient such as water.

How to use

Dab a cotton ball in chilled water and then rub it on the area which has redness. Do this for a minute or two and you will notice that the redness has reduced. Do not rub your skin to wipe off water, let it air-dry on its own.

6. Keeps hair healthy

Your lovely locks too need some water to get rid of the accumulated grime and prevent damage. A cold water rinse helps close cuticles and protects the hair shaft while just wetting hair with normal water helps balance your scalp’s natural oil levels. Many people including Hollywood celebs have shunned shampoo and are washing their hair with just plain water to keep it healthy. Read more about the ‘No ‘Poo’ trend here.

How to use:

Wet your hair with water every day or once in every two days and rinse it well. This will help clear out dirt. All you need to make sure is the water you are using is soft as hard water can ruin the texture of your hair, make it frizzy and even brittle. ‘To make hard water soft, add a spoon of alum (aluminium sulfate) to a bucket of water. Let all the dirt and minerals settle down. Use the clear water and throw the residue,’ says Dr Jaishree Sharad.

7. Water-based make-up

If you are someone who has oily or acne-prone skin, you should use cosmetics which are water-based. They will not clog pores or irritate the skin. Make sure the label reads non-comedogenic. But you also need to be careful about liquid cosmetics as the chances of bacterial growth in them is higher. So do not use them beyond their expiration date and if your acne still persists, opt for loose powders or compacts instead of foundations. Here are some more tips to choose products for acne-prone skin.

Avoid these types of water

Though we’ve highlighted the very many benefits of water, you need to be careful about not using these types of water as they will only ruin your beauty.

8. Hard water

Hard water contains minerals like sulphates, bicarbonates, magnesium, calcium, etc. Regular usage of hard water can cause your skin to turn dry, itchy and sensitive to sunlight. It also makes hair very frizzy, brittle and can lead to hair fall. If you have to use hard water, make sure you use chelated shampoos and have a diet rich in protein and vitamins. Read more on how hard water can ruin your skin and hair.

9. Chlorinated water

Water which has been treated with chlorine is called chlorinated water. Most swimming pool has chlorine added to the water and if you often go for a swim, you need to ensure you take ample care of your skin and before before and after the activity. This is because chlorine can react with your skin and give it a bad tan which is difficult to get rid of. It can make your hair extremely rough and if you have coloured hair, it can change the colour too. Here are tips to ensure swimming does not ruin your hair and skin.

10. Extremely hot water

Who doesn’t like the feel of running hot water on your body which melts all the stress away! Though a hot water bath is good to relax sore muscles and open pores, washing your hair with extremely hot water may not yield good results. This is because it opens the cuticles and cause damage to the hair shaft. You are likely to trap more dirt on the scalp after a hot shower. It can also make the hair weaker which can cause it to break easily. Also read – hot bath VS cold bath – which is healthier?

11. Sea water

Love going to the beach for a dip in the sea? You may be inviting a host of hair problems. The excessive salt found in sea water makes your hair dull, tangled, brittle, frizzy, leads to split ends and also affects the colour of your hair. This is because the salt easily soaks up the moisture from your hair. In order to protect your mane, use a leave-in conditioner and wash your hair to get the salt out of it. Apply a moistursing hair pack to lock in the moisture and rehydrate your locks.

Image source: Getty Images

Published : December 22, 2014 3:56 pm

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