Does Drinking More Water Really Help With Clearing Acne?

Our entire body relies on hydration (we’ll die within 3-4 days without it) so it would make sense that being super hydrated could improve the skin right?
Let’s find out -- can proper hydration improve acne? In this article, we dig a little deeper into the newly elected anti-acne hero: hydration.

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Why is water so important anyway?

We know it is both tempting and all too easy to live our lives oscillating between grabbing either a coffee, a soda, or a cheeky cocktail, and totally forgetting to drink water - but this is a problem (and we are all guilty). Water is needed for our bodies to properly function. Nearly every major bodily system relies on water to function properly. Water’s biggest two roles are:

1. Carrying nutrients and vitamins in
2. Helping get toxins and waste out
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That said, if you are dehydrated, your body can struggle to do both of these tasks well. The vitamins and minerals might not travel throughout the body as they should, and toxins might not get a one-way ticket out of your body (as they should).

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Water and your skin: keeping acne at bay

The skin is the body’s largest organ. If you are chronically dehydrated, your largest organ will feel (and reveal) the unwanted effects of not having enough water.

While drinking water is not an acne cure-all, adding more water to your day-to-day routines may help improve the health of your skin.

Dehydration can cause the skin to become dry and scaly, sending a message to the body to create excess sebum (oil) to compensate.

‍An overproduction of sebum can clog the pores and cause acne.  Water serves as a natural detoxifier, working in partnership with your kidneys and liver to rid any waste from your body. When dehydrated, the state of your skin might reveal that toxins are still lingering in your body and causing an acne breakout.

Water might improve the body’s ability to remove toxins, and it might increase the overall hydration of the skin cells. However, if your acne is not directly linked to complications of dehydration, increasing water intake is not likely to be a cure for your acne.

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How much water is enough?

For many years, the rule of thumb was “Drink eight 8-ounces of water a day.” Although this is easy to remember, it might not be true for everyone. The water you require is said to depend on your gender, age, and weight.

‍The Mayo Clinic now recommends men drink about 15.5 8-ounce cups (3.7 liters), and women drink about 11.5 8-ounce cups (2.7 liters) of water a day.

Other factors that might influence the amount of water you need, such as your environment (like a hot and humid climate), your activity level, and whether or not you are breastfeeding. Nashville-based Doctor of Physical Therapy Dr. Trent Nessler says weight plays a big factor, “ In general, you should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day.”

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The Bottom Line

• Can drinking water improve acne? It’s certainly possible.
• Is increasing water the next big acne cure? Probably not.
• If dehydration is contributing to your acne, increasing hydration may help. However, if you deal with severe acne from other causes, and you are already properly hydrated, water is not likely to improve your situation. You might consider prescription-strength acne medications or topicals from a dermatologist (or online medicine options like Strut).
• Water is vital to our bodies and it is critical to keeping ourselves hydrated no matter what. The byproduct of proper hydration might be clearer skin.
• Proper hydration should be a regular part of your health routine. By ensuring you are drinking enough water, you keep many bodily systems, including your skin, very happy.

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