Skin Care Myths: Drinking More Water Will Hydrate Your Skin

This is a popular one, perpetuated by fitness and fashion magazines.

Only one study ever linked drinking water with skin hydration. That study used expensive mineral water, not plain bottled or tap water, and the study didn’t have a control group.small-glass-of-water.JPG

No study has ever shown regular water has any impact on your skin and no controlled study has ever shown that any type of drinking water has an effect on your skin.

From a physiologic perspective, drinking water could only have a negligible impact on your skin’s hydration. In fact, patients who have too much water in their tissues (edema) do not have healthy skin. For example, patients with venus insufficiency who have swollen, fluid filled legs have skin that is often dry, itchy, and scaly.

The amount of water in your skin after a 5 minute shower is magnitudes higher than you could achieve by trying to hydrate it from the inside out. The key is to apply a cream or ointment when your skin is still wet to seal in the moisture.

Then drink as little or as much water as you like.

January 17, 2008 | Filed Under Dry Skin, Skincare Myths | Leave a Comment 

Should I Use a Lotion or a Cream for Dry Skin?

Cooler, dry air has hit San Diego, and it is making my patients’ skin dry. Many tell me that their skin remains scaly and itchy despite moisturizing daily. The best advice I can give is to teach them to moisturize properly.

The first question I ask is: Are you using a lotion or a cream?

The difference between the two comes down to the water content. Creams and lotions are mixtures of oil and water. It is the oil component that is most important for your dry skin.

Lotions are droplets of oil mixed in water. They have a high water and low oil content. As such they are easy to spread on dry skin. However, the water is not well absorbed and quickly evaporates, which actually dries your skin further.

In contrast, creams are droplets of water mixed in oil. They have a high oil and low water content. They are more difficult to smear on dry skin but apply easily to moist skin. Therefore, they are best used immediately after your shower or bath when your skin has soaked up the water like a sponge. Applying cream then creates a layer of oil that locks the moisture in your skin. The water does not evaporate, and your skin stays hydrated.

This is why in the wintertime I advise patients to use only creams. In the warm, humid summer, lotions are actually better.

Products I recommend include:

Olay Body Creme Serum

Eucerin Body Creme (don’t let the feminine model deter you guys, this one’s unisex)

Or, if your budget is a bit tight this winter, even old-school, plain Vaseline Petroleum Jelly works quite well. Rub some onto your hands then apply a thin coat all over your body.

January 12, 2008 | Filed Under Dry Skin, Recommended Products, Women's Skin Care | 2 Comments 

4 Tips for Chapped Lips

Dreading the mistletoe this year because of dry, flaky, split, chapped lips? Cold, dry, and windy winter air wreaks havoc on your lips, where the skin is thin and delicate.

Here are four tips to get mistletoe-worthy lips:

  1. Apply lip balm with lanolin or beeswax which creates a protective barrier, sealing in moisture on your lips. Balms containing glycerin actually help further by drawing moisture into your dried out lips. If you wear lipstick, apply the balm first, then apply a moisturizing lipstick. Re-apply throughout the day, especially at first sign of dryness.
  2. Avoid flavored balms as they often contain cinnamates, which are flavorings that can cause an allergic reaction in some people. Plus, tasty balms may lead you to lick your lips — saliva is irritating to your already chapped lips and quickly evaporates, further drying them.
  3. If you’re skiing this winter, then be sure your lip balm has UV protection, with an SPF of at least 15. UV rays are more potent at higher altitudes, and UV light is reflected off of snow.
  4. For deeply cracked or split lips, use a bland ointment such as Aquaphor Healing Ointment or Vaseline Petroleum Jelly. Apply liberally before bedtime, as lips tend to dry out from the heat in your bedroom.

December 21, 2007 | Filed Under Dry Skin, Health and Beauty | Leave a Comment