Despite the obvious rise in diversity, contemporary society remains increasingly objective, and as a result, many skin-care, beauty and wellness recommendations are objectively and almost ignorantly performed. It is not news that the act of drinking 8 glasses of water at least per day is heavily encouraged in today's community through various media sources.
However, hardly ever do we as consumers pause to reflect on the evidence behind these renowned claims.
Thus I have found no scientific proof that we must ‘drink at least eight glasses of water a day’, nor proof, it must be admitted, that drinking less does absolutely no harm. (Valtin, 2002)
The quote above pulled from a study carried out by Heinz Valtin on scientific evidence surrounding the consumption of 2 litres of water daily. Valtin (2002) stated that the advice to consume (at least) 8 oz. plain fluid on a daily basis had no scientific basis, and was therefore considered a manmade constructed truth.
Of course, this study and its evidence point to the effects of water on the overall well-being of an individual and not skin performance specifically. I was intrigued by the information and decided it was worth sharing, but now let’s move on to the more Interesting stuff;
We could not confirm any objective improvement of wrinkles or skin surface roughness after increasing the daily water uptake to more than 2 litres over weeks’. We still await scientific evidence to validate what we know instinctively to be true—namely, that it is all a myth. (Wolf et al)
The quote above relays a very clear message; The consumptions of 2 litres of water a day has no direct influence on issues to do with the surface of the skin and is considered a myth. When I first came across that study, I was dumbfounded. Personally, I am an avid water drinker, I drink at least two litres of water a day and that excludes the numerous cups of tea that follow. My heart became rather heavy as I sat there contemplating what my life would have been like if I had come across this information earlier.
The truth is, there would have been no change. I love drinking water, not cause of what the internet says it does to my skin but for the way it makes me feel. I feel lighter, a lot less dehydrated, and certainly more active when I drink a minimum of 8 oz. of water daily. I wasn’t going to suddenly stop doing something I loved because a (very respectable and established) guy name Wolf and his research participants decided it wasn’t good for me.
Despite the results of both studies above, I can't deny the outstanding advantages that drinking plentiful amounts of water has attached to my wellbeing (I will publish a well informed post on the benefits that I have personally experienced from drinking water). The study results, however, made me realise that as consumers in the beauty industry, we hold the purchasing power and shouldn't be pushed around or dictated to. Don’t let this internet frenzy or that advert tell you how to live your life or what to put on your skin. Try things out and stick to them if they make you feel good.
The series of debunking myths continues,
NEXT POST: Are we aware of what we're putting on our skin?