It's no secret that skincare is one of the most talked about subjects lately — in fact, #skincareroutine is number 74 on the top trending TikTok hashtags over the past 120 days. Additionally, Statista states that the global skincare market is said to reach over 186 billion dollars by 2028.
While some people might consider skincare to be a hobby, others might only be searching the trending skincare-related hashtags online and purchasing related products because they want to improve the quality of their skin. And what many people don't realize is that expensive products, lasers, facials, and vitamins won't typically solve their skin issues as quickly as digging deeper into the root cause of flare-ups and inflammation — which can surprisingly be linked to drinking alcohol.
Specific skin issues that may be caused by alcohol
Research shows that drinking can lead to a handful of skin conditions, including:
- Under-eye circles: Alcohol can interfere with your sleep, promoting restlessness and showing signs of this under your eyes.
- Rosacea flare-ups: Drinking can encourage redness and even cause you to see this condition for the first time.
- Dryness: When you drink, you're less hydrated, leading to dryer skin.
Hives: There's a chance that people will break out in hives more often when drinking, and it can even be a symptom of alcohol intolerance, which is a disorder of the digestive system, impacting your body’s capability of processing alcohol. Additionally, breaking out in rashes, developing itchiness, and swelling can be signs of an alcohol allergy, which is an immune system response to an ingredient in alcohol. In rare cases, an alcohol allergy can be potentially fatal.
- Psoriasis: Heavy drinkers might experience dry, itchy scalps more often.
- Acne: Although there isn't a direct correlation between alcohol and acne, the detrimental health impacts of alcohol, coupled with its ability to greatly impact our hormones, can potentially exacerbate or indirectly contribute to the development of acne.
Additionally, alcohol consumption can even interfere with your body's ability to fight skin cancer. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light can induce mutations in DNA, usually repaired by the body. However, the metabolization of alcohol generates byproducts that delay DNA repair mechanisms, potentially promoting cancer development. Additionally, alcohol triggers the production of something called “reactive oxygen species,” which can harm DNA.
How to tackle skin concerns and see results
This spring, all women will have the opportunity to utilize Seek, the first at-home test that measures how alcohol impacts women's health. Seek offers a preventive, science-backed approach that helps women monitor for early indicators of alcohol-related disease before a diagnosis. The accessible and affordable offering is backed by clinicians from the world's most prestigious hospitals and universities, including Penn, Rutgers, Mount Sinai, and UCLA Health. Women can work with experts to uncover their best relationship with drinking through private virtual consults, personalized care plans, and insights based on results — which could include determining how to change your drinking habits to get your ideal skin outcome.
Tips for healthy, glowing skin
Besides altering your drinking habits, there are many things that you can do to encourage healthy skin, such as:
- Limit sun exposure and wear sunscreen to improve your skin's appearance and health at all ages. Also, consider wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and protective clothes for extra defense.
- Hydrate by drinking adequate water throughout the day. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommend women consume around 2.7 liters and men drink about 3.7 liters.
- Prioritize good sleep hygiene to ensure you're getting a healthy amount of light, REM, and deep sleep, which each play a critical role in determining sleep quality.
Digging deeper than surface-level trends to uncover healthy skin
Mitigating skin troubles can be daunting, but looking past the viral skincare trends and getting personalized recommendations rooted in science is a good first step to achieving long-lasting success. With Seek, you can create your own curated plan to improve your skin and even continue to retest to ensure the best results.
Transforming your skin can take time and attention, but once you have a game plan that’s right for you, that dream complexion becomes within reach.