Itchiness. Flakiness. Peeling. Cracking. The winter months can really take a toll on your skin, and sometimes a medicine cabinet full of hydrating skin care products isn’t enough.
“Cold weather outdoors and dry heat indoors can steal moisture from your skin, leading to dehydration,” explained Dr. Whitney Bowe, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York. And if you already have dry skin due to genetics or certain health conditions, you may be even more vulnerable to dehydrated skin in the winter.
One of the best things you can do is to ensure that you’re hydrated from the inside out, starting with the foods and drinks that you ingest. We talked to the experts about edible ingredients that can make your skin more dehydrated — and ones that can actually help your skin stay properly hydrated.
How Do You Know If Your Skin Is Dehydrated?
“Dehydrated skin loses elasticity, can be flaky, and can appear dull,” Bowe explained. “Hydrated skin is smooth, supple and reflects light evenly, which gives off that radiant glow.”
Not only does keeping your skin hydrated make it look different, but it is essential for the skin’s long-term health.
One of the ways to hydrate our skin is from the inside out, said Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, a registered dietitian, an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson, and the founder of 360Girls&Women.
“We … may spend a lot of time with products to hydrate the skin from the outside when we really need to start on the inside,” she said. And that includes what we eat and drink.
Foods And Drinks That Can Dehydrate Your Skin:
Caffeine
Beverages like coffees, teas, sodas and energy drinks generally have caffeine in them. Moderate amounts of caffeine (around 400 milligrams or four cups of coffee a day, according to the Food and Drug Administration) are not usually linked to dehydration because the water in the beverage often offsets the