All of us have heard enough about the benefits of drinking water for skin, hair and overall health. Drinking about eight to 10 glasses of water a day is a mandate for healthy bodily functions. From keeping your skin properly moisturized, clear and gloing to ensuring that your hair looks smooth, soft and frizz-free, water has a lot of benefits. In fact, not drinking enough water can lead to a lot of beauty related problems such as premature aging, severely dry and parched skin and even lead to unprecedented hair fall. Scary isn't it?
But of late, with the advent of green tea, infused water, sparkling water and what not, it can get a little confusing as to what one should choose in order to reap maximum benefits. While green tea and infused water come with their own set of benefits, there’s another type of water that recently caught our attention – alkaline water. Before you get confused, read about the benefits of drinking alkaline water for skin.
- What is alkaline water:
- In a nutshell:
- 01. Diminishes visible signs of ageing
- 02. Has moisturising and hydrating properties
- 03. Deep cleanses your pores
- How to make alkaline water at home?
- Baking soda alkaline water
- Lemon juice alkaline water
- Frequently asked questions about alkaline water benefits for skin:
What is alkaline water:
Alkaline water is nothing but ionized water. What this means is that the pH level of the water is higher than usual. Just like your skin, water also has a pH level, which helps in determining how acidic or alkaline it is on a measuring scale of 0 to 14, with the lower side of the measuring scale (for eg. 1) being extremely acidic, and the higher side (for eg. 13) being super alkaline.
Usually, alkaline water that has health benefits and is safe to drink has a pH level of about 8 or 9, as opposed to the tap water that comes with a pH level of approximately 7. When something has a pH level of 7, it is considered to be neutral, which means neither acidic nor alkaline.
Why is alkaline water beneficial?
Research and studies have proven that if a person has higher acidity in their body, drinking alkaline water helps in neutralizing it quite effectively. This is a great way to keep your body healthy and fight quite a lot of common ailments.
In a nutshell:
01. Alkaline water is normal water with a higher pH level
02. It has a pH level of about 8 or 9
03. It helps fight excess acidity in the body and neutralises its harmful effects
04. It is also used to fight a lot of common ailments that occur due to a higher level of acidity in the body
Now that we know what exactly alkaline water is, let’s find out in detail about how this type of water is beneficial for your skin.
01. Diminishes visible signs of ageing
Alkaline water is a rich source of antioxidants and that stops environmental aggressors from messing with your skin. These are the factors that damage your skin’s natural barrier function and cause your skin to age prematurely and show signs such as fine lines and wrinkles. But using alkaline water in your beauty routine helps negate these aggressors and keeps your skin looking young and youthful.
02. Has moisturising and hydrating properties
If you want your skin to look and feel healthy, it is extremely important that you keep it properly hydrated. If your skin is not moisturised and hydrated enough, both on the inside as well as on the outside, it ends up looking dull, flaky and excessively oily. In order to achieve glowing skin, it is important that your body flushes out toxins regularly and hydrating your body plays a very important role in doing so. Drinking alkaline water benefits your skin, thanks to the higher levels of hydrogen present in it. This hydrogen ensures that the alkaline water absorbs quickly and more efficiently into your cells than normal water, and therefore helps in keeping it healthy and moisturized.
03. Deep cleanses your pores
The mantle layer of our skin is quite acidic in nature and plays a vital role in keeping pollution, sun rays, bacteria and other impurities from settling on the skin while also keeping it properly hydrated. But if you have super acidic skin, then it could lead to excessive oil production, leading to a host of problems such as acne and skin infections. But drinking alkaline water or washing your face with an alkaline face wash or even rinsing with normal alkaline water, neutralizes the acidity and restricts excess sebum production. It also helps in opening up your pores and provides them with a deep cleanse, to not just keep your skin oil-free but also heal active acne, inflammation, etc.
How to make alkaline water at home?
You don’t need to go out and buy expensive alkaline water to reap its benefits. You can very easily make it at home with a few commonly found ingredients that are readily available in your kitchen.
You will need a pH level testing kit that is available at any local pharmacy. Dipping this sheet in water helps you find out how alkaline, acidic or normal your water already is, and accordingly make the alterations.
Baking soda alkaline water
Start by adding about 1/8th tablespoon of baking soda to a tall glass of water and mix it well. Since soda has higher alkalinity, it will help reduce the acidic or neutral properties of tap water and help it become more alkaline in nature.
Lemon juice alkaline water
In about a litre of water, add four to five wedges of lemons without squeezing the juice out. Cover the container and allow it to rest at room temperature for about 10 to 12 hours. Remove the lemons later and drink this water to beat the extra acidity in your body and help flush out the toxins.
Frequently asked questions about alkaline water benefits for skin:
1) Can I drink alkaline water every day?
A. Yes, you definitely can consume alkaline water on a daily basis. In fact, lemon-infused water acts as an amazing detoxifier and cleanses your body from the inside by getting rid of the toxins.
2) Is drinking too much alkaline water bad for you?
A. The simple answer is yes. If your body becomes extremely alkaline, then it can result in a variety of gastrointestinal issues and skin irritations. It will also majorly hamper your skin’s pH level, leading to metabolic dysfunction, nausea and irregular bowel movements.
3) Does alkaline water help you lose weight?
A. Drinking alkaline water is generally considered to be a great way to lose weight as it helps to speed up metabolism and promote better functioning of the digestive organs. And therefore, since alkaline water anyway boasts of so many benefits, drinking a glass of alkaline water about 30 minutes before a meal will definitely help burn fat and ensure that you lose weight faster.
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Written by Urvi Dalal on 27th Jul 2020
Writer, avid reader and hardcore beauty enthusiast is the best way to describe Urvi Dalal. With over 5 years of writing experience in the beauty industry, you can trust her to have the latest skin, hair and makeup tidbits on her fingertips. In her time working as a beauty writer, she has had the opportunity to interact and work closely with a string of dermatologists, makeup artists and hairstylists. All that knowledge exchange, coupled with her flair and love for writing make it possible for her to bring you some authentic yet fun beauty content. When Urvi isn’t working, you’d usually catch her curled up with a big, fat book, drinking a cup of tea or practising her makeup skills; there is no in-between!