CosBeauty Magazine #98

How to take care
of your skin and still
have a good time
The good news? Your skin has the
ability to regenerate itself and
your body has an amazing rate of
rehydration. But that regeneration
depends on how much damage has
been done. If you’ve been drinking
for 15 years and decide to stop, it
will definitely help your body going
forwards, but your skin is not going
to regenerate back to that of a nondrinker
15 years younger. The truth
is that once you destroy collagen,
it’s difficult to get back, but there are
ways to minimise the damage.
KNOW YOUR LIMITS
How your body handles and
processes alcohol changes as you
age. An alcoholic drink leaves your
body in about three hours when
you’re 20; but by the time you hit 40
it takes 33 hours – which explains
why your recovery time is so much
longer and your hangovers seem to
get worse as you age! So basically
if you’re drinking in your 40s and
you’re worried about your skin, you
should probably be waiting a day in
between drinks – or keep it to once
or twice a week.
STAY HYDRATED
We all know this one – alternate
between water and alcohol if you’re
going to drink. Alcohol is a toxin
with little nutrient value and can
contribute to poorer liver function,
reduced immunity, hormone
disruption, cell damage and insulin
issues – all impacting on the quality,
appearance and rate of ageing of
your skin.
Alcohol is also a diuretic, so you
can lose plenty of skin cell-loving
water from the body quite rapidly,
leaving your skin dehydrated and
dull. Drinking plenty of water while
you drink – and of course every
day – is a good way to maintain
some of the hydration that alcohol
is depleting.
CHOOSE LOW-
OR NO- ALCOHOL
OPTIONS
As society becomes increasingly
health conscious, the options for
those who want to minimise their
alcohol intake are increasing. And
the good news is you can still
actually have a wine without having
a drink. Clever winemakers are
creating alcohol-free versions of
your favourite wines, many of which
have far fewer calories than standard
wine. So instead of bemoaning
never drinking again to save your
skin, you can continue to drink wine
and keep your collagen! CBM
www.cosbeauty.com.au 105