Drinking alcohol and the effects on our skin

No judgement here on whether you like to enjoy a few drinks or not, but as we are in the business of recommending and selling skincare, and with many of us perhaps increasing our alcohol intake over the course of this year, we thought it might be worthwhile to take a look at the effects on our skin caused by drinking alcohol.

Is A Few Drinks Really That Bad?

There’s no sugar coating it – the news isn’t good. Evidence shows that drinking alcohol accelerates the ageing process and manifests in several different ways on our complexion. Dehydration, dullness, an increase in redness and inflammation, perhaps some acne, fine lines and wrinkles are all side effects of heavy drinking on our skin. Definitely not what we want to see on our face, but as long as the damage isn't too severe, we have popped a few hangover remedies for your skin below. 

Many of us already know that we don’t look our best after a drinking session. In our treatment of skin over the years, the tell-tale signs of heavy drinking become obvious. We particularly notice dilated capillaries, severe dehydration, and lack of radiance which can be difficult to correct without a commitment to professional skin treatments and a home skincare routine. Keep in mind, for the skin to improve and conditions corrected, the drinking needs to decrease or cease all together.

So What Will We See In Our Skin?

Dehydration is the most noticeable side affect to drinking alcohol, as it’s a diuretic which literally drains the fluid out of the body, with fine lines, wrinkles and pores all becoming more visible. When our skin is dehydrated (lacking water) our complexion lacks radiance and becomes dull and flat looking. It takes four glasses of water to replenish the skin after one alcoholic drink, which is a lot, and probably why we have been told forever to make sure we drink water as well when having a few bevvy’s.

Drinking alcohol also releases a stress hormone, cortisol, and whilst the effects of stress on our skin and bodies is a whole other blog topic, signs like inflammation, increased redness and irritation, more lines and wrinkles are all ways that stress becomes obvious when it comes to our skin and overall complexion, despite the relaxant that we can get from the drink.

We also fail to get our proper beauty sleep when our body, especially our liver, is working overtime to process the excess toxins from our drinks. Initially, the sleep sedative will kick in and help us fall asleep, but later during our sleep cycle, it becomes hard to get a restful sleep whilst our body gets to work. Hello dark circles and dull skin that does not glow the day after!

Some of us also experience a breakout of acne after drinking, which can be linked to the hormonal stimulus you get when you choose to drink and the sugar content in what you choose to drink , whilst others amongst us notice that we start to heat up and our skin flushes. This is due to a histamine release in the skin and elevated heart rate due to the alcohol intake. Longer-term alcohol abuse can result in Telangiectasia, which is a skin condition that occurs when blood vessels in the skin widen and dilate gradually over time and often in clusters.

Is My Complexion Doomed?

So whilst the side effects aren’t great, don’t be too stressed about enjoying a beverage or two. After all, life is for living and everything in moderation, right? Whilst the short term signs of a few drinks on our skin can be easily remedied, you need to be drinking a fair bit, or fairly heavily, to notice visible long-term damage.

Professional facial treatments with your favourite skin therapist are always endorsed by us and indulging a bit more in your skincare regime the day after, or as ongoing maintenance, can help keep your complexion on track and in good health despite enjoying a few drinks every now and then. See our recommendations below and click the link on the solutions you think would work for you.

Hangover Skin Remedies

We have all the tools you need to help your skin recover after a few drinks! A bit of extra care can be all it takes to bring your skin back to its happy place. Whether you need to rehydrate the skin, or get your glow back, we have several products that can help:

Hydration Boost – Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Mask, Payot Hydra 24+ Baume-En-Masque, Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster, Payot Hydra 24+ Concentre D’Eau, Payot Morning Mask Water Power

Radiance Boost – Payot Morning Mask Hangover, Dermalogica Age Smart Multivitamin Power Recovery Mask, Payot My Payot Jour Gelee