Hello awesome people! Welcome to my third blog post! For this inquiry project, I have decided to research the question “To what extent does daily water intake influence skin hydration and acne occurrence in students?” In this blog post, I will be Investigating the relationship between daily water intake, skin hydration, and acne occurrence in students; thus, linking the research together.
Understanding the link between water intake, skin hydration, and acne is crucial for students to stay healthy and keep performing their best. Based on previous research, we learned that water has many roles in our body, including the maintenance of homeostasis (1)(3). Homeostasis is our body’s natural ability to maintain a stable environment despite external factors. That being said, we can identify times when our skin homeostasis is poor when our skin experiences abnormal symptoms of dryness, redness, sensitivity, and especially acne. Skin homeostasis is crucial for protection against ultraviolet radiation, seasonal changes, and air pollution, which can all damage the skin tissue and barrier if exposed to frequently (4).
In a study, researchers tracked two groups of healthy women. One group was made up of women than drank less then 3,200m of total fluid per day, while the other group had women that already drank 3,200 mL per day. Each day, both groups added 2 litres of mineral water to their daily diet for 30 days. By the end of the 30 days, the study found that while both groups saw benefits, the first group of women who were originally “low drinker” saw massive improvements in both superficial and deep skin hydration (3). If we connect this information back to our other topic, the benefit of deep skin hydration from consistent heavy water drinking can help reduce your chances of acne scars, promote skin homeostasis, and help keep the elasticity of your skin.
The main causes of acne is said to be poor sleep schedules, improper diet and most importantly, stress. As soon-to-be adults, high schoolers have a lot going on inside their mind. They have to keep attending their extracurriculars such as sports practices and games, weekly club meetings, volunteering positions, and their grades on top of that (5). Studies back up the idea that stress can directly influence the formation of acne (2). When the body experiences chronic stress, it causes the hormone cortisol and oil glands to increase in activity significantly, decreasing the production of hyaluronic acid and contributing to skin vulnerability to fine lines. It is that extra production of oil mixed with dead skin cells which in turn cause acne. Additionally, stress can cause the skin to lose the ability to self-protect. This excess level of sebum production creates the perfect environment for breakout-causing bacteria (6)(7).
While I was able to create a clear connection between daily water intake and acne occurrence using the information available online, this was only done through referencing other studies. If I was given more time to find more studies done around water and acne, I feel my answer would have been supported better with more concrete evidence.
Based on all steps, to what extent does daily water intake influence acne?
Based on the evidence, daily water intake has a clear but indirect connection to acne occurrence. While drinking water isn’t a “magic cure” that stops all oil production, it is essential for maintaining the skin’s barrier and homeostasis. By improving deep skin hydration, water helps the skin recover from the damage caused by stress and inflammation. While more direct studies on students are needed for concrete proof, the comparison of existing data suggests that staying hydrated is a key fundamental step in any acne-prevention routine.
References:
- s://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6315424
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7527424/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4529263/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38409936/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666328724001810
- https://vanguardmedical.ca/treatment-for-acne-calgary-ab/
- https://www.adventhealth.com/hospital/adventhealth-gordon/blog/how-drinking-water-helps-acne
Thank you for reading my third round of research blog! Please feel free to comment down below how this blog made you feel!
Hi! I really like how clearly you explained the connection between water, skin hydration, and acne. Your post is very interesting to read! One thing you could do is briefly explain how the women in the study relate to students, since your question focuses mostly on students. Overall, this is really great and interesting post!
-Parmis