3 Ways That Doing Dry January Benefits Your Skin

As the New Year begins, lots of us already have our New Year’s Resolutions firmed up and ready to go. Last year, we published a post that gave you a couple of tips on how to stick to yours. Some people see Dry January as a little mini-resolution; a New Year’s Resolution Lite, if you will. Research has shown that kind of thinking actually makes it easier to stick to – which is extra-good news, as it has all sorts of positive implications for your skin, too.

To sum them up quickly:

1. You’ll get better sleep
2. You automatically cut down on your sugar intake
3. You’re letting your skin hydrate itself more

Curious to find out how?

You’ll Get A Better Night’s Sleep

Not everyone knows this, but alcohol is particularly bad for disrupting your sleep cycle. Consuming alcohol makes it harder to slip into REM sleep, which is the deepest and most restful stage. This means that no matter how much sleep you get, you’ll still feel tired in the morning. Cutting alcohol out for a while enables you to get more restful REM sleep, leaving you feeling refreshed in the morning. But how is it relevant to your skin? Well, nighttime is the point where your skin does most of the repair work, so getting more restful sleep gives your skin more time and opportunity to revitalise itself too.

You’re Taking A Break From Processed Sugar

On the whole, processed sugar hasn’t got a fantastic reputation in the healthcare industry, and there are lots of good reasons for that! When you consume processed sugar, your body then turns it into glucose, which produces enzymes that break down your collagen and elastin; both key elements to healthy, younger-looking skin. Unfortunately, processed sugar is something that most alcoholic drinks aren’t short on, especially sweeter ones like Prosecco and many ciders. By giving the alcohol a rest, you’re also giving your body a break from the worst effects of sugar, too. Since sugar often features high on many NY resolutions, too, you’re essentially doing two of them in one!

You’re Hydrating Your Skin

By switching out a glass of wine in the evenings with a glass of water instead, you’re giving your skin the vital hydration it needs to do all its jobs effectively. Alcohol is a known diuretic, which means it dehydrates your skin, even possibly damaging it. Hydrated skin is more plump and resilient, while dehydrated skin looks dry, feels cracked and isn’t nearly as good at protecting you from illness and infection. Saying no to drinks for a few weeks gives your skin a headstart on repairing damage, and makes it look and feel smoother. What’s not to like?

We’re not saying that you can never enjoy alcohol – far from it! But the best thing about Dry January is that there’s no one who loses out. If you’re not a heavy drinker, it’s no great stretch to knock them on the head for a bit, and if you enjoy hitting the town, just try it for a few weeks – you might be surprised at what kind of difference it can make!

Here at AP Skincare, your skin’s health is our priority, and our skincare specialists offer a range of core skincare treatments to ensure that we meet your every skincare need! Our eDermaroller therapy treatment is particularly popular at this time of year – why not pop into our Blackburn treatment centre and find out what we can do for you?

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