Clear skin, no fine lines and a warm glow – what midlife woman doesn’t want the complexion of a thirty-something?
As a chain-smoking, kebab-munching 44-year-old, I’m going to share the beauty secret I’ve just discovered that’s become a regular habit. Great skin can be yours in three days with this hack.
It costs just 63p a hit, and leaves even my heavy smoker’s skin looking fantastic.
Having recently returned from a bit of a booze cruise – drinking beer, champagne and staying up till 1am every night, I was feeling tired and rundown. My eyes were puffy, my wrinkles and saggy jaw showed on photos and I kept taking naps.
I knew I needed to drink more water to salvage my skin – the problem is, I don’t really like it.
It’s been a slog trying to ditch the two-litre bottles of diet cola or fizzy Fanta I’d get through twice a day, plus I take medication that has a dehydrating effect.
Cordials taste nice but still have lots of sugar. And after six weeks I started to find adding powdered flavouring to my water tasted too chalky. I love the new DASH wonky fruit cans, but the cost means I only buy them as a treat.
There are very few options for healthy yet delicious , but my tired and saggy skin was craving a detox.
Erica before her detox. Her skin was looking tired and lined thanks to a boozy holiday and smoking (left). After drinking 10 cans a day of fizzy fruit-infused water, her skin was looking renewed in just three days (right)
That’s when I discovered on Amazon that you can buy pure fizzy water infused with fruits for £15.99 for 25 cans – that’s just 63p a can. There are a variety of flavours – strawberry, raspberry, watermelon, mint and cucumber.
They’ve absolutely no added nasties – just carbonated water with a light fruit infusion.
I got excited and bulk bought 100 cans of the raspberry and blood orange flavour (yes, bought, not a press freebie).
That was a month ago and I’ve drunk nothing but my two morning mugs of coffee and ten cans of this Aqua Libra water a day.
After 3 days I looked and felt five years younger.
I immediately noticed fine lines had reduced and I’ve more energy to tackle my day-to-day.
It’s something I’ll continue to drink, though the spectacular effects have plateaued after the first 3 days.
It’s not rocket science – drinking water for healthy, glowing skin. But stats consistently show that as a nation, we don’t drink enough water.
Erica got excited and bulk bought 100 cans of the raspberry and blood orange flavour Aqua Libra from Amazon
Before her detox, Erica (pictured) was struggling to keep up her fluid intake and was drinking litres of diet cola
And with temperatures reaching boiling point here in the UK, and with many of us working from home with no air conditioning, you’d imagine we’re all glugging back plenty of ice cool water to stay hydrated.
The truth is, we’re not.
Nutritionist Dr Naomi Newman-Beinart says: ‘Research has found that 90 per cent of people in the UK are not drinking the NHS recommended 6 – 8 glasses of fluids per day, 1.2 to 1.5l, and 20 per cent admitting often forgetting to drink any water at all!’
With our bodies being made up of 70 per cent water and our brains around 85 per cent – ensuring we are sufficiently hydrated throughout the day with good quality water is essential for our health.
Pharmacist Deborah Grayson agrees. She says: ‘Drinking enough water each day is essential to our overall health, and that includes tour skin. The NHS recommends around 6-8 glasses – more in hot weather or if you’re active.’
Grayson goes on to explain skin is our largest organ, and it needs water to stay healthy. When you’re well-hydrated, the top layer of skin holds moisture better, making it look plumper, smoother and more refreshed.
Water won’t erase wrinkles, but it can help reduce dryness and support skin elasticity – all of which can make skin look more youthful.
‘If you weren’t drinking much water before, you might notice a difference within a few days.’ says Grayson, which would explain my instance boost to my complexion.
Adds Grayson: ‘That’s likely just your body responding to better hydration – but the effects usually level off, not keep increasing. There’s no scientific rule about ‘three days to glowing skin,’ but it’s not unusual for people to feel brighter and more energised early on.
‘Drinking two litres of water a day is a simple, proven way to support your skin, energy, and overall well-being. It’s not a miracle fix – but if you’re swapping out sugary or dehydrating drinks, you’ll definitely feel the benefits.’
So, if, like me, you’re a cola or cordial fiend, try switching to water for just 3 days to notice a marked difference.
Your skin will sincerely thank you for it.