We hate to be so reductive about a very essential molecule, but water is kind of hot right now. Which prompts the question: Just how much water should you drink a day for clearer skin? Between #WaterTok, the Stanley cup craze and Ophora’s $26 bottles, the answers can be muddy. Too little, and you’re a shriveled raisin of a man. Too much, and you’re taking a suspicious number of bathroom breaks in the office.
And yes, water is important. But you already knew that. H2O makes up roughly 60% of the human body and helps us to regulate temperature, digest food, keep our joints moving, flush bacteria out, maintain blood volume, deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells, and so on. As peak performance strategist Abigail Ireland says,“It’s fundamental to everything that we do.” And even the mildest of dehydration levels can affect energy, mood, and athletic performance.
We talked to some experts to find out the perfect amount of water per day.
How much water do we need to drink each day?
Referring immediately to public health guidelines feels like calling your mom after an argument at school. You’re not necessarily going to get the answer you want, but it will be authoritative. The authorities suggest between six to eight glasses of water a day, which seems a suitably vague place to begin.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is a bit more specific, advocating that men should be drinking about 15.5 cups a day, or 124 ounces. Minus the average liquid volume found in food (20% each day), that’s about 100 ounces, which can also come from tea, coffee, and even some alcoholic beverages. Other experts I spoke to suggest 67 to 100 ounces is a good guide.
But it’s not as simple as that: Things like exercise, illness, gender, weight, salty diets, fruit, taking a plane, air-conditioned environments, and sweating all mean you might need to drink more or less than the baseline. If only there was some way your body could communicate…
Signs of dehydration
Abigail Ireland runs through all the signs your body gives off when dehydrated: tension headaches, dry skin, dry mouth, brittle hair, a coated tongue, difficulty focusing, difficulty focusing, difficulty fo… fatigue, and dark-coloured urine. She suggests the color of urine you’re aiming for is not transparent. You do not achieve top marks for clear pee. Being overly hydrated can lead to low levels of sodium in your body, water intoxication, brain swelling and yup, death. You’re looking for “a light kind of pale yellow color.” If you haven’t taken a leak in a while, that’s also a sign of dehydration—anything less than four times a day spells trouble.
How often, when, and how should I drink?
“Downing a glass of water is not a particularly good way of maintaining your overall hydration,” says Dr. Ed Robinson, a member of the British College of Aesthetic Medicine. But if you’re particularly thirsty, you’ve recently exercised, or just woken up, then drinking a glass quickly can help the body get back to baseline. Upon suggestion that an IV drip might be quicker, Robinson and Ireland both strongly suggest a water bottle with measurements that allow you to track intake over the day.
Should you drink during meals?
There’s no concrete answer, says Ireland. “Some people feel comfortable drinking water while they’re eating to help with the food going down,” she says. “But some studies say if you drink a lot of water before eating it can dilute the stomach acid which doesn’t digest your food as effectively. I suggest 20 to 30 minutes before a meal, have your last gulp of water, then eat, then 20 to 30 minutes later have another drink. But I think everyone needs to just sense their own body.”
Does the type of water matter?
“The type of water you consume is less critical than ensuring that you are adequately hydrated,” says health and fitness coach Amanda Place. Tap water is the logical choice. Also, it’s probably best to avoid plastic bottled water. Not only is it pointless and unsustainable, but they also release microplastics into the water, according to a report by ABC, and you don’t really want to be drinking that.
How does hydration affect the skin?
It’s often claimed that, if your skin is dry, you should try drinking more water. But myth-buster Robinson confirms otherwise: “There’s not a tremendous amount of evidence that drinking lots more water helps improve the skin,” he says. “The skin is the largest organ in the body and it’s got many functions, but one of its most important is to prevent transepidermal water loss.” (Which is essentially water loss through the skin.)
He cites the recent rise in the abuse of anti-aging creams such as retinols and tretinoins damaging the epidermal layer and causing dehydration. His advice: get professional oversight when using powerful creams and use good moisturizers and SPF daily to keep the skin healthy and hydrated.
Well, there you have it. The facts. Maybe a hashtag on TikTok can be a boon for public health after all? Start with a guideline of 80-100 ounces, sip throughout the day, and ultimately, pay attention to your bathroom breaks.
This story originally ran on British GQ.
