Drinking Water Contaminates and the Biggest Human Organ – The Skin

Author: Samantha Oram (Licensed Esthetician)

Growing up, I always enjoyed playing dress-up, tea parties, and makeup. When I became an adult, I became very interested in skin care and esthetics. After graduating from high school, I searched for a school where I could become a licensed esthetician. I started at one school, but I did not really enjoy the teaching style. I did, however, enjoy living on my own in a cabin in the woods in the Poconos. It was great! To be honest, this was one of the first times lived on my own and proved to myself: "I can do this!" Later, I found a trade school closer to home and I completed my training at the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. I drove through the town of Dimock, PA - known for all the natural gas development and water wells that would light on fire, and brown strange looking water. It was great! 

At the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center I focused on the Esthetician Program. I found the program to be very informative, provide a friendly atmosphere, and the instructors really helped me to learn more about skin care, esthetics, and how the skin is the largest organ in our bodies. Fact: “The human skin is the outer covering of the body and is the largest organ of the integumentary system.” The integumentary system forms the outermost layer of an animal's body including the skin, hair, scales, feathers, eyelashes, lips, nails, etc. It is important in functions like: hydration of the body, waste removal from the body, feeling sensations, and regulating temperature.

In fact, the surface area of the average human’s skin is over 34,000 square inch (This is over three-quarters of an acre) and every square inch of skin has millions of cells, over 8 feet of blood vessels, 650 sweet glands, 65 hairs, and over 1,300 nerve endings. Skin of an average adult weights about 7 pounds. Your skin acts as the first layer of protection for everything inside your body and as the first layer of protection and defense against disease. It is also very important in the regulation of temperature - so what you put on it matters! (Source 1)

Since my father spends most of his time talking about how drinking water quality impacts our bodies, I thought it would be interesting to see how proper hydration and drinking water quality might impact the skin.

The human skin performs the following functions:

1. Protects the body and helps to maintain a skin pH of 5.5,
2. Acts to help us sense our environment, such as: heat, cold, and touch,
3. Aids in the heat and temperature regulation of the body,
4. Helps to eliminate toxic compounds and detoxifies the body via excretions/secretions,
5. Produces oily substances and secretions to protect itself, and
6. Acts as an absorption barrier that protects the bodies organs.

While training to become an Esthetician, I learned the following are the most important factors to ensure your skin and the entire integumentary system stays healthy:

1. The skin must be properly hydrated. The skin contains about 30% water and about 50-70% of the human body is composed of water. (Source 1 and Source 2)
   
   
2. The skin is a layered system that has multiple forms and functions.
   
   
3. Drinking healthy water aids in the elimination of bodily wastes, controls the bodies temperature, and aids in digestion. (Source 1)

I also learned a few water facts:

1.  A little loss or change can cause significant problems. A 2% decrease in the bodies water content can cause confusion and fatigue and a 3 % drop can interfere with metabolic processes and result in mild dehydration.  (Source 1)
   
   
2. Over 75 % of the American population are experiencing long-term dehydration. (Source : Adult Dehydration)
   
   
3. The amount of water someone needs to consume is not fixed, but depends on the daily activities, body size/type, environment, and diet. Typically, the average human needs 11+ to 15 cups per day of healthy water. (Source : Mayo Clinic)
   
   
4. You can actually drink to much water  - drinking over 3.5 to 4 cups of water an hour can lead to over-hydration.
   
   
5. Sometimes when you feel hungry, it is actually your body telling you are thirsty. 
   
   
6. A good rule of thumb for daily healthy water intake is: Take your body weight and divide it by 2 and then divide this number by 8. The answer is the approximate number of 8-ounce servings of healthy water you should drink every day. (Source: Water Intake Calculator)
   
   
7. Some individuals may actually be allergic to water.

The best way to have healthy skin is to stay properly hydrated with healthy drinking water, eat a balanced diet, avoid the use of smoking and tobacco products, use quality skin care products, and control /limit your exposure to UV irradiation.

What do I mean by "healthy water"? (Great Booklet "Our Drinking Water" and I am on the cover!)

I am not saying you have to drink or consume pure water, deionized water, or distilled water. In fact, this would not be wise because some minerals in water are beneficial and some are even requirements for healthy body functions. I am saying you need to drink water that meets or exceeds the drinking water standards set by your regulatory system.  (Rapid ways to increase hydration - LiquidIV or LMNT )

My recommendations for identifying "healthy water" that will treat your skin well are as follows:

• Bottled water - if you want to use bottled water, I would recommend that you considered purchasing water that is sold as spring water from a local source. Spring water typically contains all of the necessary minerals your body needs to function, and buying local means less impact in delivery costs to the store and ultimately to you.
• If you are living in a remote area and use a water well, I recommend that you get the water tested and install the necessary water treatment equipment to make your own healthy water at home. This will give you peace-of-mind, an easy way to always have healthy water at home and will also help you Go Bottleless reduce plastic waste and save money.
• If you are drinking city water, you should review the consumer confidence  report for the system, get your city water tested, and consider the installation or use of either a point-of-use under the counter treatment system or a counter mounted water treatment system that meets your needs. This ensures healthy water is always right at the tap where you need it most often.

My New website - Under Construction

Our Feature Skin Care Products are as follows:

Advanced Eyelash Serum for Thicker, Longer Eyelashes and Eyebrows - Grow Luscious Lashes with Brow Enhancer

Clean Skin Club Clean Towels XL

Exederm Flare Control Cream for Eczema & Dermatitis

Compressed Facial Sponges for Estheticians

Other Products

O Positiv URO Urinary Tract Health Supplement for Women

URO Vaginal Probiotics for Women pH Balance with Prebiotics & Lactobacillus Probiotic Blend

Fruit Infuser Drinking Water Bottle 

Counter Top Water Filtration System (My Favorite)

Resources

Check the Ingredients in Your Cosmetics 

Article Sources

1. Gerson, J. et. al, 2013, Milady Standard Esthetics: Fundamentals, 11 th edition, Cengage Learning, United States. 
2. Palma L, Marques LT, Bujan J, Rodrigues LM. Dietary water affects human skin hydration and biomechanics. Clin Cosmet  Dermatol. 2015 Aug 3;8:413-421. doi:10.2147/CCID.S86822