Rise Above Water

Forgo a myth about water and achieve radiant, smooth, and healthy skin by hydrating parched cells.

- Jahnavi Prasadise

While there are non-negotiable reasons to get your daily dosage of H2O, a surprising fact is that hydration has a lot more to do with everything else than just water itself. “If you pinch the skin on the back of your hand and pull it upwards your skin should snap back rapidly when you let it go. If it doesn’t and takes a few seconds to return to normal, you might be dehydrated,” says Dr Jaishree Sharad, a Mumbai-based celebrity dermatologist and author of Skin Rules.

The goal, then, is not just to drink litres of water a day but to make sure it gets inside your cells. “Hydration refers to the water content within the cells that leads them to swell and be plump and bouncy, thus reflecting light well. If water flows out of the cells and the cells are dehydrated they can become shrivelled, which leads to lustreless skin and accelerated ageing process,” explains Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, MD director, consultant dermatologist, and specialist hair transplant surgeon at MedLinks, Delhi.

Here are five ways to achieve true hydration:

EAT YOUR WATER