We’re all-too-familiar with nasty breakouts and sallow skin the day after a night out, and with St. Patrick’s Day fast-approaching, the last thing you want is a week filled with pesky blemishes and dehydrated skin. So, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free skincare brand Sönd (sondskin.co.uk) have shared a selection of handy tips and tricks to help you dodge any disasters, with advice from Dr. Isabel Sharkar, ND who works with Sönd skincare,.
Tipples ranked from best to worst
While Mimosas will never match up to Micellar Water and no alcohol is ‘good’ for your skin, we’ve ranked different alcoholic drinks in relation to the effects they are likely to have on your skin so that you can minimise the damage done on your next night out.
1 – Clear distilled spirits - Vodka, gin and tequila
Clear alcohol has the least additives and move through your system the fastest. So alcohol such as vodka, gin, and clear/white tequila get out of your system quicker. A potato vodka, which contains no grains will move through your body the fastest. Bonus points if you can avoid adding sugary mixers to these drinks, and stick to soda or tonic!
2 – Whiskey and rum
Like clear liquors, straight rum or whiskey comes with the benefits of no additives. The one key difference that makes these two drinks more harmful to skin is the amount of congeners. Congeners are the substances that are added to alcohol as a result of the fermentation process and more of these can worsen your hangover, and may gradually contribute to ageing of the skin.
3 - beer
Beer contains salt, although it does also contain antioxidants and has some slight anti-aging benefits. You’re also less likely to drink as much alcohol as you would when drinking cocktails, as the alcohol content of beer is lower.
4 – White wine
White wine, like mixed cocktails and beer, contains sugar, in addition to some salt. It can lead to swollen skin and bloating, and it doesn’t contain the antioxidants that red wine does.
5 - Sweet cocktails
The reason why sweet cocktails have a damaging effect on the skin is the added sugar. Sugar leads to inflammation, and this increases cell damage and can also cause acne. These drinks can also give you a ‘sugar hangover’ which can result in dull sallow skin and bloodshot eyes.
6 - Margaritas
A cocktail that contains not just sugar but also salt, this combo can contributes to puffy looking skin.
7 - Red wine
Red wine can actually be good for you. However, it’s actually the most harmful drink for those with skin concerns such as rosacea. While those antioxidants make it the least harmful drink in general for our skin, it is unfiltered so your liver and kidneys have to work harder to process it, it’s also likely to cause the worst hangovers and as it releases antihistamines, a glass of red is more likely to cause flushing and redness.
Rest and recovery
Dr. Isabel Sharkar has shared several handy steps to helping your skin recover from a night out. She says, “Rehydrating the body is the first step to recovery, and most of your skin functions return to normal once you do. Additionally, you should aim to have 5 Litres of water throughout the day, have 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of Vitamin C, 900 milligrams of glutathione and two Sönd Jump Start Silica Supplement capsules.”
And on your next night out, Dr. Isabel Sharkar has one simple and easy-to-follow tip for you: “The best strategy to reduce the effects of alcohol on the skin is eat before consuming any alcohol, and to alternate between alcoholic drinks and glasses of water.”
This article is not meant to treat or diagnose. Please visit your doctor for advice about any health concerns you may have.