5 Ways Happy Hour Is Ruining Your Skin

As the work day wears on, I know what you're looking forward to: happy hour! However, did you know that all that alcohol can be bad for your skin? Before you start dreaming about 2-for-1 margaritas, listen up. The toxins found in alcohol can seriously cause some damage to your overall appearance. Think reddening cheeks, puffy eyes, and ruddy skin — a cocktail for bad skin days, if you will. While one glass of wine won't hurt you, excessive drinking will. After a night of taking shots, your body needs to replenish the vitamins and nutrients that were washed away by the alcohol, which can take quite a bit of time and effort.

This side effects from drinking alcohol aren't glamorous. No one looks their best after a few cocktails. While it may seem fun at the time, your skin is definitely going to pay the price the next day. Of course, sipping water between drinks and getting a full night's sleep will help counteract the effects, but your skincare is still going to have to do extra work in order to reverse the effects of the alcohol. It's just not fair to your moisturizer. In case you're filled with morbid curiosity, here are the five major ways those drinks will have a negative effect on your visage.

1. Alcohol Dehydrates Skin

The bulk of these issues comes from the fact that alcohol dehydrates your skin. Your kidneys are working over time to flush out the excess fluids meaning that the rest of your organs aren't getting enough hydration. Refuel your skin with H2O to keep everything working properly.

2. Alcohol Dulls Your Glow

Alcohol can drain the body of Vitamin A, which is the vitamin responsible for cell turnover. So basically, this is the reason that your face looks so pale and ruddy after a night of drinking. Thanks, vodka!

3. Alcohol Leads To Puffy Eyes

It's no secret that alcohol causes bloating. This swelling is due to the fact that alcohol depletes a lot of vitamins and fluids, so your body is scrambling to replace them. So excessive drinking can cause your face, and eye area to become puffy, swollen, and uncomfortable. Try keeping an eye cream with a metal rollerball applicator in the fridge — it'll feel amazing the morning after a long night.

4. Alcohol Can Trigger Rosacea

In a recent study, scientists found that alcohol consumption is a trigger for rosacea flare-ups. Alcohol dilates the blood vessels causing the face to redden. Which alcohol is the worst culprit? Turns out that red wine contains a chemical that dilates blood vessels even further! Stay away from the vino if you want to avoid redding cheeks.

5. Wrinkles

Who knew that alcohol could cause premature wrinkles? By depleting the body of collagen, hydration, and elasticity, alcohol contributes to premature aging. For me, that's not worth that extra margarita.

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