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ageing, alcohol, anti ageing, antioxidants, beer, celebrate, Christmas, cola, decleor, dehydrate, dermalogica, drink, Elemis, exposure, fruit, gin, isotonic, protect, Red wine, repair, skin, skin cancer, spirits, sugar, sun, sun damage, sunburn, tequila, tipple, vodka, wine, wrinkles
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Unless you have a medical or personal issue, Christmas is a time when most of us enjoy an alcoholic drink. The problem is, excessive alcohol consumption can not only play havoc on your liver, it can also be damaging for your skin. There are, however, certain drinks which do less damage than others, so we thought we’d give you the lowdown on which drinks you can enjoy at Christmas without having to worry too much about your complexion.
Beer
Even if you’re not a pint-drinker, enjoying half a lager can be better than other drinks for a number of reasons; firstly, beer generally has a lower alcohol content, so it’s not as dehydrating. Many beers also contain antioxidants and are isotonic, which means they can actually be good for you, replacing certain things which are lost when we become dehydrated! Be aware though – beer can often cause bloating, so be mindful if you’ve poured yourself into a clingy outfit!
Gin
Sugar can play havoc with the skin’s ageing process, which is why something like white wine is a no-no if you’re trying to stay on top of the signs of ageing. Gin, however, is pretty low in sugar and also in salt, so do far less damage to the skin than other, more sugary spirits. In fact, the general rule of thumb is that clear spirits are far less suagry than darker ones like brandy or dark rum.
Tequila
Don’t get us wrong, we’re definitely not suggesting that a night on the tequila slammers won’t be bad for your skin because that’s not the case AT ALL. However, tequila contains more or less the lowest sugar content of all spirits, which means that you can enjoy a few without having to worry too much about the effects on your skin.
Vodka
This is where we have to get specific – vodka in general is not too bad for your skin providing you drink it in moderation (see the sugar rule above) HOWEVER, this obviously depends on what you mix it with as most mixers, such as fruit juices or cola, are full of sugar. Also, according to experts, opting for a potato vodka rather than one made from grains will also be a lot better for your skin in the long run.
Red Wine
While the sweeter white wines are usually frowned upon by skin experts, most generally agree that red wine is pretty good for you. It contains antioxidants which help protect against oxidative reactions, which come from sun exposure, and can cause sunburns, wrinkles and even skin cancer.
