For years, we’ve all heard the same beauty advice: drink more water for glowing skin. It sounds harmless and very believable, doesn’t it? Well, the hack probably works, but definitely not in the way we expect it to. A recent viral post on
Without sugarcoating anything, Anish wrote, “You drink 8 glasses of water for clear skin, and the only thing that got clearer is your pee.” He simply made the point that your body already knows how to handle water. And once it has enough, it doesn’t send the extra to your skin, it just gets rid of it.
He explained how your kidneys work like a powerful filtration system. They process huge amounts of fluid daily, but most of it is recycled back into your body. Only a small amount leaves as urine. So, when you keep drinking more and more water beyond what your body needs, your system just says, “We’re good,” and flushes the rest out. That’s why very clear urine can actually mean you’re overdoing hydration.
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Citing a 2018 review from Charité University in Berlin, Anish pointed out that there’s no solid proof that drinking extra water improves your skin if you’re already drinking enough. He also referred to a 2024 study from Korea that compared one group of people who drank extra water and the other who used moisturiser. Surprisingly, the moisturizer worked better.
Anish pointed out that what you eat plays a much bigger role than how much water you drink. Research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows, he says, “High-sugar diets raise your breakout risk by 20 to 30%. Skim milk is tied to acne too, because it spikes a hormone that tells your oil glands to pump out more of the oily stuff that clogs pores.”
So instead of focusing only on water, your skin responds better to healthy fats (like salmon), vitamins A and C, zinc-rich foods, and daily sunscreen.
The post quickly went viral, and people had strong opinions. One user agreed with Anish and said, “Hydration helps if you’re dehydrated. Extra water won’t magically fix skin.” Another noted, “Stop drowning your kidneys and start feeding your foundation.”
To cut through the noise, we turned to Neeraja Mehta, an Integrative Wellness Coach and Functional Nutritionist. She reveals, “It’s not really an either-or situation, it’s both.” She explains that hydration is important, but we’ve been thinking about it too narrowly.
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It’s not just about how much water you drink but about how well your body uses that water. She adds, “If you’re nutrient-deficient but drinking liters of water or eating well but chronically dehydrated, neither approach will deliver optimal results.” According to Neeraja, a combination of hydration, nutrition, protection, and general lifestyle results in clear, healthy skin. Most people make the mistake of focusing too much on one thing while ignoring the others.
So, instead of chasing 8 glasses of water a day, approach the issue with a balance of hydration and nutrition.
