All The Ways Alcohol Legitimately Makes Your Skin Look Worse

The New Year is finally here, with many participating in Dry January as a way to start 2024 off on a healthier note. It’s no secret that, as a toxin, alcohol has many negative effects on the body — and yet, this evidence still may not be enough to dissuade some of us from indulging in one too many.

But if you’re a skincare fiend, particularly one who splurges on the latest and greatest lotions, potions and procedures, Dry January may just be what the dermatologist ordered to get your skincare (and budget) goals back on track.

The major ways alcohol affects your skin.

Dehydration

Before you shell out for the latest hydrating serum in an attempt to achieve plump, dewy skin, you may want to first take a look at your drinking habits. You might very well be doing the skincare-equivalent of running a space heater for warmth with all the windows open in the middle of January.

As a diuretic, alcohol causes the body to urinate more frequently, which causes dehydration in the body. And if your body is dehydrated, your skin is absolutely dehydrated.

“When you’re systemically dehydrated, one of the first places you see it is in the skin,” said Dr. Teo Soleymani , a California-based, double board-certified dermatologist.

This alcohol-induced dehydration is why we can look a bit “rougher” than usual the morning after a night of drinking.

“Dehydration in our skin can accentuate lines and wrinkles and make under-eye circles appear worse,” said Dr. Angela Casey , an Ohio-based, board-certified dermatologist.

Additionally, if the body is dehydrated for too long, it may try to counteract this dryness by kicking its sebum production into high gear.

“People may feel like their skin gets oilier after a night of binge drinking or