The Beauty Benefits of a "Damp" Lifestyle
It used to be that everyone would go out for a drink after work or on a Saturday evening. But, nowadays, it’s no longer the norm. Pubs and bars have to double as restaurants to make ends meet, and over 29% of the population say that they no longer drink.
But, what about those of us who might like an occasional social beverage or spirit? Surely there’s some middle ground between spending every weekday evening in a dark pub and complete sobriety?
Well, yes, there is: it’s called a “damp” lifestyle. You don’t drink particularly often, and when you do it’s not excessive. Instead, you’re simply drinking for the enjoyment of the wine, beer, or spirit. It’s a great way to live in moderation, and there are plenty of beauty benefits that come along with it.
Sleep
By now, I think we’ve all heard enough about “beauty sleep” to know that we need 8-10 hours of good quality, deep sleep. That’s because sleep is your body’s time to “take out the trash” and recover from a long day.
Recent research backs this popular hyperbole. Researchers measured the impacts of sleep deprivation and found that even moderate sleep deprivation was enough to cause a noticeable change in appearance. Folks who didn’t get a good nights sleep were reported as having “hanging eyelids, redder eyes, more swollen eyes, darker circles under the eyes, paler skin, more wrinkles/fine lines, and more droopy corners of the mouth”
This is where alcohol comes in. Alcohol has a devastating effect on the length, quality, and depth of our sleep. It completely disrupts sleep patterns and can keep us from feeling well-rested the next day. Even if you feel that you fall asleep quicker while under the influence of alcohol, booze disrupts your deep sleep, which is the most important part of a good night’s sleep.
Being a “damp” drinker limits the amount of alcohol you drink and means that you’ll get a good night’s sleep anyway. However, when you do drink, consider putting a cap on your consumption early in the day, so that you have time to sober up before hitting the hay.
Skin
Most of us have heard about the damaging effects that alcohol has on our skin. You may even remember that aunt or uncle who had flushed, blotchy skin and was never far from the red. Well, the truth is that excessive alcohol consumption is not good for your skin. You can end up with conditions like rosacea or even hives and psoriasis.
Alcohol also dehydrates your body, which can leave your face looking bloated or puffy. On the other hand, it can also cause wrinkles and fine lines. Alcohol consumption can also cause you to smell, as the liver has a hard time processing alcohol, so some of the toxins leave via your breath, sweat, or urine.
Living a “damp” lifestyle helps you avoid these negative health and beauty outcomes. Not only will you drink less often, but when you do drink it’ll be in moderation, and usually followed up with some water that rehydrates you or with food that helps your body deal with the alcohol you are consuming.
Vision and Eye Health
In the famous words of Audry Hepburn, women’s beauty is not “in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries or the way she combs her hair”. True beauty, Hepburn says, “must be seen through the eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, where love resides”. Nowadays, it's fair to say the same idea applies to any gender — so, why would we jeopardize the health and beauty of our eyes for some booze?
Excessive alcohol consumption is linked with eye conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, and optic neuropathy. These conditions can cause your vision to deteriorate, and cause a clouding across the lens of your eye that impedes your vision.
But, there is some good news here for “damp” drinkers. Recent research speculates that moderate drinking might be protective for eye health, and help stave off conditions like Retinal Vein Occlusion. The key, though, is to maintain moderation and not go all out when you do drink. 1-2 drinks are classified as moderate — so don’t start claiming that you need a night out to “protect your eyes”.
Addiction and Beauty
The idea of beauty and addiction are mostly at odds. Even if actresses and actors of old smoked and drank to excess, it caught up with them in later life and caused all kinds of health and cosmetic issues.
As a damp drinker, you can avoid substance addiction as you will never build up a tolerance to alcohol. This means it’ll only take a drink or two to get you to a happy state, and you won’t feel the need to “catch up” to other people that might be drinking more heavily around you.
Conclusion
A “damp” lifestyle is perfectly suited to contemporary culture. You don’t completely stop yourself from having a drink if you would like one but, at the same time, you won’t be stuck in a pub or bar every evening when you could be out exercising or making memories with loved ones. It’s also great for your overall health which, in the long run, will help you maintain your natural beauty.
