Does my wine habit show on my face? The morning after drinking, I’d peer into the mirror, wondering how to hide the redness and puffy, bloated look.
I know I’m not the only one who’s wondered if their skin is giving away their secret… and now companies are cashing in on that concern.
Recently I spotted an ad for a collagen brand that said: if you’re a woman in midlife, drinking alcohol will make you look older. The fix? Just buy their collagen powder (of course)!
The truth is, no supplement or beauty treatment can cancel alcohol’s impact. But sobriety, on the other hand, gets to work pretty fast.
Key points:
Collagen can’t do that much
It’s misleading to claim that a collagen powder can rebuild “every single thing alcohol damages”. It cannot magically reverse or rebuild to that level. In fact, when you look at more neutral research around what collagen can do, the evidence is a little underwhelming. This BBC article says collagen can keep skin elastic but won’t stop wrinkles, and this one describes collagen as “hugely hyped”.
Alcohol has a big impact on your face
Two large glasses of wine a night count as binge drinking for a woman, and that kind of drinking can leave your face looking puffier the next day, from fluid retention. Your skin can look duller and drier too, because alcohol messes with your sleep and your hydration, all the basics your skin depends on. If you’re prone to redness or rosacea, alcohol makes that worse. And there’s research linking heavier drinking in women with visible signs of ageing, things like under-eye puffiness and loss of volume in the face.
The real fix
Taking collagen to offset regular drinking is like mopping up a leak without fixing the pipe. It might help a little, but it won’t make a real difference while the cause is still there. Quitting drinking is the best way to see an improvement in your appearance and guard against future damage. Fun fact: when women come to work with me, I often ask them to take a selfie on the first day. The difference you see within 6 weeks is incredible!
7 responses
As usual, you nailed it with alcohol trying to now say it will do no damage to faces! Ha! The line the advertiser says about “life is to be enjoyed …” so I suppose she enjoys the hangover, Porky the Pig red face, upset stomach, etc. and repeat? The Sober School version of “life is to be enjoyed” is spades better with none of restrictive lifestye arrangements which, I know for sure, are lousy – not enjoyable. Even if someone got their face repaired what about the bloated body?? AF life nowadays does not have these cumbersome worries thanks to you & the Sober School.
Thanks for your endorsement Cynthia.❤️ Sobriety delivers everything alcohol promised… and more!
My face gives me away when I’ve been drinking. When I stop I can’t believe the difference..I look fresh ad pretty good…and I’m 80!!!
Sobriety looks good on everyone. 🙂 Let me show you how to make that a permanent bonus in my online coaching course for women, more details here: https://thesoberschool.com/course/
Think your videos are so helpful . I’m a hottie of wine a day girl but have recently been told that my liver is not right so I’ve been sober for 4 weeks now and I feel much better . My family are taking he on a holiday for my 70th birthday which is
Lovely but I’m not sure how difficult it will be not to drink
Hey Carol, congratulations on your four weeks of alcohol freedom and your upcoming birthday! Here’s a blog I wrote as we started travelling again after the pandemic that will help you prepare for the best holiday upgrade you could imagine. https://thesoberschool.com/alcohol-free-holiday-this-year/
Nice reading have done almost all hidding it in bags ect