Does Drinking Water Hydrate Dry Skin?

I believe this is a topic which have been debated widely as there were conflicting views by leading dermatologists.

According to Real Simple,
“Humans aren’t like plants. Our skin doesn’t perk up when we consume water,” says Katie Rodan, a dermatologist in the San Francisco Bay area. In fact, when you ingest it, “water doesn’t go straight to the skin,” she says. “It goes through the intestines, gets absorbed into your bloodstream, and is filtered by kidneys. Then it hydrates cells.” When it comes to moisturizing skin, drinking water falls short.

Your skin type, whether it’s dry, oily, or a veritable combo platter, is largely determined by your genes. That natural moisture level then fluctuates depending on what your skin’s protective lipid barrier is exposed to. This lipid layer helps keep moisture in and germs and irritants out. (That’s why dry skin can become red and itchy.)

Minimizing your exposure to depleting elements like low humidity, harsh winds, dry heat, high altitude, sun, alcohol, long baths and avoiding stripping soaps can prevent the loss of natural oils. “Diet can play a role in strengthening your skin’s ability to maintain moisture, too,” says Leslie Baumann, a professor of dermatology at the University of Miami, in Florida.

Foods rich in the essential fatty acids found in walnuts, flaxseed, salmon, and olive oil can help skin cells stay hydrated. A study by the Institute of Experimental Dermatology, in Germany, also revealed that women who took flaxseed- or borage-oil supplements (2.2 grams a day) for 12 weeks experienced a significant increase in skin moisture and a reduction in roughness. A healthy diet with three to five servings a week of fatty acids will suffice for the average person, says Baumann. But if you suffer from very dry skin or eczema, consider flaxseed-, evening-primrose–, or borage-oil supplements. All are good sources of alpha or gamma linolenic fatty acids.

A good moisturizer is best at instantly improving the look and feel of dry skin, and applying one twice a day can help heal serious dehydration.
"A quarter-size dollop of lotion will do much more for your skin than drinking a quart of water,” says Rodan.

As agreed by Dermablog and Howstuffworks, they believe that drinking water to hydrate the skin is just a myth, as no study has ever shown regular water has any impact on your skin and no controlled study has ever shown that any type of drinking water has an effect on your skin.

However, in another souce such as SimplyAntiAging , some respected dermatologists believes that hydration is essential to younger looking skin and drinking water is vital to the process.

In any case, I have the same belief as Purelogicol, I will still continue to drink water throughout the day, eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, drink fruit juice or milk for extra water, take flaxseed or evening primrose oil or glucosamine supplements, which helps to hold the moisture in the skin cells and of course to use good skin care products, including a daily moisturiser.