Acne is an inflammatory condition of the skin that is characterised by lesions in the dermis. Oxidative stress can be a major factor in the development of acne, as has been found in several scientific studies. One article analysed the results of 14 different scientific studies that investigated the effect of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of acne. It was found that oxidative stress could contribute significantly to acne development through several pathways; these included promoting the production of inflammation-inducing factors. However, antioxidants can help to prevent reactive oxygen species (ROS) from accumulating to the level where they can lead to cellular damage and disease such as acne.
Hydrogen is known to be an effective antioxidant and is easily administered through the consumption of hydrogen-rich water. This can be done without adverse side effects or interfering with other treatments. In one study on the effects of hydrogen water alongside non-surgical periodontal treatment, 3 women and 10 men aged 22-40 were split into a control group and a hydrogen water group (HW). Both groups received non-surgical periodontal treatment after 2 and 4 weeks and the HW group also drank 1 litre of hydrogen-rich water daily for 8 weeks. It was found that after 4 weeks, participants who had been drinking hydrogen water had higher levels of serum antioxidants than those not drinking hydrogen water. Those in the HW group also had a greater improvement in symptoms of periodontitis at 2, 4 and 8 weeks than in the control group. This suggests that hydrogen water enhanced the effectiveness of the periodontal treatment due to its antioxidant effect. Hydrogen-rich water has also proved to be of benefit in the treatment of a variety of other conditions including skin problems and inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Research shows that oxidative stress can contribute towards the development of acne. The results of these studies show that, as a powerful antioxidant, hydrogen water can help to improve a variety of health conditions by relieving oxidative stress. Therefore, this suggests that drinking hydrogen water can be an effective preventative measure in the development of acne and may help to reduce symptoms of acne, thanks to its antioxidant properties.
