Hydrogen Water Improves Blood Flow and Cleanses Skin Pores Better
- Authors
- Nobuhiko Miwa, Yoshiharu Tanaka, Yasukazu Saitoh
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2018
- DOI
- 10.4103/2045-9912.229598
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Skin Health
- Body System
- Integumentary
TL;DR
Bathing in hydrogen-infused warm water improves blood circulation in fingertips and skin moisture, and more effectively cleans out skin pores compared to regular warm water.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-infused warm water removed 2.30 to 4.47 times more keratin plugs from skin pores compared to regular warm water, and increased capillary blood flow by approximately 20% more than regular warm water alone.
Summary
This study tested whether warm water infused with hydrogen gas (created through electrolysis) could improve skin health better than regular warm water. Researchers had healthy volunteers soak their hands in hydrogen water or regular warm water, then measured blood flow in tiny blood vessels, skin moisture, and how well each water type cleared out keratin plugs (small protein blockages in pores). Hydrogen water increased blood flow by about 20% more than regular warm water and removed 2-4 times more keratin plugs from facial pores, though the effect was stronger on cheeks than on nostrils.
Practical Takeaway
This small study in healthy people suggests hydrogen water may have modest benefits for skin cleansing and blood flow, but the study did not report sample size or duration details, making it difficult to assess reliability. The improvements were measured in a laboratory setting on healthy volunteers, so it's unclear whether these effects would be noticeable in real-world use or would benefit people with skin conditions. More rigorous research with larger groups and longer follow-up is needed before drawing conclusions about practical benefits.
Abstract (excerpt)
Biomedical properties of hydrogen water have been extensively investigated, but the effect of hydrogen on good healthy subjects remains unclear. This study was designed to explore the hygiene improvement by electrolytically generated hydrogen warm water (40°C) on capillary blood streams, skin…