Hydrogen Water Bathing Reduces Wrinkles and Protects Skin from UV Damage

TL;DR

Hydrogen-rich warm water improved skin health by reducing wrinkles and protecting against UV damage in cells and human subjects.

Key Finding

Hydrogen-rich water increased type-I collagen production 1.85- to 2.03-fold in skin fibroblasts and significantly reduced UV-induced cell damage and free radical generation in lab-grown skin cells.

Summary

Researchers tested hydrogen-rich water (water with extra dissolved hydrogen created through electrolysis) against UV damage in skin cells grown in the lab. They found that hydrogen-rich water boosted collagen production in fibroblasts (cells that give skin its structure) and protected keratinocytes (surface skin cells) from UV damage by reducing harmful molecules called free radicals. In a small 3-month trial, six people who bathed in hydrogen-rich water showed visible wrinkle improvement on the back of their necks.

Practical Takeaway

This early research suggests hydrogen-rich water may help protect skin from UV damage and support collagen production, based on lab studies and a very small human trial. However, the human evidence is limited to six people over three months, and the study did not include a control group (people using regular water for comparison), so stronger evidence would be needed before drawing firm conclusions about its effectiveness for wrinkle prevention.

Abstract (excerpt)

Hydrogen-rich electrolyzed warm water (HW) was prepared at 41°C and exhibited dissolved hydrogen (DH) of 1.13 ppm and an oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of -741 mV in contrast to below 0.01 ppm and+184 mV for regular warm water (RW). Fibroblasts OUMS-36 and keratinocytes HaCaT were used…

Read the full abstract via DOI