Can Hydration Transform Your Skin in Hours? New Research Explores the Impact of Jove Water on Skin Elasticity, pH, and Sebum Production
We often hear the phrase “beauty comes from within”, but how literally should we take it? While moisturizers, serums, and cleansers remain skin care staples, emerging evidence suggests that internal hydration may have powerful and fast-acting effects on skin health.
A 2020 pilot study conducted by NIS Labs in collaboration with AIM Beverages set out to test this idea using a specialty hydration product: Jove water. The researchers wanted to know: can drinking a specific type of water actually improve skin elasticity, balance pH, and regulate sebum production — all within hours?
Study Overview: Testing Hydration From the Inside Out
This proof-of-concept study included three adults with varying ages and skin conditions:
- Participant 1: Male, 25 years old, BMI 19
- Participant 2: Male, 61 years old, BMI 27
- Participant 3: Female, 58 years old, BMI 26
The study used an open-label design in which each participant consumed 2.5 to 3.0 liters of Jove water per day for 3 consecutive days. The initial dose was consumed shortly after baseline testing and completed within 1.5 hours.
Researchers performed repeated measurements using specialized skin assessment tools to track changes in:
- Viscoelasticity (via cutometry)
- Hydration in the outer skin layer (via corneometry)
- Skin pH
- Sebum production (via sebumetry)
Key Findings
Elasticity and Resilience: Skin That Snaps Back
Tool Used: Cutometry
Cutometry measures how much the skin stretches and recoils when subjected to gentle suction. It gives insight into both collagen-elastin dynamics and hydration-related tissue behavior.
What They Found:
- Two participants with initially low skin elasticity (Participants 2 and 3) showed significant improvements within just 1.5–2 hours after drinking Jove water.
- All three participants experienced a marked enhancement in the skin’s ability to return to its original shape, especially during the third suction-release cycle of testing.
- The results were statistically significant (p < 0.027) across all three testing days.
Interpretation: Rapid systemic hydration appears to measurably enhance skin biomechanical properties. This suggests water intake — particularly Jove water — can impact tissue-level performance.
Hydration in the Stratum Corneum: No Quick Change
Tool Used: Corneometry
This method evaluates hydration in the skin’s outermost layer (10–20 microns deep) by measuring capacitance.
What They Found:
- No meaningful changes were observed after Jove water consumption, even over the three days.
- Researchers noted that corneometry is more effective at detecting surface-level changes — such as those caused by creams or lotions — than changes from internal hydration.
Takeaway: While internal hydration may influence deeper skin structures quickly, outermost skin hydration may take longer to reflect those changes.
Skin pH: Restoring Balance
Tool Used: Digital pH Meter
Measurements were taken from multiple locations: back of the hand, inner forearm, forehead, and cheek.
What They Found:
- In both older participants, baseline pH was overly acidic (below 4.3–4.5).
- Significant pH normalization occurred within two hours of the first Jove water dose.
- Effects were still measurable the following morning, and continued to improve slightly with repeated hydration over the three days.
- The changes were statistically significant, with high significance at some sites (p < 0.01).
Why it matters: Skin pH plays a crucial role in barrier function, microbiome health, and inflammation control. Hydration may support the skin’s natural ability to regulate pH — especially in aging or stressed skin.
Sebum Regulation: A Gentle Shift
Tool Used: Sebumetry
Sebum, the skin’s natural oil, was measured using a probe that collects and quantifies surface oils.
What They Found:
- Cheek sebum levels decreased in all participants after initial hydration.
- Forehead sebum production dropped in two of three participants on Day 1, and remained lower on Days 2 and 3 for two participants.
- Effects were variable but noticeable, with potential interference from environmental factors like sweating or touching the face.
Implications: Excessive sebum can lead to acne or greasy skin. A subtle, hydration-driven modulation of sebum may contribute to more balanced, clearer skin without harsh topical agents.
Final Reflections: Is There More to Water Than Meets the Skin?
While this study was small (only three participants) and not placebo-controlled, the findings point to a rapid, measurable relationship between systemic hydration and skin performance. Particularly notable were improvements in elasticity, pH normalization, and sebum control — all of which occurred within hours of consuming Jove water.
Why Jove Water?
The study does not disclose the precise formulation of Jove water, but it is implied that its electrolyte profile or molecular structure may offer hydration benefits beyond standard drinking water. Future studies could help delineate these mechanisms further.
Limitations and Future Directions
- Sample size: Only three participants, limiting generalizability.
- Open-label design: No blinding or placebo for comparison.
- Short duration: Long-term effects are unknown.
Despite this, the study serves as a compelling pilot, suggesting that the internal consumption of hydrating fluids may yield immediate aesthetic and functional skin benefits.
Conclusion: Beauty May Indeed Start From Within
This study invites us to reconsider how we think about skin care. Rather than treating only the surface, supporting the skin from the inside with strategic hydration may be a key element of long-term skin health. As research into functional waters like Jove continues, we may soon find ourselves reaching for a bottle of water as often as we reach for a bottle of moisturizer.
