White Wine May Contribute To Rosacea, Says New Study

There are usually two kinds of people in the social drinking world: ones that align themselves with a side (red or white, dark or light), and the ones that don't care one way or the other as long it's happy hour. Let's state the obvious, which is that for wine drinkers the idea that your go-to glass of white wine could contribute to skin problems is tragic.

Unfortunately, research from Nurses Health Study II has shown that out of 82,737 women they tracked who drank white wine frequently, 495 developed cases of rosacea. If you're not already familiar with it, rosacea is a skin condition that produces redness and pus-filled bumps, most commonly on the face. This is especially disheartening on the white wine front considering just this past December, another study connected white wine an increased chance of developing melanoma.

Wine lovers, you might be asking yourself, "How serious is this? Pfft! One glass of white wine won't hurt." However, according to the newly-released study, even a few glasses a month could increase your risk of developing rosacea by 14 percent. If you're someone who likes to indulge at least once a week, your chances increase by 49 percent.

Allure noted that your love of Pinot Grigio isn't the only thing dehydrating your skin — alcohol in general lowers its antioxidant stores. So while white wine was the biggest catalyst, switching for a glass of cabernet might not solve the issue either. According to Joshua Zeicher, director of cosmetic and clinical Research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, red wine is often blamed for rosacea flares, but alcohol is a "well-documented" irritant of the skin.

So what's a girl to do with her love of wine — quit cold turkey? Not exactly. But if you already deal with rosacea, psoriasis, or eczema, making a consistent effort to cut back is realistic. The good news is that consuming hard liquor (in moderation, of course) has a slightly smaller chance of increasing your risk of developing redness (eight to 28 percent). Plenty of other things like perfume, certain kinds of cosmetics and even sunscreen can irritate your skin. Don't let the news make you miserable just yet!

Studies and clinical research data shares the knowledge we need to thrive — or in your case, maintain that summer glow — but as the saying goes, "correlation doesn't imply causation." In this case, it doesn't always mean it's the root of your skin struggle — so yes, there's still hope, white wine lovers. If you're that worried, though, opt for a vodka soda, maybe cross wine-o off your list of descriptions, and remember that our diet and other factors can also contribute to healthy balance.