This is a writing to remind us all to stay hydrated!  If you’re anything like me, you can find yourself having gone most of the day without drinking much water. As a side note, I am VERY diligent with my morning oat milk matcha latte, so I know I CAN drink water if I want to. This lack of water intake especially rings true when I’m at work and busy doing what I do. For the little amount of effort it takes to stay hydrated, the reward is great! Staying hydrated by drinking water is essential to health and easy to achieve. 

Our skin looks better when we are hydrated; it is more supple and soft. There is more enzyme activity and cellular signaling (1); which I interpret as more collagen production, cellular turnover, and regeneration. Water is the main component of cells and tissues and makes up to 60-70% (dependent on age) of our body’s composition and is the environment in which all transport systems in the body work. Without adequate water, dysfunction may arise (2). Hydration is a quick, easy hack for skincare. 

So, how much water do we need anyways? On average, we need three liters, or thirteen cups per day. This means we should be drinking three cups four times a day. While this is not a hard task to accomplish, I’m finding that in writing this, I have much room for improvement. Common symptoms of dehydration include: dry mouth, feeling thirsty, headache, dry skin, lack of focus and feeling lethargy (3).

As I work to integrate holistic, whole body, health services into an aesthetic practice I am excited to be offering hydration IV’s for you to add-on to any service. If you are coming in for a Botox appointment, I will set up the IV so that you hydrate alongside your aesthetic treatment. Just sit back and enjoy multi-layered treatments intended to leave you with glowing and hydrated skin.   

To support hydration, we use a bag of lactated ringers. This is a bag of solution that contains sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and sodium lactate. It is used in hospital settings for aggressive fluid replacement in situations like blood loss and burns (4).

I am excited to offer IV hydration add-on service and at the essence of this week’s writing, I offer a loving reminder of the timeless wisdom to drinking water. And if you are under extra stress, engaging in endurance athletics, or just craving the extra hydration boost with your service, consider this add-on. 

In the meantime, here is a DIY electrolyte drink and remember that drinking hot herbal teas (containing non-diuretic herbs) in these cold months also help to hydrate and nourish us. 

Ingredients

• 1 ½-2 cups water

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt 

• 2 tsp raw honey local if possible

Instructions

• Everything into a jar with a lid and shake well to combine. This recipe fits perfectly in a pint mason jar.

• Store in the fridge for up to a week.

Thanks for reading,
Heather