What happens when you forget to water your potted flowers? They wilt and become sapped of life in just a day or two of dehydration. And what happens when you water them again? They miraculously come BACK TO LIFE as if nothing happened!

Just because we age does not mean we have to wilt away. Just because we’re no longer our flawless 25-year-old selves does not mean our skin has to look thin, wrinkly, droopy, ☹️ and desperate.

Advice for aging skin has always been to moisturize, externally. But for fuller, more supple and radiant skin, moisturizing internally is the secret. This is simply HYDRATION. “Moisturizing” and “hydrating” are often used interchangeably in the skincare realm, but this can be confusing. The key is to enhance your body’s NATURAL ability to achieve deep, lasting hydration, giving way to a more youthful glow and texture to the skin.

Lamentably, it is typical and accepted that as we age, we simply “dry out.” Babies have the highest percentage of body-water, being born at about 78%. In our teens and 20’s, water makes up nearly 70-75% of our bodies. By the time we reach our 40s and 50s, we begin to experience significant transepidermal water loss, and our skin drops to an alarming 30-50%, nearly half the water it had when we were younger!

The nasty culprits? Well, in our adulthood, we drink coffee, alcohol, and caffeinated sodas which have a diuretic effect. We smoke, we sleep less, we work more, and push our bodies to limits. We use body and beauty products filled with chemicals counteractive to our wellness. We experience more stress, higher cortisol levels and emotional ups and downs. And we give less attention to keeping our muscles strong and vital, losing water as we lose muscle mass. We are the perpetrators. And our cells are our victims.
HOWEVER…

By simply hydrating the body with pure quality WATER, the collagen, elastin and other structural proteins in our skin can actually flourish. Without consuming enough water, we can buy all the topical and supplemental products in the world to no avail. By drinking the amount of water necessary, we can allow our body’s skin cells to replenish their hydration levels back up to the 75% range. Age doesn’t have to matter.

Here are Healthline’s list of all the ways water is VITAL and CRUCIAL to us at all ages:

1. It is a building block of new cells and the key nutrient every cell relies on for survival, like the flowers in our pots.
2. It metabolizes and transports proteins and carbohydrates from the food you eat to nourish your body.
3. It helps the body flush waste, mainly through urine.
4. It helps maintain a healthy body temperature through sweat and respiration when the temperature rises.
5. It is part of the “shock absorber” system in the spine.
6. It protects sensitive tissue.
7. It is part of the fluid that surrounds and protects the brain and a baby in the womb.
8. It is the main ingredient in saliva.
9. It helps keep joints lubricated.

One indication we are not drinking enough quality water is if our urine is dark or yellow. It should be CLEAR. And how much water should we be making a point to drink daily? Divide your weight in pounds by 2 and drink that amount OR MORE in ounces, very simple.

On that note, where’s my water?

Key 🔑tip: If you don’t already have a water system that filters out the chloramine, lead, fluoride and god knows what other toxicities lurking in your city’s tap water, unlock your vital health with something so basic as great quality water. DO inform yourself of the quality of your home’s general and drinking water. If anything less than ideal, look into changing your ENTIRE HOME WATER SYSTEM. This can range anywhere from $2500-15,000 depending on home size and filtering company. A cheap option is using filtered shower heads.

I was shocked to find out our home’s water had a high level of chloramine. This chemical is a bond between chlorine—a scientifically-proven carcinogenic used to kill bacteria in water—and ammonia, used to make chlorine’s effect as disinfectant stronger and last longer. Chloramine can cause a slew of health issues, hair loss and premature wrinkles for starters. The list is quite long but others may include skin outbreaks, extreme fatigue, and stomach and gut disturbances. No thank you.]