Hydrate Yourself for Good Skin

Summertime means fun in the sun— and dehydrating more quickly. When your body becomes a desert, it wreaks havoc on every organ, including your skin.

What can you do to ensure you don’t end up looking parched? Here’s how to hydrate yourself for good skin.

1. Switch Up Your Morning Brew

Have you ever noticed how coffee gets you going — in more ways than one? That’s because caffeine serves as a diuretic, helping rid your body of excess water. The problem is that it can also dehydrate you more quickly. Fortunately, an easy fix benefits your overall health: switch one or more java cups for green tea, containing only a third of this go-juice ingredient.

Swapping a coffee for green tea could reduce the jitters you feel from too much caffeine because it contains theobromine to mitigate the effects. Green tea also contains polyphenols that do everything from safeguarding your tooth enamel against bacteria to protecting your heart and brain from inflammation.

Finally, green tea might help shed those last few pesky summer pounds. It contains EGCG, a potent antioxidant that reduces the amount of adipose tissue or fat your body retains.

2. Find a Bottle That You Love

The bottom line? You aren’t a camel — you can’t store hydration. You need to sip throughout the day to maintain proper levels. How can you make it easier?

Find a water bottle that you adore. Is it crazy to drop more than $50 on such a device? It’s not if you live in a hot climate — or, you know, experience summer — and you appreciate a frosty brew. Some of these gadgets guarantee to keep ice in your drink for up to 24 hours, while others provide snazzy features like built-in Bluetooth speakers for jamming out poolside.

Once you find your dream reusable water bottle, personalize that puppy. Go crazy with stickers, be as loud and political as you like and express yourself. It might sound silly, but you’ll be more likely to sip up if you adore your vessel.

3. Set Reminders

You probably take your cellphone with you everywhere you go. Why not use it to stay hydrated?

You can find oodles of reminder apps, many of them for free. However, there’s probably nothing wrong with the alarm your phone came with pre-installed. When you hear the beep, you take a sip.

4. Add Fruit and Flavor

Plain water leaves a bit to be desired in the flavor department. It might be healthier than cola and sports drinks, but it pales in comparison when it comes to taste.

Fortunately, you can make your brew tastier the healthy way. How? Soak fruit in your pitcher or refrigerator water cooler. Water-soluble nutrients like vitamin C and various B-vitamins infuse your mixture while adding flavor, all without a single extra calorie. If it’s still not sweet enough for you, a few drops of monk fruit transforms it into a fruity ade even your kids will adore.

5. Make It Sparkle

It might sound crazy if this symptom doesn’t affect you — but some people feel physically ill from drinking flatwater. The problem isn’t bacteria in the brew but the lack of carbonation that leaves them feeling queasy.

Researchers have found that drinking Coca Cola helps some people with trouble moving food through their digestive system. They hypothesize that the beverage’s natural pH resembles the gastric acid required for fiber digestion.

However, soda is high in calories and sugar, and many folks cast aspersions on artificial sweetener safety despite FDA reassurances. The answer? Carbonate your water. All it takes is a Sodastream or similar device to add stomach-soothing bubbles that will encourage you to sip more frequently.