Plants Don't Thrive in Deserts (Hydrate Inside and Out for Healthy Hair)

We have all heard the implausible prescription of 8 glasses of water a day. Some of us have tried it, most have decided it's not even worth the effort. You really don't get more impractical than a physician, do you? Eight glasses?! Well, ladies. Turns out hydration is vital for healthy everything. There are a lot of women out there

No water- no life. You
can't  be dehydrated
for weeks and expect
healthy hair.

trying to find quick fixes for poor skin and perpetually-brittle hair, but they are bound to be no more successful than a man trying to make a rock taste good by putting icing on it.

The first step to long (or short) healthy hair is a good diet and HYDRATION. The latter, hydration, is most often overlooked. I have often wondered why it's so hard for us to hydrate our bodies, when the benefits are so clear. It's because it's inconvenient. We're too busy to find a vending machine and buy a bottled water, we no longer trust the water fountains (what's been on them and the quality of what sprouts out of them) and by the end of the day, we've left too little time to get our glasses in and actually enjoy them. Yet another day goes by with one glass of water or less and, yet again, your hair must battle the rest of your body for the limited supply of H2O.

I'm not pretending to be the best at continuous hydration. I empathize with all of you. However, there are some solutions you should consider. Abandon the bottled water. Ironically, they are more likely to discourage hydration than promote it. Here's why:

1. If you buy bottled waters from vending machines, you have to spend money to get each one. On days when you are strapped for cash (or change), you are actually less likely to drink water. The result is  a correlation between financial stability and outward appearance (I extrapolate, of course). 
2. Unless you have a portable vending machine, you drink less on days when you are over-scheduled and busy. That, you can imagine, is not a good combination: stressed and dehydrated. 
3. The alternative solution of buying bottled water in bulk is both uneconomical and "heavy". I know what you're thinking: "Midori, isn't bulk and uneconomical an oxymoron?!" Yeah, but there are exceptions to every rule and this is one of them. Anyone who has replaced the regular purchase of bottled waters (in bulk) with a Brita filter jug will tell you that they saved a lot in the long run. Alternatively, if you went the extra mile and decided to carry three to four bottled waters to work you'd quickly realize that carrying bottles of water around is far from fun. There's nothing glamorous about a hand bag crammed full of stuff (even if the stuff is really healthy). 
4. Finally, bottled waters are just not eco-friendly. Annually, the US disposes of enough plastic bottles to circle the earth four times. You may not be responsible for that as an individual, and you may argue that you alone cannot make a difference. However, we are in this environmental tragedy because there was no individual accountability to start with. It starts with YOU. 

Try to drink several bottles a day. A reusable bottle saves.
Avoid BPAs and bottles with mouth parts that are difficult
to wash. 

You might be wondering what the best course of action is then. The first thing I recommend doing is getting a Brita filter jug, if you are uncomfortable drinking tap water. I grew up drinking filtered water in my parent's house, and though now I am confidant that there's nothing terribly wrong with my tap water, habit hinders me from drinking it without filtering it first. The next course of action is to invest (yes, it is an investment) in a reusable drinking bottle. I must emphasize the word "REUSABLE". "Reusable" is not a Poland Spring Water Bottle you bought last week and finished (that's just gross and will begin to look gross in a couple of days). "Reusable" are those BPA-free empty drinking bottles you can buy in stores. They cost the equivalent of 3 or 4 bottle waters from a vending machine, but save you a ton more. There are also Brita bottles you can buy to filter on the go. Selecting your bottle may turn out more complex than anticipated. There are a lot of options. Be wary of water bottles with straws in them or with sport caps (that you suck on), because they are harder to clean. What may appear
intricately designed could be more for show than function and within weeks, you will be culturing several species of fungus in those hard to reach parts of the bottle. I always  buy reusable water bottles with wide mouth pieces that I can get a sponge through if need be. Once that investment in a good bottle is made you'll have one bottle to carry around and you can replenish, replenish, replenish some more.

Embrace reusable bottles

If you are anything like me, then you aren't too fond of the taste of water. I mean, on a hot day, everyone loves a cold glass of lemon water, but after two I just feel bored and full. Then, try getting beverage mixes like crystal lite. Crystal lite sachets are a constant part of my weekly budget and enable me to drink 20 ounces of water in a few hours. I must admit, I am sucker for flavor.

Abandon bottled waters. Their bad for your pockets
and the environment.

At this point, you may be kicking yourself for reading an entire article about a water bottle, but maybe this was the kick you needed to drink more.... water, not alcohol. I must reiterate, one of the most important keys to healthy, moisturized skin and hair is hydration.