Drink Your Way to the Best Skin Ever: 8 Best Water Add-Ins for Glowing Skin

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Remember back in the winter, when we told you guys about the best foods to eat for glowing skin? Well, now that it’s summer and my weather app is showing me the temperature in the form of a cactus overlapping a giant, orange sun, we figured it was time to bring you guys the eight best water add-ins for your skin. Because if you’re drinking glass after glass of water every day to stay cool and hydrated, might as well have all that water work double-duty, right?

So, to get the lowdown on what we should be spiking our water with to get the skin of Kendall Jenner — which still managed to look good even after it was vandalized by a drone —  we gave Jolene Hart, certified health coach, author of Eat Pretty and queen of water infusions, a call. And, boy, did she have some good suggestions! (And interestingly, many of them promote good digestive health which plays a big part in how fantastic our skin looks. Who knew?) From lemon to mint to ginger and more, see Hart’s top picks for skin-perfecting water add-ins below.

And note: Even if you aren’t adding anything to your water, you should definitely be drinking a good amount of it. As Hart explains, when our body is dehydrated, it releases stress hormones that lead to inflammation and speed up aging. And who wants that? No one. The answer is no one.

8 Best Water Add-Ins for Glowing Skin

Lemon 

Get a fruit bowl and always, always, always have some lemons a short reach away, my friends. Lemons are loaded with collagen-boosting vitamin C, and, as Hart explains, they give your liver a nice cleansing boost. The better your liver looks, the brighter, clearer and closer to Mariah Carey circa “Always Be My Baby” your skin looks. So lemons, squeeze ‘em in your water whenever you can!

Chlorophyll

Hart is quick to point out that there is no scientific backing to say that chlorophyll, the green pigment found in green plants, will improve the quality of your skin. That said, it’s super alkalizing, and balanced insides show on the outside, she says. Plus it makes your water look pretty, and who doesn’t love a pretty glass of H2O? Hart buys hers (a minty variety!) on Amazon and puts a few droplets into her water on the regular.

Mint

Speaking of mint, Hart’s summer go-to is mint-infused water, which cools the body (yes, please) and calms the senses, plus helps to keep our digestive systems moving smoothly. Why does digestion matter for your skin? Well, as Hart explains, when your digestive system isn’t in tip-top shape, other organs, like your skin, step in to help detoxify. Picking up the slack leaves your skin feeling (and looking) worn out.

To infuse your water with mint, steep some leaves in boiling water then strain the leaves out and cool the water down. Or, if your office climate most closely resembles the Arctic tundra like mine, drink it warm.

Basil

Your overgrown basil plant is good for more than just pesto. The essential oils in basil act as an anti-inflammatory and, as Hart explains, you want all the anti-inflammatory action you can get: Inflammation is a precursor to blemishes, wrinkles and weight gain. Basically, everything you don’t want to see on your face. Basil also has flavonoids, which help to protect your skin from damage. So when you get home, pluck a few leaves from your basil plant and throw ‘em in your water bottle for a beauty boost.

Ginger

Ginger is the ultimate anti-inflammatory and digestive superhero. Hart suggests slicing some ginger up and letting it steep in water overnight or, for a faster method, steeping ginger with boiling water then cooling the water down. Either way, once the water is nice and gingery, throw a dash of stevia in with it and you’ll have a “digestive tonic for the body” on your hands. And remember how your skin looks way better when your digestive system is functioning like a well-oiled machine? Plus, the anti-inflammation properties mean you’re lessening your chances of getting wrinkles, blemishes and all the other skins woes you’d spend your entire savings account on at Sephora to avoid.

Cinnamon Sticks

When our blood sugar shoots out the roof, we see that spike in our skin in the form of blemishes and wrinkles, Hart explains. Cinnamon helps to keep blood sugar steady so that these spikes don’t happen, and in turn you lessen your chances of waking up with a pimple the size of Texas on your chin. Worth it, right? Hart suggests throwing some cinnamon sticks in with some water and letting the water infuse overnight.

Juice Ice Cubes

First off, if you’re a juice junkie, you’re going to see all that sugar (see the bad news about blood sugar spikes above) all over your face in the form of blemishes and wrinkles. Hart suggests freezing some juice cubes — citrus juices and sugar-free cranberry juice are her top picks — to squeeze some antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals known for speeding up the aging process into your water. Plus, juice cubes are a great way to get a taste of juice without loading up on a ton of sugar.

Bitters

When Hart mentioned bitters, I had a flashback to the year I took off of school, worked at a diner, and served many a senior citizen sparkling water with bitters. And now it all makes sense: Bitters gets your digestion moving, Hart explains. And as we’ve said time and time again, the health of your digestive system manifests itself in the appearance of your skin. For that reason, bitters is great to have about 10 or 15 minutes before a meal. But don’t dilute it too much, Hart warns: It’s the actual taste of the bitters that signals to your body that the digestion process is about to begin.

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