In partnership with Buoy. Editor’s Note: We only select and work with partners that meet our quality standards, so you can rest assured we only endorse products we believe in.
We like
We don't like
Three out of four people in the United States are dehydrated. From mild signs (headache, dry mouth, feeling low energy) to more severe symptoms (dizziness, varied pulse rate, lethargy), chances are good you’ve experienced dehydration before. But is the answer to preventing it to simply drink enough water each day? Not exactly.
The dehydration situation is a bit more complex than I realized.
There are two parts to proper hydration: fluid (which we get through drinking water) and electrolytes (this is usually the part we miss). While buzzwords like electrolytes are thrown around with rehydration products, they usually come with flavoring, sweeteners, and sugar – all of which have the potential to create inflammation and work against us when we’re trying to hydrate.
Thankfully, I came across a brand working to simplify things for people like you and me.
Buoy, whose unflavored and unsweetened Hydration Drops have gone viral three times this year, is an innovative mineral drops product that contains electrolytes, 87 ionic trace minerals, and antioxidants in every serving to boost everything from energy to cognitive function and gut health. I recently got my hands on the brand’s Hydration Drops to see what the hype was all about – and spoiler alert, I was extremely impressed.
Everyone Needs Electrolytes. Yes, Even You!
This might be TMI, but I sweat a lot. In Pilates. In spin class. Walking to Starbucks. Breaking a sweat feels good, but it also depletes a lot of minerals from the body. And while I keep my water bottle on me at all times (emotional support water bottle girlies, unite!), I feel better when I get electrolytes and trace minerals like sodium, chloride, potassium, copper, selenium, and manganese without all the added fillers. From the health-conscious to athletes, partiers, or – honestly – however you identify, we could all use a little help in the replenishment department…
And that’s where Buoy steps in.
The Benefits of Buoy Hydration Drops
Staying hydrated is an all-day endeavor, so if you’re just focused on getting in a certain amount of water or using large single-servings in the morning, you’re missing out on a huge part of the hydration puzzle (not to mention leaving health benefits on the table).
Overfarming and commercial water have stripped our diets of essential micronutrients like trace minerals, so we have to rely on supplementation to get them back in.
It’s worth noting, though, that many ‘thirst quenching’ products are designed for single servings. Still, dosing electrolytes throughout the day is optimal – from your first glass of water in the morning to after workouts, meals, and late afternoon pick-me-ups. Buoy optimizes for function, not flavor, which is why it’s intentionally flavorless – it doesn’t hide its naturally sourced electrolytes, minerals, and vitamins behind sugar, sweeteners, flavors, or other additives (many of which lead to energy spikes and crashes).
While brimming with hard-to-find, ocean-harvested trace minerals that support every cell and system from more energy and focus to your skin, hair and nails, these hydration drops are shockingly simple – both to the taste (they’re virtually tasteless) and to use (you can add them to anything!). Plus, their liquid form means they’re up to 3x more bioavailable than traditional form factors like pills or patterns.
Best of all in my book, they’re actively investing in research with three clinical studies kicking off in 2023 and have whitepapers published for every product to support their benefits:
- Improves gut health. So much of our health revolves around what’s going on in the gut. Consuming vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants helps the microbiome with digestion and strengthening the gut lining.
- Enhances mood and cognition. Feeling sluggish and sleepy are usually the first signs of dehydration. By boosting water with trace minerals and electrolytes, you better hydrate the body and brain for better focus and mood.
- Enhanced nutrient absorption. Replenishing lost minerals and electrolytes gives the body a better chance of running optimally – which means it works better to absorb essential nutrients from food.
Hydration on the Go
My Buoy delivery arrived just in time for an international trip, so it was the perfect opportunity to put the ingredients to the test. When opening up Buoy’s Daily Wellness Bundle ($43 for one month supply, or subscribe for $33.08/month) I was greeted with three products that would fit my needs in the days leading up to my trip and while I was away: Hydration Drops, Energy Drops, and Immunity Drops.
The hydration drops contain trace minerals from deep ocean waters, while energy drops feature focus-boosting antioxidants like green tea and L-theanine. Immunity drops have extra vitamins and antioxidants – vitamins B and C, for example, to enhance the body’s immune response.
Here’s what I love about Buoy: the squeeze-bottle packaging and formulation is designed to make using it throughout the day manageable and efficient, depending on your hydration needs. Throw one in your backpack, purse, or gym back for proper hydration on the go.
Feeling Buoyed
Travel does several things to your routine and body, including zapping hydration levels. From not drinking the same amount of fluid as at home to sitting in an airplane with super dry air, getting dehydrated quickly is easy.
Buoy came in handy as soon as I reached my gate. I added a squeeze to my water bottle and sipped it as I waited to board the flight. The water had a slight mineral taste – not like you’d find with flavored supplements, but more of a hint of salt that I noticed because I looked for it.
The convenient packaging made it easy to stow in my personal items to add a few drops to my beverages throughout the journey. As much as I was expecting headaches and fatigue during my travels, I surprisingly didn’t get a single headache and stayed on top of my hydration throughout the trip! Talk about a major win for staying hydrated.
Now that I am back home, I use Buoy in my morning water before Pilates or Spin class and use the Energy Drops for my afternoon pick-me-up instead of a second iced latte. I even added a serving to my Diet Dr. Pepper for research purposes, and it passed the flavor test.
Bottom line: I love Buoy's convenience –and that they’re totally unflavored. If I’m being honest, I was a bit skeptical at first (isn’t flavor part of the fun?) but I’ve come to love that I can add them to any beverage at any point in the day. Plus, I actually really appreciate that they don’t have that fake, insanely-sweet flavor, and because they’re not filled with sugar, there’s no energy crash an hour later.
While I’m hesitant to endorse any product as totally life-changing, I can’t deny that I’ve felt more energetic lately. There are so many factors that impact how we’re feeling on any day, but I can’t argue with Buoy’s science-backed research and my own results. The proof is in the pudding – or, in this case, water, latte, soda, or whatever you’re drinking!
Shop Buoy here!
.jpg){kind=spacer}
