Functional water: a valuable ally for our beauty care?

A functional water is a drink positioned like a natural water, but predominantly focused on supplements of minerals, vitamins or more recently even proteins and molecules found in most cosmetic products we use for our skin care. These products do not replace the nutrients that are necessary for a healthy and complete diet and that we should consume regularly through meals, but they can be a healthy ally for those who occasionally or repeatedly fail to supplement these elements through their diet alone. Let us remember that, according to European standards, a functional drink can be defined as such if it contains 16 per cent of the reference nutritional value, a value that allows it to bring actual well-being to the consumer. While they have only been on supermarket shelves in Italy since 2018, they have been known in the USA since 2015 - with sales of $12 million - and have won over the public with the promise of benefiting from other aspects beyond simple but very important hydration, to name just a few examples.

Sant'Anna Beauty "Hyaluronic Acid"

Hyaluronic acid is one of the most abundant molecules in our bodies at the joint, epithelial tissue, skin and eye levels. Due to its chemical structure, it is highly soluble in water, and as it traps a large amount of water molecules around it, it is an indispensable element for hydration. This functional drink with hyaluronic acid and zinc contains 135 mg of hyaluronic acid dissolved in 150 ml of water. It is recommended to take one vial a day for at least 6 weeks and consider it a real beauty ritual to be integrated into your daily beauty routine. For more hydration and luminosity of the skin, it is undoubtedly the best complement to a good face cream in the morning or evening.

Levissima "Magnesium Water" with green apple flavour

Magnesium is an essential mineral for the correct physiology of the body and intervenes in numerous factors, first in the nervous system, then in the muscular system, promoting the transmission of nerve stimuli to the muscles and regulating communication between neurons and muscle cells. It is very useful in resolving problems with flatulence and regulating mood and cramps during menstruation, as it also plays an important role in the smooth functioning of the intestines and hormone physiology. The drink offered by Levissima not only has a fresh, green apple flavour, but also contains 16 per cent of the daily requirement of magnesium. This is about 1/5 of the total requirement that we should take in through our diet - with vegetables, legumes, nuts and other fruits. 

Be careful not to confuse them with herbal teas or detox waters. In the case of a water to which fruits and vegetables are added and which is then allowed to steep, the taste will certainly be as we expected, but as far as the benefits are concerned, only a fraction of the substances we expected will be retained. Functional waters, on the other hand, retain 100 per cent of the positive effects of the elements with which they are enriched, and this is carefully calculated by a special team, which is why they cannot be imitated at home. Like the food supplements we buy, these drinks are basically useful to avoid deficiencies that would certainly harm our bodies, but what do the experts say? Just like supplements, these products are used to "supplement" the diet when it is deficient in a nutrient or when we are in a state of increased need, as is the case with people who exercise intensively, but they are not always necessary. Why is that? The idea that needs to be corrected is that if a nutrient is good for you, the more I take, the better. This is wrong because you can fall from one extreme to the other, so it is always good to do your research before proceeding. That being said, it is important to only consume sugar-free versions (such as the examples above) so that they do not have a negative impact on our diet. Despite the alleged benefits and the fact that they are partly beneficial for our bodies, the presence of sugar would make functional water too close to a simple sugary drink, which is not optimal for us.

And how much do they cost? Their price varies depending on the quantity and, above all, the function. The cheapest ones start at around 2 euros per litre, which makes them uneconomical and reserved for a segment of consumers who can afford to spend more on personal care. For those who exercise, do not constantly look after their diet or skin, and for those who find it difficult to drink the famous 2 litres of water a day, functional waters can be useful. There are numerous marketing gimmicks aimed at solving the problem of low daily fluid intake through innovative systems that do not offer any benefits, as in the case of Air Up, which has quickly appeared on all available social and advertising spaces. Air Up promises to increase the amount of water consumed daily thanks to retroactive technology - which simulates water with different flavours thanks to pods that can be connected to the water bottle - but maybe it's worth giving drinks a chance that are enriched with elements that can really help our bodies a little. These types of products, like many others that focus on the beauty sector, are not miracles, but they will undoubtedly be able to bring you benefits if you are consistent and, above all, willing to be patient, day after day, to notice the first results.