Now, a new global partnership between BlueGreen Water Technologies and Winrock International seeks to confront this escalating crisis head-on.

Announced in June 2025, the collaboration combines the BlueGreen groundbreaking water treatment technologies with Winrock strengths in community engagement and watershed expertise. The two organizations will pilot HAB mitigation projects in vulnerable water bodies worldwide, blending cutting-edge science with boots-on-the-ground collaboration.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs)are more than an environmental nuisance. When algae proliferate unchecked, they often release cyanotoxins, compounds linked to liver damage, neurological disease, and cancer. The danger is especially acute in communities with limited access to clean water infrastructure.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, exposure to HABs has been associated with severe illness in humans and animals alike, and outbreaks have increased significantly in frequency and intensity over the last two decades.

“These blooms undermine the fundamental right to clean, safe water,” says Eyal Harel, CEO and co-founder of BlueGreen Water Technologies. “They endanger health, food supplies, biodiversity, and climate stability.”

Based in Houston with global reach, BlueGreen Water Technologies has emerged as a global leader in treating HABs. Its signature product, Lake Guard®, utilizes controlled-release hydrogen peroxide granules to target toxic algae directly, restoring ecological balance without harming aquatic life.

What sets the technology apart is its speed and scalability. Many affected water bodies rebound in just days after application. Moreover, by collapsing algal blooms rather than rupturing cells, Lake Guard helps prevent toxin release and accelerates the natural sinking of biomass, contributing to measurable carbon sequestration. In Utah’s Mantua Reservoir, BlueGreen intervention captured nearly 13,000 metric tons of CO₂-equivalent, verified by third-party environmental assessors.

While its carbon market potential has attracted investor interest, the BlueGreen mission remains rooted in planetary and public health.

Winrock International, a global nonprofit, brings decades of experience in environmental sustainability, agricultural development, and clean water access. The organization has a reputation for working alongside local communities and government agencies to implement nature-based solutions that balance ecological and social needs.

Aaron Sundsmo, Winrock Associate VP of Agriculture and Water, emphasizes that addressing HABs isn’t just about treating symptoms—it requires upstream solutions. “Community engagement, stakeholder trust, and long-term strategies to reduce nutrient pollution are essential. That’s where our strengths align with BlueGreen’s vision.”

By partnering with Winrock, BlueGreen gains an experienced ally in building locally responsive frameworks. Together, the two will integrate chemical treatment with watershed restoration, sustainable agriculture, and environmental education.

The partnership will launch its first pilots in high-risk regions identified through water quality data, community needs, and ecological urgency. These initiatives will pair BlueGreen’s precision treatments with Winrock-led efforts in stakeholder coordination, regulatory navigation, and long-term land use planning.

The collaboration also aims to generate actionable environmental data to inform policy and attract sustainable investment. With HABs projected to intensify globally, scalable, science-backed, and socially grounded models like this will be vital.

BlueGreen is also in active trials with marine research partners, including Florida’s Mote Marine Laboratory, to adapt its technology to fight ocean-based HABs like red tide, which devastate marine biodiversity and coastal economies.

This partnership reflects a growing recognition that health and environmental outcomes are interlinked. Climate change, industrial agriculture, and pollution are not isolated crises—they converge in ways that challenge traditional silos of action.

“Solving water contamination issues requires more than a technological fix,” says Harel. “It demands a unified approach—combining innovation, policy, and people.”

In a world where over 2 billion people already lack safely managed drinking water, solutions that restore water health while building resilience and equity are more than innovations—they are imperatives.

The BlueGreen-Winrock alliance represents a forward-looking strategy for a world in ecological flux. It’s a model that others in the global health, sustainability, and climate tech sectors would do well to follow: technology married to trust, environmental impact driven by community inclusion.

Water is life. Safeguarding it—from HABs or any threat—must be a shared priority. This new partnership is a promising start.

The post Turning the Tide: BlueGreen and Winrock Team Up to Fight Global Water Crisis appeared first on Medika Life.

Representatives from over 170 nations gathered in late November with hopes of formulating a robust plan to tackle the spiralling plastic waste crisis. However, the talks ended amidst entrenched divisions, delaying a resolution many consider critical to the planet’s future.

Diverging Visions

At the heart of the negotiations lay a chasm between two factions: the “high-ambition” coalition of over 100 countries advocating for legally binding limits on plastic production and oil-producing nations, along with some developing states, who resisted such measures. “The objective of this treaty is to end plastic pollution, not plastic itself,” declared Kuwait’s negotiator, encapsulating the resistance to production caps from nations heavily reliant on the oil and petrochemical industries.

Plastic production, which has soared from two million tonnes in 1950 to over 400 million tonnes annually today, is projected to double by 2040. This trajectory threatens to exacerbate environmental degradation and could constitute 15% of global carbon emissions by mid-century.

Frustration and Resolve

The failure to produce a treaty text has drawn sharp criticism. Campaigners decried the lack of progress, with Sean Savett, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, lamenting how “a small group of countries and producers stood in the way of progress to protect their profits.” Such sentiments echoed a broader frustration with corporations that continue to prioritise recycled plastics over more sustainable, reusable alternatives. Coca-Cola, for instance, recently abandoned its commitment to 25% reusable packaging by 2030, drawing accusations of “greenwashing” from activists.

Despite the disappointment, some observers are cautiously optimistic. Sr. Patty Johnson, attending on behalf of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, remarked, “I had a general sense that everyone agreed this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The challenge lies in how ambition is defined.”

The Path Forward

The incomplete negotiations underscore the complexity of addressing a problem deeply intertwined with global economics, environmental health, and corporate interests. Plastic’s lifecycle, from production to waste management, remains contentious. While some nations champion comprehensive measures encompassing production, use, and disposal, others favour a narrower focus on waste management and recycling.

Adding to the challenge, microplastics and their effects on health and ecosystems intensify the urgency for action. Research linking microplastics to severe health risks, including heart attacks and strokes, has only amplified calls for decisive intervention.

Still, progress, albeit incremental, has been made. Key elements of a treaty framework, such as a financial mechanism to support implementation (which could involve a global fund for plastic pollution reduction) and criteria for regulating specific polymers (which could include setting limits on the use of certain types of plastic), are taking shape. Negotiators are expected to reconvene in 2025 to build on these foundations.

Reimagining Solutions

A shift in the narrative around plastics is essential to achieve meaningful change. Von Hernandez of Break Free from Plastic encapsulated the issue, criticising corporations for perpetuating single-use culture: “Recycled single-use items still pollute the environment. The focus must be on reuse and reduction at the source.”

Incentivising innovation in alternative materials, expanding reusable systems, and integrating scientific research into policymaking could pave the way for more sustainable practices. However, bridging the gap between nations’ varied economic dependencies and environmental goals will require exceptional diplomacy and commitment.

A Global Imperative

Plastic pollution transcends borders, washing up on remote island shores and infiltrating the deepest ocean trenches. While the Busan talks fell short of expectations, they underscored the shared recognition that a global solution is imperative. “We have not yet reached the summit of our efforts,” affirmed Luis Vayas, Ecuador’s vice minister of foreign affairs and negotiations chair. His words reflect the determination of many to persist despite the obstacles.

The road to a global plastics treaty may be fraught with challenges, but it remains a journey worth taking. The stakes — ecological integrity, public health, and the sustainability of our planet — demand nothing less than a collective and unwavering resolve.

The post Plastic Treaty Talks: A Stumble on the Path to Progress appeared first on Medika Life.

FORT DODGE, Iowa — Allison Roderick has a warning and a pledge for rural residents of her county: The water from their wells could be contaminated, but the government can help make it safe.

Roderick is the environmental health officer for Webster County in north-central Iowa, where a few thousand rural residents live among sprawling corn and soybean fields. Many draw their water from private wells, which are exempt from most federal testing and purity regulations. Roderick spreads the word that they aren’t exempt from danger.

More than 43 million Americans rely on private wells, which are subject to a patchwork of state and local regulations, including standards for new construction. But in most cases, residents are free to use outdated wells without having them tested or inspected. The practice is common despite concern about runoff from farms and industrial sites, plus cancer-causing minerals that can taint groundwater.

“You’re cooking with it. You’re cleaning with it. You’re bathing in it — and, nowadays, there are so many things that can make you sick,” Roderick said.

Federal experts estimate more than a fifth of private wells have concentrations of contaminants above levels considered safe.

Like many states, Iowa offers aid to homeowners who use well water. The state provides about $50,000 a year to each of its 99 counties to cover testing and help finance well repairs or treatment. The money comes from fees paid on agricultural chemical purchases, but about half goes unused every year, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Roderick, who started her job in 2022, aims to spend every penny allotted to her county. Last spring, she snared an extra $40,000 that other counties hadn’t used. She promotes the program online and by mailing piles of postcards. Traveling the countryside in a hand-me-down SUV from the sheriff’s department, she collects water samples from outdoor spigots and sends them to a lab.

When she finds contamination, she can offer up to $1,000 of state grant money to help with repairs, or up to $500 to cap an abandoned well.

Experts urge all users of private wells to have them tested at least annually. Even if wells meet modern construction standards and have tested clean in the past, they can become contaminated as the water table rises or falls and conditions change above them. A faulty septic system or overapplication of fertilizer or pesticide can quickly taint groundwater.

Too many residents assume everything is fine “as long as the water is coming out of the tap and it doesn’t smell funny,” said Sydney Evans, a senior science analyst for the Environmental Working Group, a national advocacy organization that studies water pollution.

The main concerns vary, depending on an area’s geology and industries.

In Midwestern farming regions, for example, primary contaminants include bacteria and nitrates, which can be present in agricultural runoff. In rural Nevada and Maine, arsenic and uranium often taint water. And, throughout the country, concerns are rising about the health effects of PFAS chemicals, widely used products also known as “forever chemicals.” A recent federal study estimated at least 45% of U.S. tap water contains them.

Filters can help ensure safety, but only if they’re selected to address the specific problem affecting a home’s water supply, Evans said. The wrong filter can give a false sense of safety.

Evans said people who wonder about possible contaminants in their area can ask to see test results from wells supplying nearby community water systems. Those systems are required to test their water regularly, and the results should be public, she said: “It’s a great place to start, and it’s free and easy.”

She also said people who rely on private water wells should ask local health officials about eligibility for help paying for testing and possible repairs or filters. Subsidies are often available but not publicized, she said.

A study by Emory University researchers published in 2019 found that all states have standards for new well construction, and most states require permits for them. However, the researchers wrote, “even in states with standards for water quality testing, testing is typically infrequent or not conducted at all.”

Some longtime rural residents live in homes that have been in their families for generations. They often know little about their water source. “They’ll say, ‘This is the well my grandfather dug. We’ve used it ever since, and no one’s had an issue,’” said David Cwiertny, director of the University of Iowa’s Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination. They might not realize impure water can harm health over time, he said.

Some states require inspection and tests of private wells when properties are sold. Iowa doesn’t mandate such measures, although Webster County does. It’s a good idea for homebuyers anywhere to request them, said Erik Day, who oversees the private well program for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He also recommends asking for a technician who can run a flexible scope down the well to visually inspect the inside.

Day estimated fewer than 10% of Iowa’s private well owners have them tested annually, even though testing can be free under the state grant program.

In Webster County, Larry Jones recently took advantage of free well testing at a weathered ranch house he bought west of Fort Dodge, in a subdivision bordering a large soybean field. Jones lives next door to the 54-year-old home, and he is refurbishing it as a place for his relatives to stay.

Roderick, the county health official, sampled water from the well and found it was tainted with bacteria. She offered Jones $1,000 from the state grant to help get it fixed. He added a few thousand dollars of his own and hired a contractor.

“It’s an investment for the future,” he said. “You’re talking about your family.”

The old well was made with a 2-foot-diameter concrete casing sunk vertically in sections about 60 feet into the ground. A smaller plastic pipe ran down the middle of the casing to water at the bottom. A pump pulled water up through the smaller pipe and into the home.

Lynn Rosenquist, who owns a local well-repair business, told Jones the well probably was original to the house and likely met standards when it was built. But at least one chunk of concrete had broken off and fallen in.

Repairs took two days of heavy work by Rosenquist and his brother, Lanny, who are the third generation of their family to maintain wells. The brothers used a backhoe and small crane to remove much of the concrete casing. They replaced it with a narrower, PVC pipe, which they sealed with a cement mixture to prevent seepage from the surface. When finished, they “shocked” the system with a bleach solution, then flushed and tested again.

Such modern construction is less prone to becoming tainted, Roderick said. “If it’s not sealed airtight, bacteria can get in there and it’s just gross,” she said.

Grossness is not the only thing Roderick considers. Besides E. coli and other bacteria, she tests for nitrates and sulfates, which can exist in farm or lawn runoff or come from natural sources, and for arsenic and manganese, which can occur in rock formations. She plans to add tests for PFAS chemicals soon.

She collects the water in small plastic bottles, which she mails to a lab. She enters information about each well into a state database. If the tests turn up contaminants, she advises homeowners of their options.

Roderick said she enjoys the routine. “I’ve met so many people — and I’ve met a lot of dogs,” she said with a laugh. “I love the feeling that I’m really helping people.”

The post Millions of Rural Americans Rely on Private Wells. Few Regularly Test Their Water appeared first on Medika Life.

Already recognized for its health, defense, and technology achievements, the country is emerging rapidly as a global environmental innovation leader. How can such a small nation punch so heavily above its weight in high science and intense engineering advances? Simply put, Israel has all the right stuff: more engineers per capita than most developed nations, an entrepreneurial, collaborative energy that is infectious, a heavy focus on STEM, and a keen business understanding that Israel is a critical development-center hub with North America and Europe as the primary business targets.

According to Start-Up Nation Central, the non-profit that connects Israel’s tech and science community to the world, almost 1,000 Israeli enterprises are pursuing a range of decarbonization, climate adaptation, and environmental protection technologies with the potential to mitigate the impacts of climate change and address its root causes.

Israel plans to rub shoulders with the world’s leading NGOs and companies and highlight its advances at the upcoming COP28 gathering in Dubai. Under the banner of the Israeli Innovation Authority – a collaborative body of government agencies – this organization announced that it will sponsor 100 Israeli environmental innovation start-ups and expects to bring a 1,000-person delegation to Dubai at the end of November for the three-week convening of policy leaders, mega-corporations and change agents.

During the summer trip, we met with 11 companies on the frontlines of climate tech innovation. We cannot say whether they are among those the Israel Innovation Authority will sponsor – but they should undoubtedly be on the sector’s “to-follow” radar screen. As necessary, their subsectors – biodegradables, food supply, renewable energy, sustainable urban development, and water supply – reinforce how environmental innovation has become big business.

Biodegradables

Biodegradables are crucial for addressing climate change and reducing the burden of persistent waste. Unlike conventional plastics, they minimize pollution and conserve resources. Inventing products and promoting greater use can mitigate plastic-related emissions, decrease landfill waste, and advance toward a more sustainable future.

Solutum

What happens to shrink-wrap after it is discarded? Unsurprisingly, it often ends up in landfills with other non-biodegradable waste products. Solutum is addressing this challenge and may enable mega-companies to comply quickly with policies from 28 countries that have laws to encourage reduced and greater recycling of discarded packaging. The company seeks to reduce plastic pollution through sturdy and biodegradable alternatives. Its approach uses natural biomass that dramatically reduces fossil fuel use. It controls the compound’s temperature sensitivity to water through proprietary manufacturing to create predetermined temperature and dissolving times to eliminate waste from landfills. LinkedIn

Here is the Medika Life feature article on Solutum.

WipeFlush

Wet wipes are a plastic-based product that clog pipes and enter septic systems. They are another ubiquitous plastic product entering water systems. WipeFlush founder Moshe Toprovsky is a lawyer by training and now a declared environmentalist. Toprovsky came up with an idea to make the wipe industry sustainable and support the continued convenience of wipes without damaging the environment. While at an early stage, the category is a must-watch.   LinkedIn

Food-Chain Sustainability

Plant-based alternative meat options are an environmental priority and reduce the carbon impact of traditional animal agriculture. Tasty alternatives require fewer natural resources, produce lower greenhouse gas emissions, use less land and water, and attract corporate and consumer interest. The faster we shift toward plant-based proteins, the sooner we can tackle the pressing climate challenges of deforestation and excessive water usage while ensuring a sustainable food supply to meet the growing global demand.

More Foods

The world is moving in the direction of consuming less meat. Some cite health priorities, and others are concerned about how meat production raises our carbon footprint. Yet, according to More Foods CEO Leonardo Markovitz, though most consumers want to reduce their meat consumption to live healthier lives, consumers don’t consider today’s meatless options healthy. The health-conscious, discerning public sees what’s in alternative meat products and aren’t impressed by the ingredients. More Foods has developed a new, scalable platform using pumpkin and sunflower seeds, leveraging the ability to extract oil from the seeds and create a scrumptious product already finding its way into popular restaurant chains. More Foods uses the leftover fragments from this process, turning them into a powder and a textured product. LinkedIn

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy innovation is essential to confront climate change and ensure a sustainable future. There’s no way around it: we must transition away from fossil fuels. By advancing technologies like solar, wind, and hydropower, it is possible to reduce carbon footprints and create new economic opportunities. Innovation in renewables for some nations will lead to energy independence and pave the way for a resilient energy infrastructure that meets global energy demands while preserving the planet.

BrightMerge

Transitioning entirely to electric cars and trucks seems like a no-brainer. The barrier to entry for car fleet managers, city planners and consumers is access to charging stations. Where to place power and how much requires data analysis and usage trends. Here is where cloud-based technology and AI can accelerate the adoption of the category. BrightMerge has created its “Microgrid Operations Platform” to help decision-makers better understand how much power a grid can produce and determine where and when to supplement the energy needs.  LinkedIn

First Airborne

The earth has enough sun and wind to meet renewable energy consumption needs. First Airborne is well on its way to helping wind farms address one of the sector’s biggest challenges – efficiency and profitability. The potential of wind power lies in its ability to generate clean electricity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to energy diversification. Now, it is one of the fastest-growing infrastructures in history. Measuring wind power is crucial to secure its place as a practical solution, and First Airborne is at the forefront of combining drone and highly sensitive measurement technologies to enable wind power to reach its greatest potential.

Here is the Medika Life feature on First Airborne.

Flower Turbine

Wind power needn’t interrupt the natural landscape. The company’s wind turbines capture the look of “tulips,” which are low-noise and produce alternative energy on-or-off the utility grid.  Flower Turbine is global – headquartered in New York, it operates a European subsidiary, its -manufacturing plant is in The Netherlands, and its engineering team is rooted in Israel. Its move from start-up to commercial operation underscores the potential of this company to scale up and secure multi-national government contracts.  LinkedIn

Hard to believe?  Just watch:

Rhino Eco

Rhino Eco promises to make solar and clean energy accessible. People have moved past the aesthetic hesitancy of having solar power panels affixed to their rooftops. Cost remains a factor, however, and individual companies offering solar panel installation must lower the barriers to adoption. Drawing upon the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #7: Affordable and Clean Energy – Rhino Eco uses “fintech” to empower climate tech solar energy purchasing decisions. The solar panel sector includes larger and smaller contractors. Rhino Eco supports the sector – from installers to home owners – by offering several loan and lease financing options through its network and uses aggregated information technology to personalize financing possibilities tailored to each homeowner’s needs.  LinkedIn

Sustainable Urban Development

Urban clusters contribute significantly to climate change due to increased energy consumption, heat island effects, and carbon emissions. New construction materials with improved insulation and reduced carbon footprint are crucial to counter this. Also, “bioshade”— strategically planting trees and vegetation—mitigates heat, enhances air quality, and reduces energy needs for cooling. Implementing these innovations in urban design can curb climate change, create sustainable cities, and improve the quality of urban life.

BioShade

Increasing population density in urban centers is matched by deforestation and construction. Society is creating “urban heat islands.” Planned and scaled vegetation cover can help. Planting trees in cities can help. But trees require growing time – and heat waves are frequent and dangerous. BioShade Green Infrastructure is one pathway to reduce urban hot spots. This proven nature-based solution provides biological shading, natural shade, and natural cooling benefits, improving city air quality.  LinkedIn

ECOncrete

State, Federal, and local governments on the coast recognize that water lines are rising. Concrete reef barriers are the go-to solutions as populations build along desirable coastlines. However, this leads to ecosystem degradation – increasing risks to coastal residents, environmental marine life, and longer-term biodiversity.

Marine artificial reefs and water barriers are usually concrete-based, and designers too frequently disregard biodiversity priorities and ecological impact. Low-cost materials secure the “low-bid position” on public works contracts. But, what appears to be low-cost has a tremendous economic impact. Kicking the can down the road when it comes to construction sustainability is becoming costly. ECOncrete has created a material composition and design that supports biological sustainability and marine life. Its benefits are many. This environmental construction advance improves structural performance and reduces mitigation fees and penalties cost-effectively. LinkedIn

GreenVibe

Among the more expensive elements in construction is cement. However, expense is only one part of the architect’s and construction company’s burden. Cement production contributes to substantial carbon emissions, consuming fossil fuels and releasing CO2 during manufacturing and curing processes, significantly contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions. Each ton of concrete produces around 910 kg of CO2. GreenVibe has “wearable-like” technology to measure how much concrete concentration is needed to build safer, environmentally sound structures. Accurate factual data can reduce cement usage in the industry by 25%. LinkedIn

Water Supply

Climate-independent atmospheric water generation offers a transformative solution to water scarcity. By extracting moisture from the air, this technology provides a reliable water source regardless of regional climatic conditions. It reduces pressure on traditional water sources, enhances resilience to droughts, and ensures a more secure and accessible water supply for communities worldwide.

Be Air

Today, there are two main methods of atmospheric water generation:

1. Liquid desiccant absorption, and:
2. Cooling and condensation.

These methods have high water maintenance and are limited geographically by relative humidity rate. BeAir is taking on this technological challenge. Rather than reinvent the wheel, the company’s engineers have adapted membrane material from high-precision medical devices. The result is a new pathway – an accessible and easy-to-place almost anywhere – system that generates drinkable water from “thin air” using a precise energy force using 60% less power than other sector players. Be Air seeks to redefine how to tap into climate-independent atmospheric water generation with reduced energy requirements and minimal maintenance.  LinkedIn

The Climate Innovation Model

Israel has become a must-watch global hub in addressing climate change and promoting sustainability through the Israeli government’s support for collaboration that brings together a matchless entrepreneurial ecosystem, technologists with a proven track record of practical advancements, and a community of thriving startups. Other nations – particularly emerging nations – face similar challenges and conditions, and they can lead the charge in a global transition to a greener, more sustainable future by fostering collaboration to create an infrastructure that guides, supports and brings purpose-centered investors to the table of possibilities. These 11 companies and the 1,000 plus more in Israel may be role models for environmental innovation we should support through counsel, connections, and investment.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Nicole Grubner, partner and Environmental Innovation Lead, FINN Partners Israel, Cullen Burnell, chief of staff, Health and Purpose, FINN Partners, Levi Shapiro, founder and curator, mHealth Israel, Adam Salkin, partner, Herzog Law, Tel Aviv, Israel and to all the climate tech champions in the “Start-Up Nation” for sharing with me their efforts to improve planet earth.

The post Climate Tech May be Among the World’s Greatest Public Health Priorities appeared first on Medika Life.

Anyone who’s fallen asleep in a lovely warm bath knows the ‘old folks’ fingers and toes that result from having your skin submerged in water for an extended period. The ends of your appendages wouldn’t look amiss in a packet of prunes, and that’s all thanks to the water.

I remember my mother, who swore by her facial toners and I can honestly say that I never saw a drop of tap water touch her face. She passed away at 87, her pale, flawless English complexion and smooth facial texture belying her age.

How and when water dries the skin

Anything that causes loss of water and reduces barrier function of the top layer of your skin, called the stratum corneum, can lead to the feeling of dry skin. Exposure to outside irritants such as chemicals, solvents, detergents, and yes, excessive water, can make skin dry.

Tap water contains normally “harmless” additives such as chlorine, magnesium, or iron, all of which can have a negative impact on skin that is already sensitive. Hard tap water, which is discussed in more detail below, really exacerbates water-related dry skin, its mineral constituents booking your pores and leeching moisture from the skin.

Here are a few simple things to keep in mind when it comes to water and dry skin.

• Cold climates aggravate the drying effect of water on the skin
• Bathe or shower in water that is excessively hot and you will dry out your skin further. The cooler the better is a great rule of thumb.
• Limit your bathing time to about 10 minutes, and if you can trim down that time, all the better.
• Drinking more water will keep your body hydrated, but that doesn’t extend to your skin. While becoming dehydrated isn’t going to do your skin any good, you can’t simply re-moisturize dry skin by drinking more water.
• Check your local water quality. Hard water is a major cause of dry skin.
• If you must wash your face with water, do it once a day only. Toners and some oils are an excellent alternative to water and will strip away most make-up.
• If you’re going to have your hands or body immersed in water for an extended period consider wearing gloves or using a barrier lotion.

How to spot “Hard Water”

A high amount of calcium and magnesium makes water extremely hard, leaving stains on your plumbing fixtures and utensils and damages your skin and hair. There are a few telltale signs you can look out for that will tell you if your local water is hard. In severe cases, extended use of hard water can lead to dermatitis, especially if you live in places with a dry climate.

• Dry and irritated skin
• Rough hair
• Dry scalp
• Rough clothes
• Scale buildup on faucets
• Film on shower doors, walls, bathtubs
• Low water pressure

Moisturizers can act to draw away moisture from your skin

Modern moisturizers are designed with molecules that attract moisture from the surrounding air. This is a simplified explanation of an ingenious product design, but it comes with drawbacks you should be aware of if you suffer from dry skin.

If you live in a climate that doesn’t have much moisture present in the air, the moisturizer will still do what it was designed to do, but it’s going to find the moisture in your skin, actually drawing water and moisture out of your skin cells. Obviously, if your skin is already very dry, it’s going to worsen the condition.

A simple and usually cheap tub of aqueous cream with no added fragrance or additional ingredients is often your best choice if you live in a dry and windy climate. Here are a few simple tips to remember about moisturizers if you suffer from dry skin.

• Avoid any moisturizing product that is fragranced. Peaches are supposed to smell like peaches, not your skin. Fragrances are one of the primary irritants of sensitive skin.
• Petroleum-based products, whilst sealing the skin, often irritate sensitive skin. Avoid them.
• Keep body lotions on the body and face creams on the face. Consider an oil for your face as an alternative to cream and natural organic shea butter or coconut oil for your body.

The post Dry Skin? The Truth about Water and Your Skin appeared first on Medika Life.