Say What?: Fancy Package + Exotic Fruit = Snake Oil

Last week I was flipping through New York magazine and came across one of the most ridiculous beverages -- and obnoxious advertising campaigns -- ever invented.

Allow me to introduce you to Borba Skin Balance Water. Caution: you will be entering a website with chill-out trance music and excessively beautiful people.

Per the advertisement, "Borba Skin Balance Water uses only the finest vitamins, minerals and botanicals to help you achieve a youthful, luminous appearance. All with no carbs of calories."

Ugh.

First of all -- can someone please send out a memo to all advertisers notifying them that carb-phobia and the Atkins Diet are, thankfully, a thing of the past and that there is no need for them to tout the absence of carbs in their products?

Moving on. The "finest" vitamins and minerals? All vitamins are created equal. There is no A-list reserve stowed away for luxury waters.

Not to mention -- these are the same vitamins and minerals naturally found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

Anyhow, Borba Skin Water comes in four exotic (of course) flavors -- lychee fruit (replenishing), guanabana fruit (firming), acai berry (age defying), and pomegranate (clarifying).

I sincerely hope no one is chugging a $3 sixteen-ounce of water flavored with an exotic berry, truly believing the posh advertising campaign claiming it helps combat "oily skin, clogged pores and impurities."

Because it doesn't.

Although staying well-hydrated is one of many important factors in maintaining healthy skin, this is easily attained by drinking regular water.

If that's too boring for you, I recommend Hint Water, which delivers a pleasant fruity taste without sugar or hyperbolic promises.

Actually, one of the best things you can do for your skin is eat a varied diet containing different fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fish high in Omega-3, such as salmon.

In fact, if the above mentioned foods make up a large majority of what you eat, you are getting the same vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants the Borba folks want you to believe are exclusive to their water.

More importantly, you will be eating real food, rather than relying on extracts or flavorings, which do not contain the same health benefits.

Similarly, it is also important to keep the consumption of added sugars and processed foods low, as these foods can trigger cellular inflammation associated with various skin problems.

Water flavored with pomegranates or lychee fruit might quench your thirst, but it is far from being the fountain of youth.