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If you'd told me a year ago that I'd be writing about electrolytes, I'd have rolled my eyes. Like many wellness buzzwords before them, they seemed impossible to escape online. But unlike some of the trends clogging up my TikTok feed, this one product managed to change my mind.
Despite sounding like something dreamt up by a wellness influencer, the term 'electrolytes' was first coined in 1834, and its importance to the human body has been well understood for decades. They're minerals that help regulate hydration, muscle function and nerve signalling, and you get them naturally through food and drink. Think sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride.
Yet despite all of that, I'd mentally filed electrolyte supplements under "wellness trends I'll never buy into".
That was until I tried Oshun.
Ironically, it wasn't the endless promises of better hydration that caught my attention – it was the packaging.
While most electrolyte brands seem determined to make you wrestle with fiddly sachets and powders, Oshun comes in a simple pump dispenser, alongside a travel-sized pipette that lives permanently in my bag.
The brand itself takes a refreshingly uncomplicated approach. Made from concentrated inland seawater, Oshun contains naturally occurring electrolytes and trace minerals without any added flavours, sweeteners or ingredients I can't pronounce.
Oshun
That said, I remained sceptical.
Social media has a habit of turning perfectly ordinary health concepts into miracle cures, and electrolytes had started to fall into that category for me. After months of seeing sponsored posts and influencer endorsements, I'd largely tuned out the hype. Still, the simplicity of the product and the fact that it looked easy enough to incorporate into my daily routine were enough to convince me to give it a go.
A few weeks later, I found myself reluctantly admitting there might actually be something to it. I've always been prone to brain fog, and now that I'm in my thirties, pushing through the post-lunch slump feels harder than ever. While I wasn't expecting an overnight miracle, I did notice that I felt more hydrated throughout the day, with fewer energy dips and a little more mental clarity.
The biggest surprise, however, was my skin.
While I should point out that I've also been using red light therapy for a few years now, I've genuinely noticed a brighter, healthier-looking complexion since making Oshun part of my routine around six months ago. Hydration is arguably one of the most underrated aspects of skincare, and while it's not nearly as exciting as a new serum or treatment, it plays a far bigger role than many of us give it credit for.
Oshun
There is a small adjustment period when it comes to the taste.
Because Oshun is unflavoured, it has a subtle, salty, mineral-like profile that's quite different from plain water. It's not unpleasant by any means, just unexpected. But somewhere along the way, I became completely accustomed to it. In fact, I've reached the slightly ridiculous point where normal tap water now tastes incomplete without it.
Now, it's worth noting that electrolytes aren't something most of us need to overthink on a daily basis. The body is actually pretty efficient at keeping everything in balance, according to Bupa, and for the majority of people with a balanced diet, supplements aren't essential.
However, it's useful to understand what's going on behind the scenes when things are off. "It helps to be aware of what can happen when your electrolytes are too low. You can then give your body a helping hand to restore your electrolyte balance by taking electrolyte supplements," Bupa states.
When levels do drop, symptoms can include weakness and fatigue, muscle cramps, confusion, feeling sick, and, in more serious cases, an irregular heartbeat.
The group most likely to genuinely benefit from a more immediate electrolyte top-up are those pushing their bodies harder than average – endurance athletes training multiple times a week, or anyone regularly exercising at high intensity.
Pexels
There may also be cases in extreme heat, when the body is sweating more heavily than usual.
"Ever noticed how a Diet Coke hits different on a hot day? When we sweat, we don’t just lose water; we lose electrolytes, too. These control how fluid moves in the body, and when levels fall, that means plain water can feel like it’s not quite hitting the spot, while an ice-cold fizzy drink suddenly tastes amazing," Phoebe Liebling, Registered Nutritional Therapist, told Indy100. "The catch? While a Diet Coke may satisfy the craving, it isn’t replacing the electrolytes we’ve lost."
All of which is to say, I didn’t expect electrolytes to become part of my daily routine – let alone something I actively notice when I forget to take.
I'm still not here to suggest they’re a miracle fix, or something most people urgently need to add to their shopping list. But in my case, they’ve quietly slipped into that rare category of wellness products that feel less like hype, and more like habit.
And if nothing else, I’ve learned that sometimes the internet is slightly less wrong than I give it credit for.
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