Las Vegas Water
An interesting discovery
It occurred to me one year when I was having skin irritations from head to toe one year.
The natural reaction in Las Vegas is to “chalk it up” as eczema and blame either genetics or blame the lack of humidity in the desert 🏜️
Experimentations
As we were studying wine, I always realized that we would talk about how the wine was high or low acidity. And typically we would generalize how the combinations of rootstock and soil type would result in a different balance in the pH outcome.
It was during a work trip to Argentina when I was speaking with Susana Balbo in her beautiful estate (out in Gualtallary, located in Valle de Uco of the Mendoza region) when I discovered that they share the same soil type as we do in Las Vegas: Caliche, a layer of soil cemented together but calcium carbonate, binding others materials like sand, gravel, clay and silt. Thanks it's incredibly difficult to penetrate and build around, both with buildings and with vineyards. Most importantly to note: it calcifies all your pipes, drains, faucets, and plumbing.
After returning home, I began experimenting with water in different ways. One “tonic” of sorts that I've always heard was high acid beverages being able to remove engine build-up and other features. I finally put 3 and 3 together…
The experiment when like this:
Take a full bath of hotter than warm water
Pour 1/3 - 1/2 a bottle of apple cider vinegar (typically 1L bottle)
(Optional) If the smell irritates you, add some lavender scented bubbles
Get a good book
Soak in bath for 1-2 hours.
After exiting bath, towel dry but before entire dry, begin to lather skin, head to toe, with aloe vera (preferably without alcohol and coloring).
Before the aloe vera dries, begin a second coat of coconut oil, head to toe. If necessary, put oil in a water tight bottle and place in bath so it can warm up and liquify.
If late in the evening, build layers of bath towels to sleep before bed to let soak in over night.
What I discovered by doing this is, taking a shower every day in Las Vegas makes your skin more and more basic (high pH). You are essentially drying your skin out with every shower. Some people at a creamy lotion to temporarily ease the dryness but it can further perpetuate the issue as there may be additional calcium in the lotion to further dry you out.
Instead, by taking this style of bath either once a week to once a month, you are balancing your skin’s pH with natural ingredients, no medicines or chemicals needed!
I have also heard, but not tested, oatmeal baths as well. I am not a doctor, I'm just making chronic observations in my own health and what has made drastic improvements in a simple solution. Test your water (faucets and showers) with a pH pool strip!
The nice perk is, after taking that bath you can also soak your shower heads and sink caps/drains with the same water to help remove all the calcium build up. Let it soak in the warm water for an hour and a good size cleaning brush to remove the build-up. 2 in 1!
Problems & Opportunities
So, what I learned from wine, was to always balance your pH. From your skin, to your stomach and what you consume. Sometimes we bath in basic waters and consume way too many acidic beverages and foods. We need to balance, periodically so we don't get out of control. Eat veggies, take a calcium carbonate tablet if you are drinking too much acidic wines, coffees, proteins, etc. Inner health and outer health, it all maters!
So don't forget to breath deep, soak in some sun, and get plenty of good sleep too! Cheers 🍾🥂❤️
