INTERVIEW : bkr Founders Tal Winter + Kate Cutler
What was the vision behind founding BKR?
We always knew that the prescription for gorgeous skin is sleep and water but we found ourselves drinking from tons of plastic disposable water bottles. We were cultured, intelligent, fashionable women drinking out of trash. And, it’s especially bad for women to drink out of plastic because of the effects of leaching chemicals and estrogenic activity. It didn’t make sense. We couldn’t find a reusable bottle we loved, and we didn’t like the experience of drinking out of metal – it made water taste and smell awful, you couldn’t see into it and you couldn’t put it in the dishwasher. So we made exactly what we wanted: something beautiful, effortless, clear, pure and chic. We knew if we wanted it, other people would too.
Why is it important to stay hydrated?
How much water you’re drinking, how much sleep you get, what you’re eating, whether you’re working out, your stress levels – good or bad, it all shows on your face. When we’re properly hydrated, our skin looks more toned, our lips are softer and our hair is shinier. We jokingly call it “cameling” when you somehow forget to drink enough water. It doesn’t happen to us often and it’s only happened when we’ve forgotten to bring our bkrs with us but if it does we notice it immediately. You notice fine lines and wrinkles more, your lips look peely and you feel extremely low energy.
When it comes to healthy skin, hydration is so important. How much water should we be drinking for glowing skin?
The basic advice is no less than eight 8oz glasses per day which is four Little (500mL) bkrs or 2 (1L) Big bkrs. It really depends on so many things: how active you are, how warm the weather is, if you’re flying, your skin type, your age and weight….Tal and I try to drink 96oz, or 3 liters a day no matter what because that’s the amount of water at which we feel and look our best. We’ll have one Big in the morning while we’re getting ready for our day, two Littles in the afternoon as we run from meeting to meeting and one Big in the evening before bed, usually curled up with Netflix.
Can you touch upon the hormones in plastic bottles vs. the design of BKR?
It’s so important to steer clear of disposable plastic bottles. Most people have heard of BPA -- a plastic hardener, synthetic estrogen, and a frankly terrifying chemical found in plastic water bottles. It’s an endocrine disrupter that leaches from plastic into our food and drinks. It’s been linked to a ton of health problems including an increased risk of cancer, obesity, early onset puberty, diabetes and has been linked to skin conditions like melasma or deep discoloration. Plastic hardeners eat away at your teeth too. Basically it’s making us sick, ugly and fat. It’s also been shown to affect fertility — and brain and behavioral development in children. Pretty awful all around. Also, if your plastic water bottle is BPA-free, chances are it has another chemical in it that in five years we’ll find out is even worse.
If you’re drinking water all day — which you should be if you want beautiful skin — the last thing you should do is marinate it in chemicals, or carry it in opaque materials that you can’t disinfect properly and you can’t see inside of. Glass is so much healthier and better for you and for the environment. It's chemically inert; it doesn't alter the taste of its contents, and doesn't allow any unsafe chemicals to leach and make you sick. And it's a fully recyclable material. It can be recycled endlessly and recovered glass is used as the majority ingredient in new glass containers. And without question, everything tastes better out of glass. bkr's silicone sleeve is perfectly soft and grippy—and non-toxic. It protects the glass, insulates whatever's inside it, is dishwasher safe, clean, beautiful, minimal and fully recyclable.
What are your rituals when it comes to making sure your skin looks, feels, and stays hydrated?
You both have gorgeous skin! We actually have pretty simple skincare routines. We’re never not sipping from our bkrs, we never go to bed with makeup on, we try to use clean skincare products and we’re devout exfoliators and moisturizers.
Any last tips + pieces of advice for readers and staying hydrated?
Our best advice is to allow yourself to get addicted to your bkr and never leave home without it. No one has ever said they regret being so hydrated. Even when we travel, we always fill a bkr to drink on the way to the airport, head through security with it empty and fill it up on the other side–that way we’re as hydrated and glowing as possible even after long flights that should leave us dull and dry.
To start hydrating like a pro, use HERBIVORE at checkout over at BKR to get 15% off!
