"Urine" safe hands with Pantone and Highland Spring

A colour scale to get people checking the shade of their pee has been created by leading natural source water brand Highland Spring, in close partnership with Pantone Color Institute’s global team of "colour experts".

Based on guidance provided by Harley Street nutritionist Lily Soutter, and using the NHS Nutrition and Dietetics Urine Colour chart, Highland Spring has made a digital colour palate of five key shades ranging from clear to dark yellow. The scale highlights the shades symbolic of healthy hydration.

The aim is to help people get their daily intake of fluids following a study of 2,000 adults found 40 per cent are confused about how much water they should be drinking.

The study also found that despite believing they should be drinking seven glasses of water a day, people typically have five – although 23 per cent only manage one to two. 43 per cent do not think they are getting enough, because they simply forget to drink water (63 per cent), get distracted by their day-to-day routine (42 per cent) and are too busy (15 per cent).

The guide was unveiled as Highland Spring’s new 10 litre hydration pack went on sale.

Highland Spring’s Head of Marketing Carol Saunders said: “We know it can be embarrassing to talk about our pee, but it’s an important indicator to help us staying hydrated, so we’ve partnered with Pantone Color Institute to kick start that conversation. Alongside this, Highland Spring’s new 10 litre hydration pack means it’s easier than ever to help people on their way to healthy hydration, in and out of the home.”

Highland Spring’s urine colour guide makes basic analysis of hydration levels easy, providing an at-a-glance guide to our pee. However, the guide is illustrative only and any concerns should be addressed by a medical expert.

To mark the new product release, Highland Spring is also launching The Natural 10 Challenge. This is designed to help people achieve the daily recommended intake of H2O – which is an average of two litres for adults. The study also revealed benefits adults have enjoyed from keeping on top of their water consumption, which included clearer skin , feeling more active and reduced cravings for snacks.

The Highland Spring 10 litre hydration pack is the first of its kind within the natural source water category in British retail. The pack’s cardboard outer is FSC certified, and alongside the plastic inner, is fully recyclable in line with the company’s environmental initiatives.