The $12 Weekly Ritual That Science Debunked 53 Years Ago: Why Your Dragon’s Electrolyte Soak Doesn’t Actually Hydrate

Research published in Science (1966), Journal of Herpetology (1990), and Journal of Experimental Zoology (2001) proves reptiles cannot absorb water through their skin or cloaca. Bearded dragon hydration comes from food (60-70%), oral drinking (20-30%), and humidity retention (10-15%)—not weekly baths. The electrolyte soak industry sells a solution to a problem that proper enclosure humidity prevents entirely.