I tried the flavored water stocked at Facebook, Yahoo, and Google, and now I get why Silicon Valley loves it

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• Hint makes fruit-infused sunscreens and guilt-free, zero-calorie drinks that everyone from moms to tech employees loves.
• You can find Hint water in grocery stores nationwide, online, and in the offices of top Silicon Valley firms like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and PayPal.
• I tried Hint water for myself, and now I understand why it's so popular.

Some people are sparkling water fiends because they hate the taste of plain water. As an avid water drinker who never goes anywhere without a 40-ounce water bottle, even I get bored of regular water sometimes.

I love juices, smoothies, and iced teas, but I always drink them somewhat guiltily, knowing how many calories and grams of sugar they contain. Diet drinks, while low on calories, aren't guilt-free. Since many contain artificial sweeteners like aspartame, you can't assume diet drinks are much better for your body.

Kara Goldin, the founder of fruit-infused water company Hint, discovered the difference firsthand when she decided to cut Diet Coke out of her life. She was drinking 10 to 12 cans a day, so she always felt tired and had developed adult acne. Quitting her diet soda habit led her to lose more than 40 pounds in three months.

Because she didn't like the taste of plain water, Goldin started adding slices of fruit into pitchers of water as an alternative to sugary, artificial drinks. At the time in 2005, there weren't really any truly healthy beverage options, so she approached her local Whole Foods, which agreed to stock 10 cases of her fruit-infused water. Within a few days, they had sold out. Today, you can find Hint water in grocery stores nationwide, online, and in the offices of top Silicon Valley firms like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and PayPal.

So what makes parents, kids, students, and tech employees alike love this water?

For one, there's a large variety of flavors; some standouts include blood orange, honeydew, blackberry, and mango-grapefruit. If you had to make me choose a best flavor out of the 16 Hint water options, I'd be paralyzed. The flavor is sweet but not overpowering, making it the perfect mealtime accompaniment or mid-afternoon pick-me-up. I tend to want to eat or drink sweet things after a meal, and I found that drinking Hint water curbs my cravings while keeping me hydrated.

If you want some carbonation, there's Hint fizz, which is fruit-infused sparkling water available in six flavors. For a natural caffeine kick that doesn't leave you with a withdrawal headache like coffee does, Hint kick is another option.

Not only will you never be bored with the ever-growing flavor variety, the drinks are also really guilt-free: They contain zero calories, no sugar, no preservatives, no artificial sweeteners, and no GMOs.

As healthy, flavored waters become more popular, Hint continues to look for new ways to innovate. Last year, it expanded its product offerings to include spray-on sunscreen. You might think this is a strange offshoot for a beverage brand, but Goldin explained that Hint is growing into a general health and wellness company. To live a healthy life, you want to ensure everything you're putting both in and on your body is actually doing good.

The broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen is oxybenzone- and paraben-free, uses Bag on Valve technology to eliminate propellant chemicals, and contains the same natural fruit essences that people love in Hint water. Instead of smelling like a community pool in the summer, you get the fresh scents of pineapple, grapefruit, and pear.

I've always found spray-on sunscreen to be less effective than lotion sunscreens, so I approached the Hint sunscreen with hesitation when I tried it during a very sunny and hot weekend in Manhattan. I had a friend visiting, which meant we spent the entire day walking outside and I braced myself to feel the burn. To my surprise and happiness, the sunscreen was very effective and I didn't burn at all.

The experience showed me how Hint is dedicated to improving your health on all fronts. Whether it's naturally flavored drinks or better-for-you sunscreen, the company is making unique products that people feel good about using.

Right now, Hint is offering a special promotion to get three 12-bottle cases for $39, plus free shipping. You can shop the different bundles here.

Shop Hint water and sunscreen here.