Vocal dryness is something that comes up a lot with singers. Dryness can create changes to your tone and vocal quality. It can also encourage more clearing of the throat which isn’t ideal as, every time you cough, you are forcefully smacking your vocal folds together, which can lead to vocal fatigue. The dryness can furthermore create the feeling of having to ‘push’ more and give more vocal effort which leads to even more vocal fatigue.
Here are some of the best ways to promote vocal hydration:
Nebulising
Nebulising is my personal favourite way to prevent vocal dryness and I often use it before I warm up my voice or if I have to maintain being vocally warm, but have to be more quiet. I also like to use it before auditions and performances, if I have had a gap of time between singing and warming up.
The way this works is that medical grade saline solution is nebulised and then 
Ideally, you should nebulise for about 10-20 mins so it is quite short, and a very worthwhile use of time. The best thing about nebulising is that you can talk and sing straight away after so it’s a very handy tool.
Steaming
Steaming is a good way to hydrate the voice as the warm steam increases the moisture through the vocal tract and the larynx. Similarly to nebulising, it thins the mucus and relaxes the muscles that contribute to vocal production.
There are some more things to take into consideration with steaming:
- Leave the water to cool for 5/10 mins to avoid breathing in steam that could scald the delicate tissues in your throat and larynx - an ideal temperature is between 38-44℃
- Do not add oils into the water to breathe in as it can be extra aggravating and cause more irritation/dryness
- Focus more on mouth breathing for voice help, breathing both in and out the mouth - if you want to help with nasal congestion then adding nasal breathing in is helpful too
You can steam in these ways:
Other Hydration Methods
Sucking or chewing sweets are a good option to promote vocal hydration as they moisten the mouth and throat, therefore making swallowing easier. They can also loosen thick, sticky mucus and reduce dry-mouth discomfort and the urge to cough or clear your throat. However, unlike nebulising and steaming, it mainly hydrates the mouth and upper throat, not the vocal folds directly. An important thing to remember with sweets as a hydration method is to avoid medicated sweets as they can mask/numb dryness or make you push through inflammation. This doesn’t mean that medicated sweets are bad all the time, but just not great when combined with singing.
Drinking water is the most obvious hydration method as it supports whole-body hydration. After being absorbed into your bloodstream, it helps maintain moisture within the vocal folds and reduces the mucus build up. Well-hydrated vocal folds are more flexible and may vibrate and undulate with less effort and friction. Overall, this type of hydration supports and encourages vocal stamina and reduces sensations of dryness. The important thing to remember with water as a vocal hydration method is that water does not touch the vocal folds when swallowed, and the benefit is not instantaneous.
The most ideal situation for vocal hydration would be a combination of all of these.