This is a never-ending question that needs to be answered once and for all. Yes, hard water can indeed cause hair and skin damage. In fact, it’s not even a negligible fact, but rather a concerning one. Groups of people who suffer the most are babies, children, and people susceptible to irritation and inflammation.
What Does Hard Water Have To Do With My Hair?
To wash your hair, you first need to apply shampoo. However, bathing products can’t bubble up and dissolve in water with increased mineral levels. As a consequence, a thin layer of film is formed on your hair.
Each hair shaft consists of scales. It looks similar to tiles on a roof. Hard water causes these scales to stand up, and that’s why your hair feels rough and dry. Since your hair is tangled, it’s difficult to wash and rinse out the shampoo. Also, soap is much less efficient in unprocessed water because it reacts with excess minerals which prevent it from dissolving properly.
However, some shampoos don't struggle with lathering, even in hard water. The main difference between natural shampoos and commercial ones is in the ingredients. While natural ones are made of olive, palm, coconut, and more, commercial ones have synthetic additives such as sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium Laureth sulfate, and more.
These synthetic components don’t react with hard water as much. Therefore, you’ll see much more lather when using a commercial shampoo. The bad thing about commercial products is that the other elements in it tend to damage your hair regardless of the water hardness. Your safest bet is to lease or purchase a softener.
What Does the Water Have To Do With My Skin?
People often complain about their skin being dry or rough after showering. However, most of them aren’t aware of the fact that it’s all because of hard water. How is this possible? The explanation is pretty simple-
Because soap can’t dissolve properly in water, it leaves a thin layer of scummy residue. The worse thing about it is that it’s not visible to the naked eye, so you aren’t even aware of it most of the time. However, the thin film isn’t the issue; its effect on your pores is what makes it a burden. It will clog your pores, just as it clogs your pipes. Blocked pores lead to skin conditions such as acne or eczema. The clogging part isn’t the only issue. Many people said that they feel itchy, dry, and irritated after bathing with hard water.
If you have sensitive skin or any dermatological problems, consider picking up a water softener, it will make your life much easier.
Bear in mind, softening your water won’t solve or cure any existing skin conditions. But, it may be a step forward in preventing new irritations and inflammations. Although hard water seems harmless and naive, it’s quite dangerous. It is indeed an existential element, and you need to regulate the quality of your water, or else you’ll end up with dry skin and fragile hair.
