How Hard Water Affects Your Hair

What does it mean to have hard water, and what is it doing to our hair?! Hard water means that it has a higher content of certain minerals, namely calcium and magnesium. The excess of minerals leaves a residual amount even after the water is long gone.

Each strand of our hair has natural shafts, so when it gets clogged up with excess minerals it makes it harder for all the soap to rinse out, leaving it feeling brittle and hard. It also makes our hair conditioner work harder.

But as with most problems, there are solutions and hopefully some of these will work for you:

Weekly Hair Treatment:

• Apple Cider Vinegar to the rescue! Add one tablespoon of vinegar to 3 cups of water and massage in after shampooing. Rinse. It helps removes build up, increase volume, and adds shine.
• The acid from lemon or lime-juice helps breakdown mineral buildup. Add one tablespoon of juice to 3 cups of water and massage in after shampooing. Let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing.
• Using clarifying shampoo once or twice a week will also help minimize the build-up but be careful not to overuse, you don’t want to strip your hair of its natural oils.

Water solution:

• Water softeners are great and treat the hard water issues throughout your whole house, but it can be expensive (averaging $300 to $600). But if anyone in your household has eczema, it will also help ease skin dryness as well as help your hair.
• Shower filters are a great solution if you are renting or don’t have a lot in the budget to spend. They run about $40 and up with good results.
• Another option is to do your final rinse with bottled water. This can get expensive over time, but it is a quick and easy solution.

To learn more, visit Keranique, at HSN.