The type of water plays a critical role in hair care. Have you noticed your hair becoming silky and smooth when you go for a vacation? That’s probably because of the difference in water quality.
Most people are not familiar with the effects of hard water on hair. To understand the difference between hard water and soft water, we need to understand the chemistry of water.
Simply put, hard water is water with excessive minerals such as calcium and magnesium. When pure rainwater filters through rocks, soil, and even sand, it naturally picks up mineral salts like calcium and magnesium.
In this article, we discuss the impact of hard water on your hair and how to save your hair from the damaging effects of hard water.
What hard water does to your hair?
Many people aren’t aware that the water they’re using in the home has a huge impact on their skin and hair. Excessive minerals content in hard water prevents soap and shampoos from lathering in water. As a result, this reduces the effectiveness of shampoo and more shampoo is required to achieve the same results.
Furthermore, minerals present in the hard water leave a soap scum (film) on the hair, preventing moisture from entering the hair. The result is dry, tangly, and unmanageable hair. In many cases, this soap scum can lead to dryness, itching, dandruff, and hair fall.
If breakage goes unchecked, it can lead to the appearance of thinning hair.
How can you protect your hair from hard water?
To put your mind at ease and help you minimize the damaging effects of hard water, follow these life-saving tips. While some are only temporary fixes, there is one that can definitely help you out in the long run. Read further to find out.
- Try Apple Cider Vinegar
You can use any vinegar, but apple cider vinegar is the most effective. Mix 1 part vinegar with 2 parts water. After shampooing, pour the mixture on your hair and massage it through your hair. Leave it on for 5 minutes and then rinse it out.
In hard water, calcium builds up on hair follicles, so vinegar’s acidity neutralizes that build-up. As a result, you can wash your hair without worrying about calcium build-up.
Use it once a week, as everyday use will make your hair dry.
Mixing some vinegar with coconut water and adding a few drops of lavender oil can bring in excellent results. Spray this on hair after the wash and leave for 15-20 minutes. Rinse the hair.
- Citrus Rinse
You can also achieve the same result by using the citrus rinse. Pick a juice such as lemon or lime that has citric acid. Citrus rinse will combat the ill effects of hard water on hair. Lemon rinse will make your hair shine and prevent dandruff.
Dilute 1/4 cup of fresh lemon or lime juice with 3/4 cup of water, then pour it on after shampooing and massage it thoroughly in your hair, paying special attention to the roots. Leave the mixture on for 5-15 minutes before rinsing and conditioning.
- Use a Clarifying Shampoo
Besides normal shampoo, clarifying shampoos are also available that remove the deposits of minerals on your hair caused by hard water. This shampoo cleanses your hair while eliminating the accumulation of minerals.
As a result of this shampoo, your hair can lose its mineral layer and become shiny again. However, you should only use this shampoo once a week to be able to see the results.
Further to this, you should also look for organic, alcohol-free and chemical-free clarifying shampoos since chemical-based shampoos can cause damage to your hair due to their mineral-removing properties. Organic shampoos, however, are safe and effective and cause no damage to your hair.
- Use a Deep Moisturizing Conditioner
Hard water can be harmful to anyone who has gotten hair treatments such as smoothing or colouring, not just those who have gotten these treatments. It can even change the colour of your hair when you wash it with hard water as well as leaving it dull and brittle.
Since there is no other choice to wash your hair in hard water, it is best to prevent the damage by using a leave-in conditioner. At least once a week, apply a moisturizing conditioner that can deal with your dry hair.
It is highly encouraged to seek out products containing all-natural ingredients such as jojoba oil, almond oil, coconut oil, and argan oil.
- Invest in a water softener
The solutions listed above are all temporary. Additionally, you must use them regularly to get long-lasting results. A water softener is a permanent fix that will keep your hair looking nice and shiny while saving you money on shampoo, conditioners, and other hair care products.
A water softener reduces the amounts of magnesium and calcium in your home’s water supply, enabling you to wash your hair with soft, silky, and healthy water.
Using soft water means you’ll use less water, spend less on shampoo, soap, detergents, and other “quick fix” solutions. Additionally, soft water balances the pH level of your hair! Those who suffer from sensitive skin, eczema, dandruff, or other skin conditions will especially benefit from this solution.
