Hard water contains high levels of minerals, specifically magnesium and calcium. The hardness of your water will depend on where you live, because each region will have different levels of hard water depending on its source and treatment. Although hard water is not harmful to your health overall, it can have a huge effect on your hair and skin.
How does hard water affect my hair?
The minerals present in hard water can make it difficult to achieve a thorough rinse, causing buildup in your hair, which can leave behind residue. Hard water can leave your hair feeling filmy, straw-like, dull, and limp, and your scalp feeling dry and itchy. You could wash your hair several times a day thinking it will fix the problem, but each time you leave the shower you will have the same result. The problem is coming from your water, not your rinse, lather, repeat routine.
Another effect you may be noticing is in your hair color. Hard water can cause color-treated hair to wash out very quickly, leading to more frequent color treatments, and further damaging your hair. You may also notice your hair becoming thinner and prone to breakage - this can also be attributed back to hard water.
How does hard water affect my skin?
The most common effect of hard water on your skin is dryness. Much like with your hair, hard water makes it difficult to rinse away soap from the surface of your skin, leaving your skin dry and potentially irritated - made worse if you also have sensitive skin, psoriasis, or eczema. When hard water comes in contact with your skin, some of those minerals that cause the hard water get left behind, absorbing a lot of the natural moisture and oils from your skin.
What do I do about it?
A water softening system in your home could go a long way toward keeping your hair bouncy and bright, and your skin soft and supple. Water softeners reduce the mineral content in your water straight from the tap, leaving you with soft water throughout your entire home.
Your Culligan Man can help diagnose your water with an at-home test and help you decide if a water softening system is the right solution.