Have you noticed that no matter what products you use, and how often you wash your hair it is brittle and frizzy? Is your chemically treated hair dull and lifeless? Is your color fading? It could be that you are washing your hair in hard water, effectively leaving your hair and scalp no cleaner than before you washed it.
What is it about hard water that makes it so bad for hair and skin?
Hard water contains bacteria, harsh minerals like lime, magnesium and iron, dirt and rust, and calcium, all of which leave a deposit on the hair and scalp that prevent moisture from penetrating the follicles. The result is dry hair that can easily break, split ends, buildup on the scalp that can eventually lead to hair loss, fading color for color-treated hair, brassiness of natural hair color, and making chemical hair treatments hold less. But there are solutions, both high-tech and DIY that can help to reduce the effects of hard water by removing the buildup, clearing the way for healthier follicles and scalp that isn’t weighed down and irritated with plaque, leaving hair shiny and smooth.
Vitaclean Shower Head Filtration System: cleaner water equals cleaner hair and scalp
It stands to reason that if you improve the quality of water you use, your hair and scalp will be cleaner and the harmful plaque buildup will be eliminated.
- Vitaclean uses a three part filtration system that removes minerals, lime and calcium from the water by using one of two different shower heads; a hand held version and a wall mounted system.
- Both use antibacterial ceramic balls and microfiber cloth filters to remove harmful substances from the water, and each contains a receptacle to insert pods of vitamin C gel that removes 99% of the chlorine from the water.
- Choose pods that are scented with citrus, coconut, lemon mango, lavender, rose, or jasmine to enhance the spa-like shower experience. Improved skincare is a major bonus!
Malibu C Hard Water Wellness Collection: Treat Scalp and Hair, and Protect Color
- Hard water hinders shampoo from lathering properly making it less effective, so your hair is not really clean after washing. The Malibu C Hard Water Wellness Collection comes with a test strip to confirm that you have hard water, along with a shampoo, conditioner, and 5 water wellness treatments.
- The system removes hair discoloration caused by iron and copper, and buildup of minerals, calcium and lime on hair and scalp. It helps restore color to both natural and chemically colored hair, leaving a smooth finish.
- Use the shampoo and conditioner each time you wash your hair, and the water wellness treatments once a week for body and shine, and hair color maintenance.
DIY Treatments: Natural Remedies to Combat Effects of Hard Water on Hair
Look to your pantry to find natural solutions to treating the buildup caused by hard water:
- Mix 2 tbsp into one cup of water
- Apply mixture to hair and scalp after regular shampooing, and leave on for three minutes before fully rinsing it out.
- It balances the pH levels in the hair and scalp, removing the plaque leaving hair shiny and tangle-free.
- Pro tip: use treatment only twice per week to avoid stripping color from treated hair.
- Mix 1 tbsp into your usual portion of shampoo in your hand, leave on hair for three minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
- Pro tip: use mixture once per week so hair does not become too dry from the high levels on pH in baking soda.
Hard water can be very damaging to your hair but you can work around it. Protecting your hair from plaque buildup will mean healthier follicles and scalp, better color retention, less irritation on scalp that can contribute to decreased blood flow and clogged pores that can lead to hair loss, leaving hair shiny and more manageable. Whether you go high-tech or low, you can improve the quality of your hair and increase the benefits of the products you use, combatting the effects of hard water. No more bad hair days!