If you suffer from dry hair and itchy skin, your home’s water may be the cause. Hard water can make soft, smooth hair feel rough and brittle, while skin can become dried out and flaky. Hard water will irritate individual hair shafts, causing them to be scratchy and difficult to manage.

People with sensitive or acne-prone skin may find that hard water worsens their skin texture. The high levels of mineral deposits found in hard water can clog pores and lead to inflammation and breakouts.  Soft water has fewer impurities which allows soap to work better to clean your hair and skin more effectively.

If you’re wondering what you can do to resolve your hair and skin hard water problems, consider installing a home water softener.

Before we go into the effects of soft water on skin and hair, let’s thoroughly break down hard water and what it can do to your skin and hair. Although hard water isn’t hazardous to drink, it does have negative impacts on your body and physical appearance that are frustrating, to say the least.

Your home’s water affects how effective soap, shampoo, and conditioner are, so if you buy expensive products in an attempt to repair damaged hair or dry skin but find them useless, it could be because of your hard water.

Hard water is more present in some parts of the United States. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s water hardness map illustrates which regions have higher levels of calcium carbonate and other chemicals.

Water hardness doesn’t impact a water’s safety level. Both hard and soft water can be used as drinking water, but the chemical differences will cause your skin and hair to feel rougher. Over-the-counter products such as soaps and shampoos designed for dry skin and hair won’t have a strong effect if your water is the problem.

Soft water helps prevent skin irritation and dryness. Unlike hard water, which may strip the skin of its natural oils, the gentle quality of soft water nurtures the skin’s delicate balance and helps it retain moisture. This makes it particularly beneficial to people with sensitive skin.

With soft water, shampoos and conditioners can lather and clean more effectively. This results in hair that is not only softer to the touch but also more easily styled. The reduced mineral buildup from soft water also helps make the hair appear healthier and shinier.

Rainwater is naturally pure. As it falls to the earth and is dissolved through the soil, it absorbs different mineral compounds such as iron, calcium, and magnesium that impact its hardness level.

The sodium in soap reacts with the compounds in hard water, making it more difficult to lather and less effective overall. In addition to drying out your skin and hair, hard water will also weaken your shampoos and body washes.

If you have hard water, a water softener is the best way to achieve soft water. A water softener filters the minerals out of your home’s water supply, ensuring that your water is as soft and pure as possible before it exits any of your faucets.

Soft water skin can be helpful in the treatment of acne and other skin conditions where it is vital to minimize any form of irritation as much as possible.

The benefits of soft water aren’t limited to just hair and skin; soft water will improve soap consistency, making dishes easier to wash and reducing the harmful effects on pipes.

Dealing with hard water problems? Culligan KC offers solutions such as water softener systems and salt-free conditioners to help improve your water quality. Contact us today at Culligan Water of Kansas City to schedule a free home water hardness test and learn about our water-softening solutions so you can experience soft water benefits for yourself.