Hard water: why it's hard on hair and skin

And a few suggestions that might help

My opinionated hair, after a few weeks of hard water, ocean water, and an oddly intense blow-dry in Lisbon (more on that next week): could have been worse, actually. Miracle!

I first noticed the difference that hard water can make on skin and hair when I lived in London for a summer between years at business school. As the weeks went by, my face started to break out where it normally wouldn’t, my hair (always rebellious) was feeling particularly free to frizz, and the skin on my body didn’t feel quite right, either: a little dry, a little itchy.

I was working for Marcia Kilgore at the time, so I couldn’t have been granted a better advisor for this situation along with many others. She sighed, “I know,” and suggested a swipe of rosewater on my skin and a boar bristle brush on my hair as the most innocuous solutions, since I was already into better-for-you beauty back in 2006.

As always, Marcia was right; they were innocuous, and they did help, especially the rosewater. Still, once I got back to Boston in the fall, my colorist took one look at my hair, lifted a few dull, scraggly strands, and cried, “What happened?”

Hard water: it happens. If you live in a place with hard water, I’m sorry. If you live in a home where this is possible, and you’re up for the investment, I suggest installing a water-softening system. If not — or if you just plan to travel somewhere with hard water — here are a few things that might help you in addition to rosewater and a boar bristle brush (which are still excellent ideas).

What is hard water?

Hard water contains high levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium due to its journey through certain types of terrain, like limestone. These mineral levels are often pointed out as a health benefit where drinking water is concerned, but very hard water can have annoying effects elsewhere, leaving a grimy and tenacious coating on skin, hair, and seemingly everything it frequently comes into contact with.

How to tell if you’re dealing with it

You may be able to tell simply from its effect on you and your immediate surroundings. After washing with hard water at least a few times, your skin and hair might become increasingly dry, itchy, and irritated; the clothes you wash in it might feel oddly stiff. You might also notice limescale and cloudy residue in the shower, on the kettle, around other kitchen and bathroom fixtures, and on drinking glasses.

With very soft water, conversely, you might notice that the water in your shower feels slippery and your soap and shampoo lather more effectively, so you use less of them. (If you’re reading this and lamenting the softness of your water, know that the grass really is greener…on your side.)

While there are tools online to find out if the water in your area is hard, they’re not foolproof and often aren’t specific enough. You could also contact your local water supplier for their annual report, but that information won’t be household-specific, either. So, most people start by using a test kit like this one because it’s easy, cheap, and pretty accurate.

OK, so the water is hard. What to do?

If a water-softening system isn’t feasible, here are a few alternatives.

For hair: apple cider vinegar

When I mentioned how much I dreaded washing my hair in France to my Parisian French tutor, Sophie, she exclaimed, “Oh! My mother used to have me rinse my hair with a big cup filled with vinegar and water. But now…bof, I’m just not bothered by it.” I’ll need to share more about Sophie later; as the kids say, she’s a vibe.

Anyway, her mom was right: vinegar’s acidity can help charge the mineral particles in hard-water residue so that they’re attracted to the positive and negative charges in the water that you wash with. This encourages them to rinse off more easily. (It’s sort of fun, thinking about these mineral particles all of a sudden finding water terribly exciting after originally thinking your hair was the place to be.)

Apple cider vinegar is the classic solution for hair, but white vinegar is a perfectly good option if that’s what you have on hand. While a vinegar rinse doesn’t work wonders for everyone, if you’re struggling with hard-water buildup on your hair, it’s worth a try.

A few tips:

To avoid irritation or damage to your hair or scalp, don’t use vinegar straight. Instead, dilute a small amount (some say 1 teaspoon, some say 2 tablespoons; I say start small and work your way up as needed) in 2 cups of water.

For the treatment, pour that mixture over your hair after you’ve shampooed and conditioned; massage it in, leave it on for a few minutes, and then rinse it off. (Rinse it off with bottled water if you can. I know this sounds insanely high-maintenance, but it really makes a difference if you can give your hair a break from hard water.)

Some hair can take the vinegar treatment more frequently, but I wouldn’t do it more than twice a month if your hair is prone to breakage, if your scalp is sensitive, or if it seems to be negatively impacting your hair color.

For scalp: serums, hydrolats, and brushes

Since all this fuss with the vinegar and bottled-water rinsing will likely make you not want to wash your hair (It’s cold! It’s annoying! It feels princessy, and not in a fun way!), I suggest finding ways to stretch out the time between your washes. There are a few things that will help with this:

Brush your hair every night. Use a boar bristle brush or a scalp-massaging paddle brush; either way, it’ll help you distribute the oils from your scalp down the lengths of your hair. I suggest doing it at night because, especially if your scalp is a little greasy (thanks, hard water), brushing in the morning can make hair look flatter at the crown. Pretend you’re one of the protagonists in the novels you used to read, languorously brushing your hair 100 times before bed. Princessy, in a fun way.

Extra princess points: give yourself a nighttime scalp massage, too. A generous spritzing of hydrolat (a floral/plant water) or a spray-on scalp serum before or after your nighttime brushing routine can also help your roots feel fresher. I particularly love the Lavender and Cypress hydrolats from Biofficina Toscana, which smell beautiful, and the TWELVE Scalp Cure, which has additional benefits you’ll appreciate if you’re concerned about thinning hair. Spritz a generous amount throughout your roots, then massage your scalp for a minute after brushing (I prefer this massage post-brushing to help give roots a little lift).

Then, when you wash, use a water-based scalp serum to keep your scalp calmer and less oily right off the bat. The Better Roots RootBoost Serum from EVOLVh is in a handy travel-sized bottle, and it’s my #1 favorite.

For hair lengths: conservative use of oils and creams

Hard water will probably make the lengths of your hair dry. You might find some relief with a simple oil, like Le Prunier’s Plum Oil or Kahina Argan Oil, applied parsimoniously so that it a) doesn’t make things feel even more coated, and b) isn’t too hard to wash out. These particular oils come in small sizes that are easy to travel with and are versatile enough to also be used on your face, body, and nails, and I love them for that.
If your hard water is at home and/or product size isn’t an issue, keep a bottle of Reverie MILK handy: it’s super-moisturizing and residue-free. I’ve loved that product for years.

For skin and scalp: Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique Balancing Hypotonic

Rosewater is good, but nothing works like the Balancing Hypotonic. Whenever I’m traveling to a place where I know the water will be hard, I’ll check a bag solely for the ability to pack a full-size bottle of this wonder product. I also pack a mini bottle in my carry-on with my other can’t-be-without-them favorites.
As a hard-water fighter, it’s got it all: apple cider vinegar to rebalance pH, humectants to restore hydration, soothing botanicals and pre/probiotics, and super-gentle AHAs to help with issues like acne. Soak a cotton pad with it and wipe it over your face after you wash to keep it free of hard-water residue: it’s the best.
You can use it on your scalp, too. As long as you don’t mind the smell, which is vaguely kombucha-like, you’ll want to put a spray top on it and use it to spritz your roots anytime you need a refresher.

For both skin, scalp, and hair: you could try a filter, but…

Filters for hard water are a little complicated. Most shower filters, especially the super-portable ones that you can pack in your carry-on and easily screw on to a shower fixture, are designed primarily to remove chlorine, sediment, and some other contaminants—but not calcium and magnesium. Chlorine and those other contaminants can bother both skin and hair, too, so these filters aren’t useless, but they won’t solve your problem if you’re dealing with really hard water. (Some filter makers will be a little cagey and insinuate that they can help with hard water, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.)

I did find this compelling video about portable RV water softeners, though. My eyes kind of glazed over when this guy was demonstrating the installation process, and that enormous jug looming in the bathtub seems less than ideal, but if you’re living with really hard water, my guess is you’ll be up for anything. And given how invested “Water Filter Guru” seems to be in all things related to water filtration, my guess is also that his recommendation might be pretty solid.

As always, I hope this was helpful. If you enjoy what you’ve been reading here, I’d be delighted if you’d subscribe or share with your friends.

xx
Dara