You may be surprised to learn how what’s hiding in
your water affects your hair, scalp and skin. Every
time you shampoo and bathe, the minerals in your
water attach onto your hair and skin, causing adverse
effects.
Do you know what’s hiding in your water?
Effects of Hard & Softened Water
pH: Most water systems maintain a pH of around
7.0 (neutral). However, the higher the pH, the more
the cuticle of the hair is open causing lack of shine
and roughness as well as an increased build-up of
minerals.
Chlorine: Most water systems treat water with the
oxidizer chlorine to kill bacteria. The higher the level
of chlorine, the greater the oxidizing effect on the hair,
scalp and skin.
Affects of Hair Shampooed in
Softened Water (0-75 ppm hardness):
• Color is usually vibrant and re-formulation is unnecessary;
• Natural Curly hair responds very well to soft water usually
with little frizz good curl definition;
• Straight hair goes limp when soft water is used;
• Volumizing products are popular in areas with soft water
often causing product resin to build-up on the hair.
Affects of Hair Shampooed in
Hard Water (50–150 ppm hardness):
• Color, especially reds, are usually not vibrant and
professionals often have to constantly re-formulate
color to achieve the desired results;
• Naturally curly hair is frizzy and the curl is crisp with a dry
texture;
• Reds and other colors can fade in weeks depending on how
often the hair is exposed to the water;
• Calcium in hard water leaves hair feeling dry and weighed
down;
• Hair has body due to the minerals in the water;
• Flaking of the scalp and incidents of eczema are more often
seen on clients who shampoo in hard water rather than in
soft water;
• More skin conditions such as eczema appear to affect
clients who bathe in hard water.
Affects of Hair Shampooed in
Very Hard Water (150 ppm+ hardness):
• Color, especially reds, are seldom vibrant and professionals
constantly re-formulate color to achieve the desired results;
• Naturally curly hair is usually frizzy and the curl is crisp with
a dry texture;
• Reds and other colors fade in weeks depending on how
often the hair is exposed to the water;
• Calcium in hard water leaves hair feeling dry;
• Hair has more volume than it does when shampooed in soft
water, but the hair becomes weighed down due to the ac-
cumulation of minerals on the hair.
• Flaking of the scalp and incidents of eczema are more often
seen on clients who shampoo in hard water rather than in
soft water;
• More skin conditions such as eczema and red, itchy skin
appear to affect clients who bathe in hard water that con-
tain high concentrations of calcium and/or magnesium.
Water is very hard when it has higher amounts of calcium
or magnesium. This is not a measure of copper, iron or lead
that might be in the water due to the pipes that transport the
water. If chlorine is in the water, the corrosion to the pipes can
allow for minerals to be in the water affecting the hair service,
texture and discoloration.