The Effects of Hard Water on Skin: Why You Need a Water Softener
We are all told time and time again about the benefits of drinking more water and making sure that we have enough in our system, but what about water on our skin? As we all now we are made up of water, it is actually the majority of our structure, so it really is important. This importance is not just inside, it is also outside, water helps clean our skin and keep it fresh. But what if you live in a hard water area? What are the effects of this on your skin? And if you do live in a hard water area, here is why you should consider a water softener.
What Is Hard Water?
Hard water has increased traces of minerals in it. It is the kind of water where you turn on the tap it looks cloudy. These minerals can be things such as calcium, iron, magnesium and other naturally occurring substances. Hardwater isn’t unhealthy or damaging to you, unless they are in exceptionally high quantity, which is rare in countries that have public water systems and sewer treatment plants.
However, hard water can reduce the quality of your skin, hair, teeth and nails. Hard water also increases the amount of product that you need to use to get clean, from shower gel to shampoo, which is one of the many reasons why people opt for water softener systems in their homes.
Effects of Hard Water
1. Collagen
When it comes to getting showered, we all want to feel clean and fresh afterwards. One of the things about hard water is that although we may feel clean, we may actually be damaging our skin. The long-term effects of having hard water on our skin is that it stops the body being able to produce collagen as readily as before. Collagen is the substance in our skin that gives it elasticity, which reduces fine lines and wrinkles. If you are washing with hard water on a regular basis, the production of collagen can be slowed down, thus increasing the chances of these fine lines appearing.
2. Dry Skin
When we wash with soft water, we are getting water that is free from large quantities of minerals, like calcium, iron and others. If you have particularly sensitive skin, you may find that if you go to a location that is hard water, your skin becomes very dry, itchy and flaky. This is because the minerals in the water absorb the natural oils that our skin needs to protect itself and keep producing. When we shower or wash in hard water daily, our bodies don’t have time to recover and put these natural oil secretions back in our skin. This lack of protective barrier can cause redness, skin that looks very dry and can cause you to itch. It can also do the same to your scalp. So if you are noticing a dry, itchy and flaky scalp, it may well be that you need to introduce soft water into your bathroom to remove the discomfort that you are now feeling.
3. Softer Skin
As we’ve mentioned, hard water can make our skin look flaky and dry, it can also reduce our natural glow as these mineral deposits dry on our skin. These deposits also reduce the moisture retained, which can gives us that scale look on our arms and legs that no one likes. This makes our skin much harder to moisturise once we are out of the shower as the mineral deposits that are left have given us almost a protective casing. The same can be said for our hair. Long term use of hard water can make our hair look heavy and dull, again this is due to the mineral deposits that are found in hard water. Hard water can also increase the breakages of hair, as it weighs hair down more and dries it out. Read the detail guide on how to reduce the effects of hard water.
What Is A Water Softener?
A water softener is a unit that can be installed into your home to feed all of your taps and showers. They are often plumbed in at the point of source where water comes into your home and they trap the unwanted minerals in a variety of ways. The best water softeners are those that use salt. This is because we do still need these minerals in our diets and without them our bodies don’t function and can begin breaking down, so you don’t want all of these minerals removed.
However, a water softener system will remove the bulk of them to levels that you can you expect in soft water areas. Whilst these systems are not cheap to install, over the life of the unit they can save you money. This money can be saved in many areas from shampoo, conditioner and body wash, all the way through to your plumbing. Hard water causes calcium build in our plumbing, such as taps and shower heads and if you leave this unchecked you may well find yourself replacing these items more frequently than you imagined.
There are many efficient water softener brands that you can choose from. Springwell is one brand that is highly recommended, and currently ranks top of Waterfilterspot reviews and comparison of the best water softeners. AquaOX and Aquasana are also reliable brands that you can try.
The Health Benefits of Soft Water
Once you start using soft water, you will instantly see a difference in the condition of your skin and your hair. You’ll find that your hair will feel thicker, smoother and look a lot brighter. It will also feel less weighed down than before. The same goes for your skin. You won’t look dull or dry and the itchiness will also be vastly reduced.
Wrap Up
Whilst hard water isn’t particularly bad for you, soft water can give you an array of benefits that you will come to love. Your skin will thank you for having less minerals deposited on it and will look brighter and healthier. The same will apply to your hair and scalp. That being said, we still need these minerals in our diets, which is why a water softening system is far better for us than a water purification system, as these minerals are the building blocks of our bodies.
