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.