Did you ever get that feeling that your skin feels itchy and dry after taking a shower? Do you feel like you’re using lotion to prevent that itchiness and dryness a little too often? If so, then that means your house’s water supply has become “hard”.
What happens when hard water and skin react with one another? And is hard water bad for skin?
Hard water is when water that consists of a high volume of “hard” minerals, including calcium and magnesium. This is a matter of great concern because you’re unwillingly opening the door to a series of harmful effects that we will address right here in this article.
Hard Water Skin Effects
There are a number of hard water skin effects, some of which include:
1. Dryness
Dryness is often one of the major issues that people encounter when bathing in hard water. But why is that exactly? The answer to that is because of the types of minerals that come in contact with our house’s water supply system. Although hard water in America varies to a degree, the same phenomenon is experienced there as well.
When our water supply consists of high levels of various minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium, they harden the water, making it difficult for soaps, detergents or any other kind of salute to lather or dissolve. This is what makes it difficult to clean our skin, resulting in skin that’s dry and flaky.
2. Hard Water Skin Is Itchy
Itchiness is another one of many hard water skin issues that people usually deal with. This is due to excess sodium in our water supply which makes our skin sticky and tight. So if we try to take a shower with this kind of water, it makes it hard for us to wash off excess salt from our skin. Because of this, our skin evidently becomes red and itchy.
What’s even more annoying is that hard water makes it really challenging for us to wash off skincare or any other type of topical product off of our skin. This leads to other problems because the excess minerals work also or shower gel, making it harder to wash off the lotion, or gel from our skin. As a result, our skin feels both irritated and hard water skin itchy at the same time.
3. Irritation
If things remain as they are, and the continual deposits of soap and minerals from hard water persist, it will result in a scummy residue that won’t just suck all of the precious moisture from our skin, but also clog up our spores, which could result in acne.
And those with sensitive skin will have a much worse effect due to the hard water effect on the skin as they’ll experience even greater skin irritation upon contact with hard water. It also doesn’t make their situation less aggravating if their clothes are washed in hard water because it would still irritate their skin.
4. Hard Water Skin Rash
Another annoying hard water effect on the skin is when there’s an intolerable hard water skin rash left behind. This is especially frustrating for those suffering from skin conditions like dermatitis, which refers to the inflammation of the human skin. One can even go as far as to say that hard water causes eczema. Furthermore, outbreaks are even more likely when one experiences constant dry skin.
Even though hard water itself doesn’t cause dermatitis, it can make the condition worse or even cause a flare-up. And when you combine hard water skin rash with those suffering from dermatitis will likely experience more frequent or even severe outbreaks.
All in all, it’s clear as day that hard water and skin don’t mix.
What To Do About Hard Water’s Effect On Skin?
Although hard water skin effects are annoying, they can be reversed by making the water softer. This can only be made possible by installing a water softener. Who wins in this hard water vs soft water skin battle? Let’s find out.
Install A Water Softener
Before you even think about installing the whole water softener system, start with the water softening shower head first. They come with replaceable filters that produce pure, clean water and are available for purchase at hardware stores as well as online stores. All you have to do is simply replace your old showerhead and enjoyed fresh, soft water on the fly.
But if the rest of your family wishes to enjoy soft water, then you’re better off buying an entire water softening system for your household. But before you do, be sure to look up some models online, but more importantly legitimate customer reviews. Be sure to have it installed by a professional in order to acquire a warranty, and that initial installation cost comes around $1000 before extra costs are added later on.
By looking into product listings from various sites online, you can compare the costs and get quotes from different companies before you make a final decision. Also, be aware that some municipalities prevent the installation of water softening systems due to the use of resins and salts to get rid of contaminants. To find out if you face such restrictions in your area, contact your local municipal office.
Some companies even allow customers to rent water softening systems, so be sure to keep in touch with local companies that offer such facilities. The reason why we suggest this is because it comes off as a more affordable option for smaller households or families with tight budgets. Renting a water softening system is also a good way to determine if a full system is worth the investment for your entire house.
So now that all of your concerns have been addressed, it’s rather obvious who walks out the victor in this hard water vs soft water skin dual. If you’re looking to install a proper water softening system, then we suggest contacting American Home Water and Air right away.
You can find them at:
+1 602-993-0083
23439 North 35th Drive #7
Glendale, Arizona 85310
They also have a ton of informative content on their website. Check out this American Home Water and Air article about other ways in which hard water is bad for you.
There’s also a certain myth going around that water softeners sometimes don’t fully wash off the soap residue from the backs of those who have been using hard water for a while. This is not true at all because saltwater is capable of removing mineral ions and removing all of the hardened soapy residues to ensure your skin feels smooth and clean overall and not face any hard water skin issues ever again.
Conclusion
So if the question “is hard water bad for skin” is looming over your head, just know that you can always refer back to this reference and remind yourself that it is. And while it’s good to know that hard water isn’t necessarily harmful to the human skin, it most certainly is annoying and frustrating. And the only way to get around this dilemma is to install a water softening system.