It’s no secret that skin and hair care products are a multi-billion-dollar industry that consumers pour their hard-earned dollars into every single day, hoping the next product will deliver glowing skin and silky, manageable hair. But what if the real solution can be found in the hardware store?
Have you ever noticed a change in the way your skin or hair looks and feels when you have showered someplace other than your home? Surprise! It could very likely be the water conditions that made a difference.
These days, beautifying water filter ads come at us from every direction on social media, claiming to clear up your skin and add shine to your hair under a fancy new (and sometimes expensive) showerhead. So we wanted to know if experts thinks they really make a difference.
What’s in the water that needs to be filtered out, anyway?
Scientific research and water testing in the United States provides evidence that the water we shower with may contain contaminants that adversely affect the health of your skin, hair and potentially your overall health, particularly related to the amount of chlorine in the water along with other bacteria, chemicals and minerals.
Angela Stiegler, a water infrastructure scientist, added that “although the water that arrives at your home from your local utility is safe to drink, in some cases, an at-home filtration system can be beneficial for your skin and hair because some water sources have more ‘hardness’ than others. Hard water contains more calcium and magnesium minerals than ‘soft’ water.”
According to Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) who researches contaminants in water, “Hard water, or water that contains higher levels of calcium or magnesium, can cause skin dryness or cause skin to be more sensitive.”
In a previously reported HuffPost story, Dr. Brandon Kirsch, a board-certified dermatologist at Kirsch Dermatology in Naples, Florida, confirmed that hard water “can have cosmetic and dermatological effects, such as drying out hair and skin or exacerbating conditions like eczema. ... Chlorine and hard water minerals can also strip away natural oils from your hair, leaving it looking dull, and chlorine in particular can cause coloured hair to fade faster.”
Hard water can make shampoos, conditioners and cleansers “less effective and react with those products to form mineral build-up, which might irritate some people’s skin,” Stiegler added. “You’ll notice that if you have hard water at home, you can’t get as much lather or sudsiness with shampoos and cleansers, and your hair or skin just doesn’t feel as clean.”
What types of filtration systems can help your skin and hair?
Solutions range from whole house systems to more affordable and “portable” systems for those who may not be homeowners. Let’s get into the different kinds of filters, what they remove and their efficacies.
Studies have shown that charcoal is effective in removing chlorine, heavy metals and organic pollutants from water, and an activated charcoal system is a good option if you are a renter and not investing in something long-term. Charcoal water filters can be found in showerheads and showerhead filters, which attach between the wall spout and your current showerhead.
Your other option is a whole-house filtration system, like a reverse osmosis system, which can run you thousands of dollars and can use up to four times the amount of water than you’d use without a system, due to pushing so much water through the system in the filtration process. This can also reduce the water pressure in your faucets.
The bottom line is that if you have hard water and can’t get your hair and skin products to work well, experts agree it’s worth giving water filtration a try. And luckily, that can be done by something as simple as trying a new showerhead.