Hard Water vs Soft Water: How Water Type Effects Curly Hair
Hard water or soft water, whichever flows from your showerhead makes a big difference to your curls. Alongside hard-working products, healthy curls rely on water for that all-important hydration and moisture. But not all water is equally beneficial. Soft water can supercharge the benefits of your products, while hard water can actually cause extra damage and make styling even harder.
This article will explain everything you need to know about the differences between hard and soft water, and the negative impacts hard water could have on your hair. But don’t worry - if you do have hard water coming from your taps at home, we’ll explain what you can do about it to keep your curls healthy-looking and hydrated.
Can Water Type Affect Curly Hair?
Unfortunately, yes.
Depending on where you live, where your drain water comes from and how it’s treated, the water coming from your faucets will be either hard or soft.
Hard Water
Comes from groundwater sources, including wells and rivers. This water often passes through limestone, chalk or gypsum-rich rocks, which dissolve minerals like calcium and magnesium into the water. If left untreated, these mineral ‘ions’ will remain in your tap water.
You’ll generally find hard water in London, the Home Counties and the South East of England.
In the USA, you’ll find hard water in cities like Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Tampa and Salt Lake City.
Soft Water
Soft water comes from rainwater, freshwater lakes, and treated municipal water. It doesn’t pass through rocks that dissolve minerals into the water, so it contains little to no traces of these minerals.
You’ll generally find soft water in Scotland and Wales, and most of the west of England.
You’ll generally find soft water in New England (including Massachusetts and Connecticut) and the Gulf States (including Alabama and Georgia).
This makes a difference to curly hair, because the minerals found in hard water can increase unwanted deposits on the hair, leading to increased dryness, brittleness, and difficulty washing. On the other hand, soft water allows your products to lather and reduces mineral build-up, meaning your hair-wash provides the proper hydrating cleanse. This results in less brittleness and makes washing your hair easier.
The Differences Between Soft Water & Hard Water
To simplify things, this table outlines the main differences in hard and soft water, and the potential impact each one can have on your hair.
5 Reasons Why Hard Water is Bad for Curly hair
-
Dryness: When the minerals found in hard water coat the strands of your hair, it can make them feel dry and brittle. This mineral barrier in the hair prevents water from absorbing properly, preventing the level of hydration that curls crave.
-
Frizz: You probably already know that when curls are dry and dehydrated, they tend to produce frizz. This could be even more of a problem if you have high-porosity hair, which already loses moisture quickly.
-
Buildup and stickiness: Hard water can make it more difficult for shampoo and conditioner to rinse out properly. This can result in a sticky residue, and curls that feel weighed down or greasy.
-
Knots and tangles: The minerals in hard water lead to a coarser hair texture. This can make curls more prone to knots and tangles, and harder to brush through.
-
Scalp issues: Without as much hydration, hard water can lead to a dry and flaky scalp, which might feel itchy or irritated, and lead to dandruff.
Long-Term Effects of Hard Water
If you’re always washing your hair in hard water, there can even be some negative long-term effects. They are…
-
Chronic dryness and brittleness. This can come about due to the mineral buildup over time.
-
Reduced elasticity. If you struggle with curl definition, no matter how many brilliant styling products you’re using, it could be because of hard water. Over time, the mineral deposits weigh down curls, reducing the elasticity and leaving them looking limp and undefined.
-
Increased breakage. Since hard water makes curls coarser and rougher, this increases friction between strands, resulting in more breakage, tangles and split ends.
-
Hair thinning. The scalp build-up from hard water can clog hair follicles, which can lead to weakened hair growth and loss over time.
3 Signs Your Curls are Experiencing Hard Water Damage
So, how do you know if your hair has been damaged by hard water? There are a few tell-tale signs.
-
Your hair feels rough and dry. If no amount of hydrating, moisturizing hair products seem to give you the bouncy curls of your dreams, hard water may be to blame.
-
If you’re losing hair. If you notice large clumps of hair coming out into your brush or in-between your fingers, hard water could be a key culprit.
-
Your hair looks dull and dingy. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but it’s just not as vibrant as you’d like. If your water is very hard, you might even notice a bluish tint. You shouldn’t notice this problem if you have soft water.
Essentially, if you just can’t figure out why your hair is not behaving as you’d like it to, hard water may be contributing to your hair woes.
How to Identify Hard vs Soft water at Home
Not sure whether you have hard or soft water? You might be able to figure it out with a quick Google search to see which one your area is known for. Cities tend to have water harder than other areas, but this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, and depends on what country you live in, and how they treat the water before it comes out of your taps.
For example,
Places in the UK that have hard water include London, the Home Counties, and the South East of England
Places in the UK that have soft water include Scotland, Wales and the West of England.
Places in the USA that have hard water include Phoenix (Arizona), Indianapolis (Indiana), Tampa (Florida), Las Vegas (Nevada), Austin (Texas), Salt Lake City (Utah).
Places in the USA that have soft water include New England (Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut), the Gulf States (Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi), and the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington).
Home Checks
You can also spot hard water by checking a few things in your home.
-
If you have spotty dishes or glassware, even after they have been cleaned or are fresh out the dishwasher.
-
White scale on faucets, showerheads and inside kettles.
-
A filmy residue in sinks, bathtubs and shower doors.
DIY Water Test
If you’re still not sure, you can do a DIY water test. Here’s how:
Step 1: Fill a clear bottle or jar with water, about halfway full.
Step 2: Add a few drops of washing-up liquid, then shake it rigorously.
Step 3: Look at the water. Is it cloudy, with only a few soapy suds? This indicates hard water. Is the water clear, with lots of soapy suds? This indicates soft water.
Which Products are Best for Curls Damaged by Hard Water?
Here’s some good news: Even if you have hard water at home, you can choose products that act as a shield from those hard water mineral deposits, as well as combatting any damage you already have.
Enter your new best friend: clarifying shampoo. Clarifying shampoos are designed toremove build-up from minerals, as well as excess oils and hair products.
Curlsmith’s Curl Reset Detox Shampoo is the perfect option. Here’s why:
-
It's formulated with curl-friendly apple cider vinegar, peppermint oil, ginger root, and a naturally-derived ‘chelating agent’ which binds to the mental ions and then simply rinses away.
-
It is scientifically-backed to remove eight different hard water minerals from the hair: calcium, copper, potassium, zinc, iron, magnesium, nickel and cadmium.
-
With just one wash, it has been found to remove up to 86% of hard water minerals.
The result? Refreshed and revived curls - no matter where your water comes from.
How to get Softer Water
Alongside clarifying shampoo to help remove build-up and reverse damage, the best solution would be to soften your water to begin with.
For a long-term solution, you can install a water softener in your home. This device will remove calcium and magnesium from your water system, replacing it with sodium or potassium. This is an investment but could be worthwhile for all the hair and skin benefits (as well as protecting your pipes and appliances!).
For a cheaper alternative, you could also buy a shower filter, which attaches to your shower cord to remove those mineral ions before they touch your hair.
Using both clarifying shampoos and some kind of water filter or softener is the best way to protect your hair against hard water hair damage.
Detox With Curlsmith
Many of us live in hard water locations, and sadly our curls pay the price. Hard water can leave hair dull, frizzy and dry. However, awareness is key - and once you know what you’re dealing with, you can make changes - including using Curlsmith’s Curl Reset Detox Shampoo.
It also helps to ensure your routine is made up of products that won’t exacerbate the issues caused by hard water. For example, you may want to avoid sulfates which can strip curly hair of its natural oils, and fragrances, which can be harsh on the scalp. Be sure to check out Curlsmith’s full range, to find the routine your curls will love.
