Nothing is better than a good hair day, but nothing will squash one like hard water. Hard water is water that has excess minerals like calcium and magnesium. Hard water creates a film on your hair over time, preventing water and products from getting into the hair shaft, causing the hair to get dry and brittle.
One day, I noticed that I had suddenly gotten split ends, something very unusual for me. When I got my hair cut near campus, I asked the stylist why this happened since I don’t use heat on my hair. She said that her Skidmore students come in with unusually dry hair, riddled with split ends, possibly because of hard water in campus showers.
To combat hard water build-up, use a clarifying or detox shampoo. These shampoo’s provide a deep cleanse that cuts through silicones, waxes, gels, and build-up, reseting your scalp and allowing your hair to be hydrated again. Clarifying shampoo is strong, if you use it too often it will strip your hair of natural oils, so aim for 1-3 times a month depending on your hair type and water.
Popular clarifying shampoo’s include:
- Kevin Murphy Maxi Wash Shampoo
- Ouai Detox Shampoo
- Olaplex No. 4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo
- Biolage Scalp Sync Clarifying Shampoo
- L’OrĂ©al EverPure Sulfate-Free Clarifying ShampooÂ
Sources:
https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/hardness-water