Many years ago, as a young 20-something, I moved to L.A. My first few weeks as a West Coaster went well. I enjoyed starting my career, seeing the sights, and meeting new people, but I also noticed something unpleasant. My skin was uncharacteristically dull and irritated, and my hair was similarly out of sorts—think flat, straw-like strands. I was using the same beauty products I had before, and my lifestyle hadn’t changed all that much, so what was the problem?
Eventually, I pinned it on the water. My shower had orange rings, my cleanser and shampoo didn’t lather as well as they used to, and my skin and hair never felt clean. I was dealing with hard water when I was used to living with soft water. And if you’re thinking water can’t make that much of a difference, think again. According to experts, hard versus soft water makes a big difference in the state of skin and hair. One leaves them soft, supple, and shiny, and the other leaves them dull, rough, and residue-covered. Ahead, learn why that is and what you can do about it.
Hard Water vs. Soft Water
First, we need to know the difference between these two types of water and what makes one “hard” and the other “soft.” According to Helen Reavey, a celebrity trichologist, hairstylist, and the founder of the scalpcare brand Act+Acre, “Hard water is simply water that’s high in dissolved minerals—mainly calcium, magnesium, and iron. These minerals accumulate as water flows through soil and rock. Soft water, by contrast, is either naturally low in minerals or has been filtered to remove them.” As Dermatologist Timothy Tran, MD, of Westlake Dermatology, puts it, “The more minerals, the ‘harder’ the water.”
Hard water is simply water that’s high in dissolved minerals—mainly calcium, magnesium, and iron. … Soft water, by contrast, is either naturally low in minerals or has been filtered to remove them.
Reavey
As silly as it might sound, these dissolved minerals can massively impact the skin and hair (but more on that in a minute). Whether or not you have hard water can depend on where you live. Take it from dermatologist Donna Hart, MD, of Westlake Dermatology, who says hard water is often found in “areas with higher levels of limestone or chalk deposits as the water percolates through these geological areas.”
Editor’s Note: You can check whether or not you have hard water via this interactive map. Zoom into your state or type in your postal code to see average water hardness in your area. See below for more telltale signs of hard water.
How to Tell If You Have Hard or Soft Water
It’s pretty easy to tell if you have hard water. Tran provides some telltale signs:
- Face wash, soap, bodywash, and shampoo don’t lather well
- You notice white spots on glass and dishes
- You notice a chalky, white buildup around faucets and shower heads
- You have dry skin and dull hair
- Your clothes feel rough after washing them
Hart adds that hard water may even create low water pressure due to mineral buildup. Reavey adds, “If your hair feels dull no matter how often you wash, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with hard water.” Yep, that explains my L.A. hair struggles.
Effects of Hard Water on Hair
As I’m sure you’ve already guessed, hard water isn’t so great for skin and hair. “It can leave hair feeling dull, dry, and frizzy,” Hart says. This is due to the water’s mineral content building up and leaving residue on the hair shaft, which also makes it harder to properly rinse products off hair.” Tran agrees, saying, “It can make hair feel dry, heavy, brittle, and harder to manage. It may also cause color-treated hair to fade faster.”
Reavey makes note of a few more less-than-ideal effects. “You might also notice your hair feels dry or straw-like, lacks shine, tangles more easily, or your scalp feels tight and itchy. Another red flag is when your styles won’t hold, or your color fades faster than expected. That residue is literally creating a barrier between your hair and any product you apply.”
As if that’s not enough, she says it actually affects hair and scalp health. “Hard water is sneaky—it doesn’t just dry out your strands, it actually weakens them. The minerals coat the hair shaft, blocking moisture, weighing hair down, and making it more prone to breakage, frizz, and tangles. It can even disrupt your curl pattern. If you color your hair, hard water can cause premature fading by lifting color molecules from the shaft. And because it creates so much buildup, your products stop working the way they should.
“Your scalp takes a major hit, too. Hard water can strip away natural oils, which causes dryness, itching, and irritation. The mineral residue can clog follicles, disrupt the microbiome, and trigger conditions like dandruff or eczema. Over time, all that stress on the scalp can contribute to hair thinning and shedding.”
Effects of Hard Water on Skin
“On the skin, similar deposits can happen, which can clog pores and lead to acne breakouts,” Hart says. That’s not to mention that soap bonds with calcium ions, making it harder to rinse off the skin. “Soaps that are not thoroughly dissolved off the skin can interfere with the skin’s natural oils and lead to dry and irritated skin,” she says. “Hard water is more alkaline (higher pH), and our skin is naturally more acidic (lower pH); this imbalance can leave the skin more susceptible to infections and irritation.”
As if that’s not enough, Tran says it can worsen skin conditions like eczema.
What to Do About Hard Water
The experts say there are a couple of things you can do to mitigate the effects of hard water on the hair and skin. First and foremost, they recommend investing in a showerhead filter. This will remove the minerals from the water so they can’t coat the skin and hair and cause problems. It’s a simple and effective twofold approach. “Shower filters are a great, inexpensive solution to help remove some of the mineral deposits in the water for those having noticeable symptoms from their water,” Hart says.
Faucet filters are another option. These fit over the bathroom sink faucet so you can wash your face outside the shower in soft (or, at the very least, soft-er) water.
Shop Shower and Faucet Filters
Act+Acre
Showerhead Filter
“Clean water creates the foundation for healthier hair so your shampoo, conditioner, and treatments can actually do their job,” Reavey says. “A high-quality shower filter is one of the best long-term solutions for protecting your scalp and hair health. Our Showerhead Filter uses a 12-layer filtration system to remove heavy metals, chlorine, and other chemical debris, without lowering your water pressure.
“It’s especially helpful in hard-water areas, where mineral buildup can dry out your scalp and dull your strands. But even in soft-water regions, filters are still a smart move. They help eliminate chlorine and other hidden irritants that can disrupt the scalp’s microbiome, cause dryness, or contribute to color fading.”
Act+Acre
Showerhead Replacement Filter
Shop the replacement filter.
Canopy
Filtered Showerhead
Reavey also recommends this showerhead filter from Canopy, which just so happens to be the brand that I buy my trusty humidifier from. It uses three types of filters to reduce chlorine, magnesium, calcium carbonate, iron, hydrogen sulfide, mercury, chromium, and chloramine from water. It also fits all U.S. showers, features an easy, no-tool install, and offers three stream settings.
You can also snag the brand’s faucet version, which cleans the water while you wash your hands and face.
FilterBaby
Skincare Filter 2.0
Shop Clarifying Shampoos
All three experts also recommend investing in a clarifying shampoo. “Shampoos that contain gentle acids like vitamin C (ascorbic acid), citric acid, and apple cider vinegar can help combat the effects of hard water,” Hart says.
Act+Acre
Clarifying Hard Water Shampoo
“Look for a clarifying shampoo that gently breaks down mineral buildup without stripping the scalp,” Reavey says. “Our Clarifying Hard Water Shampoo is formulated with 2% apple amino acids to lift away dirt, oil, and hard-water residue while supporting the scalp’s natural barrier. It’s gentle enough for regular use, especially if you’re washing in hard water daily.”
Act+Acre
Clarifying Hard Water Scalp Treatment
Reavey also recommends using this treatment once a week. “Our new Clarifying Hard Water Treatment is packed with vitamin C (a powerful antioxidant that dissolves mineral deposits and restores shine), betaine (a natural amino acid that hydrates and improves elasticity to reduce breakage), and inulin (a prebiotic that supports the scalp microbiome and helps calm irritation).”
Malibu C
Hard Water Wellness Shampoo
This Amazon product hydrates the hair while removing minerals and buildup for shinier, softer, and generally healthier locks.
The star ingredient in this shampoo is apple cider vinegar, which breaks up residue.
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