Do you sometimes feel that no matter what you do for your skin—cleanse regularly, exfoliate, moisturize, etc.—your skin simply doesn’t look its best? This could be for a reason that might have never occurred to you before: hard water. It turns out that over 85% of American households have hard water in their homes. Hard water can cause a great number of skin care issues.
Before we explain how hard water affects the skin we first need to answer the question: what is hard water?
Water that contains high mineral content is considered to be hard water. As rain water flows from the surface into aquifers it absorbs minerals like calcium, manganese, and magnesium carbonate.
The amount of mineral content that water contains determines the hardness level of the water. Although the mineral content of household potable water is usually not harmful it can be problematic and undesirable.
In the home. hard water can cause plumbing problems, can wear down appliances and fixtures, and can make cleaning products less effective. Just like hard water causes problems in your home it can cause lots of issues with your skin. Hard water contains minerals that dry out the skin, clog pores, and can lead to stubborn skin conditions like dermatitis, acne, and eczema.
Dry, Irritated Skin
Hard water can cause quite a different number of skin issues. The high mineral content of water makes it difficult for soaps to lather properly and then to fully rinse off the skin. Instead, a soapy layer or film is left behind on the skin that cannot be washed off. Not only that but the minerals in the water also stay on your skin instead of being rinsed away.
All of this can lead to dry skin, irritated skin, or trigger such skin problems like eczema or psoriasis. People with sensitive skin can find hard water to be particularly harmful to their skin. Lastly, the impurities in hard water when left on skin can act as free radicals which can cause collagen breakdown and age your skin.
Acne
While some people might experience extra dry skin from hard water, other people will find that using hard water on their face triggers acne breakouts. Why is this the case? The impurities or minerals in the water interacts both with the oils in your skin and the moisturizers you apply to your face. In the case of the oils in your skin, the minerals in the water that are left after washing your face with hard water change the consistency of the oil from a liquid to a wax, which then can clog your pores.
When oil sits in your pores you start to have breakouts. Even if you use moisturizers that will not clog your pores, when that moisturizer comes into contact with the impurities that are left on your skin from hard water those oil-like substances in your moisturizer do indeed start clogging your pores. So if you are acne prone, each time you rinse your face with hard water you are actually doing a lot more harm than good to your skin.
How to Stop Hard Water and Heal Your Skin
Install a water softener system in your home. This is an effective solution to this problem and will also be beneficial to your home’s appliances, plumbing and fixtures. If you have any questions about softening your water or if you’d like a water treatment system serviced or installed in your home, contact North Carolina Water Consultants. We install Hague water filtration systems in North and South Carolina including Oakboro, Charlotte and Davidson, NC.
For 25 years, North Carolina Water Consultants have been working with homeowners, home builders and businesses throughout North and South Carolina to solve multiple water-related problems. Each install is completed by a NC Water employee as if it was our home – no subcontractors! With our 100% water quality guarantee, North Carolina Water Consultants will provide the best water available to you and your home or business! Did we mention, we’re the Carolina’s #1 Hague Quality Water Dealer?