Hard Water and Your Skin Health

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When caring for your skin, you will pay attention to many factors, like your diet, the products you use and your environment. However, you may not know the appearance and health of your skin also depends on the minerals naturally found in the water you use. High mineral levels in water – also known as hard water -- is common. About 85% of households in the U.S. are in areas with hard water. While drinking hard water is not a problem for your body, washing your face in hard water can leave your skin feeling dry and irritated.

What is Hard Water?

Hard water is water that has a high mineral content, usually calcium and magnesium. You are more likely to have hard water if your water source is from the ground or a well, as hard water occurs when ground water seeps through rocks and limestone. If your home has hard water, you’ll notice that soap does not lather well, and leaves behind a lot of soap scum on your bathroom fixtures. You will also notice calcium deposits on appliances that use a lot of water like coffee pots and will find calcium deposits can clog up your plumbing and your shower head.

What Does Hard Water Do to Your Skin?

Hard water disrupts the natural pH balance of your skin, because the minerals make the water more alkaline. In addition, soap does not lather well or rinse away easily in hard water and leaves a filmy residue on the skin. Both the alkalinity of the water and the soapy residue can leave your skin feeling dry, itchy and irritated. People with sensitive skin are especially susceptible to the drying effects of hard water, and those with psoriasis or eczema will often experience excessive dryness and irritation after exposure to hard water.

Washing with hard water can exacerbate acne. The minerals in hard water interact with sebum, the natural oil from your skin, changing its consistency from a liquid to a wax. This wax clogs your pores, which leads to acne. If you also use soap to wash your skin, the soap residue and the thickened sebum will both act to clog your pores and worsen acne.

Hard water also makes your skin age and promotes fine lines and wrinkles. The minerals, and other heavy metals found in hard water can act as free radicals when left on your skin. These free radicals cause wrinkles by breaking down collagen, the structural protein that keeps your skin feel firm.

The Best Face Wash for

Hard Water

If you have hard water, steer clear of soap-based cleansers and look for synthetic cleansers instead. These alternatives, unlike soaps, maintain a pH level close to the skin's natural pH of 5.5, for a gentler cleansing experience. And like the vinegar you use to clean the hard water film off your coffee pot, the low pH levels of synthetic detergents mixed with hardwater do not leave a residue on your skin, as is common with soaps. In addition to working well with hard water, the skin-friendly low pH levels of synthetic cleansers offer a range of benefits for various skincare needs:

Skin-Friendly pH: Synthetic cleansers maintain a pH level that closely aligns with the skin's natural pH of 5.5, which supports the skin’s natural protective barrier and minimizes the risk of irritation.
Gentle on Sensitive Skin: Synthetic cleansers maintain a skin-friendly pH level, making them an ideal choice for individuals with sensitive skin. They are less likely to cause irritation or exacerbate existing sensitivities.
Anti-Aging Support: For those focused on anti-aging, these cleansers provide effective yet gentle cleansing, ensuring that your skin's natural moisture barrier remains intact. This can contribute to a more youthful, hydrated complexion.
Residue-Free Hydration: Unlike traditional soaps, synthetic cleansers leave no residue behind, helping your skin retain moisture, a crucial health benefit for all skin types, and does not clog pores, which is helpful for oilyand acne-prone skin.
Enhanced Acne Control: Many patients report more substantial improvements in their acne when switching to synthetic detergent cleansers compared to traditional soaps.
Reduced Irritation: When used with irritating products or treatments, synthetic cleansers help minimize potential irritation, allowing for a smoother transition into the next steps of your skincare routine.
Enhanced Skin Health: Whether you're focused on anti-aging or managing sensitive skin, these cleansers support overall skin health, promoting a clearer, more radiant complexion.

By making this simple switch in your cleansing routine, you not only address the challenges posed by hard water but also unlock a range of benefits tailored to your unique skincare goals.

Other Hard Water Skin Care Tips

Start with using cleansers instead of soap. They do not have the ingredients found in soaps that react with hard water to leave a filmy residue.

Rinse your face with distilled or bottled water. While this can seem like the ultimate diva move, giving your face a final rinse with water that has a low mineral content will help clear your skin of excess minerals.

Use oil cleansing for your face. Using oil to clean your skin eliminates exposure to water. If you opt to use the double cleansing method instead, cleansing with oil will remove heavy metals and minerals found in hard water reducing their negative impact on your skin while adding oil to fight dryness.

Use a pH balanced toner after washing. Skin has a naturally low, acidic pH. An acidic toner will counteract the alkalinity of hard water. Similar to the benefits of using a low pH cleanser, a low pH toner will help clear the minerals found in hard water from your face.

Treat your water at home. A home water softening system or a shower filter with a softening system will change the quality of your water and make it more skin friendly.

Pay attention when you travel. When you move from place to place, you may notice your skin breaks out, develops acne or becomes dry and irritated. This may be because you have moved into an area where the water is harder than what you are used to. If that is the case, then you can follow the steps listed above to reduce the impact of hard water on your skin.

Hard water can create problems for your skin, but they’re not impossible to fix! If you figure out you have hard water, try the tips listed above to help keep your skin clear of heavy minerals to improve its health and appearance.

Other Hard Water

Skin Care Tips

Start with using cleansers instead of soap. They do not have the ingredients found in soaps that react with hard water to leave a filmy residue.

Rinse your face with distilled or bottled water. While this can seem like the ultimate diva move, giving your face a final rinse with water that has a low mineral content will help clear your skin of excess minerals.

Use oil cleansing for your face. Using oil to clean your skin eliminates exposure to water. If you opt to use the double cleansing method instead, cleansing with oil will remove heavy metals and minerals found in hard water reducing their negative impact on your skin while adding oil to fight dryness.

Use a pH balanced toner after washing. Skin has a naturally low, acidic pH. An acidic toner will counteract the alkalinity of hard water. Similar to the benefits of using a low pH cleanser, a low pH toner will help clear the minerals found in hard water from your face.

Treat your water at home. A home water softening system or a shower filter with a softening system will change the quality of your water and make it more skin friendly.

Pay attention when you travel. When you move from place to place, you may notice your skin breaks out, develops acne or becomes dry and irritated. This may be because you have moved into an area where the water is harder than what you are used to. If that is the case, then you can follow the steps listed above to reduce the impact of hard water on your skin.

Try Our Face Wash If You

Have Hard Water

Our Hydrating Gel Foam Cleanser is perfect for caring for your skin, especially if you live in an area with hard water. Made with gentle cleansers, hydrating glycerin, but no harsh soaps and pH balanced to support your skin’s natural protective barrier.

Gently lifts dirt with mild pH balanced surfactants, leaving skin refreshed, calm and hydrated for a thorough cleanse without that dry, irritating “squeaky clean” feeling.

Cleansing is the foundation for a healthy skincare routine. When skin is not stripped and over-cleansed, it is less dry and irritated, with balanced oil production when it does not need to protect itself from harsh ingredients. Goodfor all skin types -- including sensitive skin.

Can be used alone or with our Sunflower & Moringa Cleansing Oil for a double cleansing routine. Our Sunflower and Moringa Oil cleanser helps remove the skin damaging minerals hard water deposits on your skin, along with our Gel Foam Cleanser. Finish with our award winning Balancing pH Toner with Aloe to balance your skin's pH. Or get all three with our Ultimate Cleansing Kit and save up to $26 when you subscribe!

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AbsoluteJOI Skincare by Dr. Anne

AbsoluteJOI is a physician-founded skin care brand with a science-based approach to the needs of people over 35 with all skin types and tones. Developed by physician researcher, Dr. Anne Beal, our products are formulated and tested for sensitive skin, while addressing dyspigmentation, the first sign of aging for many people. Our philosophy is not to focus on anti-aging, but to celebrate all ages and stages and to help our customers age beautifully, while celebrating the confidence and wisdom they’ve gained with time.

Each product combines natural and clinically effective ingredients for healthy skin. We use NO parabens, phthalates, sulphates, or skin bleach. And we use no perfumes or dyes to offer pure and clean products good for all skin types, including sensitive skin.