how do you know if you have hard/soft water?

[Jenn of Pence]

I most definitely have hard water. You should just see my shower glass!! (oh, no, you shouldn't actually...you might have nightmares)...

I think my hair does okay, maybe because I CWC with a low-sulphate shampoo. I like the distilled water idea, but it's a lot less convenient than hopping in and out of the shower.

[Renbirde]

I have very soft water at home; it's rainwater caught off the roof. I'm on a trip right now, and the house I'm staying in has water hard enough that there are a few mini stalactites around the tub's tap. :/

My hair gets dull, a little frizzy. It tangles extremely easily. It feels sticky, coated, and crunchy at the ends where it is usually very soft. Wave pattern doesn't change, as far as I've noticed.

For what it's worth, I'm using Dr. Bronner's Lavender Organic Bar Soap for shampoo (just above the ears), with Suave's Ocean Breeze conditioner below the ears. And then a cold water rinse.

ETA: That's after one rinse. It gets a little worse with multiple rinses.

[jeanniet]

Right now I'm COing with Trader Joe's Refresh conditioner. I've played around with using other conditions, but this is the only one that seems to work, probably because it has citric acid as a main ingredient. If I need to clarify, I use Avalon Organics lemon clarifying shampoo. So far, it's working pretty well, but the water issue can definitely be a challenge. I don't know if we would ever put a softener in because none of us like the feel of softened water, but if I could I'd reduce the level of hardness a couple of degrees.