Is co-washing compatible with hard water?

[Larki]

I currently co-wash and it works fine even though my area has moderately hard water, but I'm going back to college in August and wonder whether co-washing will work properly there. I go to school in the LA area, and the water there is hard - I had orange discoloration in my hair this spring from the water.

Will I be fine as long as clarify often, say once a week or so? Obviously I won't know only I try to co-wash and either get horrible or normal results, but I'm kinda worried about this.

[Achlys]

In my experience, it works fine. The water is quite hard where I live, I think, though not coloured or anything. I didn't clarify at all when I co-washed and I didn't have any problems. I'm now using a gentle shampoo, as I went back to cones.

[Firefox7275]

It is chelating not clarifying that you would do for hard water deposits. Alternatively you can do a final rinse in distilled or boiled and cooled water, or do a very dilute vinegar rinse.

[bonbon58]

i second the vinegar rinse, although i prefer dilute lemon juice rinse because of the smell :D

[Larki]

I don't think a vinegar rinse would work well in the dorms, but how about a chelating shampoo? Does anyone know any cheap chelating shampoos?

[molljo]

A swimmer's shampoo would be good, you might even be able to stock up on clearance bottles in a month or two.

[Syren_Curls]

I was having an issue with hard water for a bit only a few months ago. The cheap chelating shampoo I found was Pantene's Fire and Ice. It took a bit of transitioning, but now I don't even need it monthly.

[Rinna]

I have hard water and co-wash, it's not a problem. I've used a chelating shampoo for a bit, and was amazed at how soft the hair becomes. I think it would damage the hair if used too often, though.

[ravenreed]

We have very hard water where I live and CO washing works very well provided that I use a vinegar rinse and clarify regularly.

[queenovnight]

I personally can't get away with co-washing with hard water. My sister lives in an area where the water is hard, and even has a bleach-y smell. When I visit her for an extended amount of time, I tend to change my routine. - I either shampoo or I don't wash at all. - I guess you'll just have to wait and see though. Maybe the water will be perfectly fine.. or just not all that hard.

[Teufelchen]

I live in a hard water area, but no chlorine or anything else in the water and I have no problem at all with CO, but I had when I lived in a hard water area, where the water war chlorinated. It had a torquise tint. I never saw this on my hair, but my hair is black anyway.
Conditioner is usually acidic, so I had no issues once the chlorine was gone. With the chlorinated water a water filter was the only thing that helped.

[Larki]

I live in a hard water area, but no chlorine or anything else in the water and I have no problem at all with CO, but I had when I lived in a hard water area, where the water war chlorinated. It had a torquise tint. I never saw this on my hair, but my hair is black anyway.
Conditioner is usually acidic, so I had no issues once the chlorine was gone. With the chlorinated water a water filter was the only thing that helped.
Haha I will DEFINITELY take a picture if my hair turns turquoise! That might be fun! ;) As long as it's temporary, anyway.

[lapushka]

I have hard water, tried CO, but it didn't work, because I have oily hair and seborrheic dermatitis. It's not a good combination for CO. It wasn't so much the hard water, I don't think.

[dancingrain91]

My area has hard water and I just end my washes with an ascorbic acid rinse. Whether shampooing or
CO where I live I have to chelate after my washes somehow or my haiir gets greenish.

[florenonite]

I'd try COing with a conditioner that has chelating ingredients; Disodium EDTA/Tetrasodium EDTA are often found in conditioners. I used to do this when I was a lifeguard and didn't want to shampoo my hair after swimming.