Finally Soft Water!

[xcrunr2go]

Today I'm getting a Neutralizer & Softner installed in my rental unit. Any soft water tips? I know my products will behave differently.

[lillielil]

Prepare to spend a lot of time rinsing.

[Buttercup1223]

Doesn't soft water make everything feel slimy or slippery? Is there a benefit for your hair? Sorry, I've actually never know the differences between hard water or soft water on hair.

[lillielil]

Doesn't soft water make everything feel slimy or slippery? Is there a benefit for your hair? Sorry, I've actually never know the differences between hard water or soft water on hair.

Hard water is hard because it is full of minerals. These can build up on hair and leave it dry and crunchy. Hard water can also make it hard for shampoo to suds effectively. Soft water doesn't build up, and products are generally more effective in soft water.

Softened water uses salt to bind to the minerals present in hard water. It is supposed to have the same benefits as soft water, but personally I am not convinced. Water can be over-softened, which definitely makes everything feel slimy/slippery. It can also make it very hard to rinse shampoo and conditioner out effectively.

I'm sure someone else can explain this much better than me!

[Buttercup1223]

Hard water is hard because it is full of minerals. These can build up on hair and leave it dry and crunchy. Hard water can also make it hard for shampoo to suds effectively. Soft water doesn't build up, and products are generally more effective in soft water.

Softened water uses salt to bind to the minerals present in hard water. It is supposed to have the same benefits as soft water, but personally I am not convinced. Water can be over-softened, which definitely makes everything feel slimy/slippery. It can also make it very hard to rinse shampoo and conditioner out effectively.

I'm sure someone else can explain this much better than me!

Thank you. So I guess it's just better because it stops the mineral build up on your hair.

[lillielil]

More relevant threads:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=60818

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=52180

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=39111

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=131817

Anje is very knowledgeable about hard vs soft water, so listen to anything she has to say :)

[Neecola]

DH & I lived on a farm for about 13 years with extremely hard water and no softener. We purchased our first home a couple years ago that is on a well but has a softener. For about the first month or two at the new house, my hair felt like velcro as soon as shampoo touched it. Nothing worked like it used to and I had dry and frizzy hair for a while. Chelating didn't really help either, but patience did and eventually my hair became much better in texture and condition than it ever was at our previous home.

This may not happen at all to you as the water on the farm was exceptionally hard. But if it does, don't panic - it will get better.