Switching from very soft water, to every hard water? Send help! haha.

[Hiyotoris]

Hey, so as the year ticks on, my holiday aboard gets closer. I'm very excited to go, however at home, I have very soft water but on holiday the water is very hard. My wash routine is basically the CG method (I do "low poo" too,) and I use shampoo bars. I'm now wondering how thats going to work out with hard water as I know a few folks here with hard water have had issues with the CG method and hard water. I'll be going for two weeks, and even though it's bad for my hair, I will be washing it every night as I'm a total water baby and I'm always in the sea/pool. In the day time when I know I'm in the pool, I will be coating my hair with a CG approved conditioner, then a coat of a thicker oil like castor oil, I'll then be bunning it up and putting on a swimcap just over my bun to protect the ends.

On terms of protecting it from the sea/pool, I think thats all I can do, however Will I still be good to use my regular low poo shampoo and CG conditioner? I don't want to get build up from the hard water and theres no way I can avoid it unless I don't wash my hair for the 2 weeks I'm there, haha!

[lapushka]

I've never been too precise with CG. Due to me having to wash with a sulfate shampoo (scalp issues). And I use silicones.

Maybe take a sulfate shampoo... just in case, one with EDTA in the ingredients. I believe the Pantene Aqua Light and their volumizing shampoo do have that, but you'd have to check it out for yourself as I am quite unsure.

[JennGalt]

I've got hard water and I don't have any buildup since I quit using cones and started using vinegar rinses. I think hard water residue likes to stick to cones, but I don't have any evidence this is actually the case. I just know using cones can result in a gross buildup that reminds me of the buildup on my faucets and shower head if it gets out of control and I scrape some off with my fingernails. (Gross, I know. Sorry.)

I recommend bringing a vinegar rinse with you. Vinegar is a mild chelator, and it's worked wonders for me. I spritz it all over my hair, clip it up and out of the way, and just let it sit while I finish my shower. I use a much higher concentration than most people would recommend on here (1:1), but it seems I need that much to deal with hard water issues and still be able to get some other benefits out of the vinegar. I'd start with a lower concentration first if I were you, and then see if you need to add more.

You might want a chelating shampoo waiting for you when you get home, but I haven't needed to chelate or clarify since ditching the cones and using the vinegar.

[nycelle]

If you're not used to hard water, the biggest thing you may notice is how difficult it is to wash out product. That's always been my issue when I visit hard water states. Also, nothing suds very well.
I would probably stick to very light shampoos and conditioners, nothing very heavy.

Save any treatments for when you come home. That's also when you should clarify to get rid of any mineral deposits on your hair.

While you're there, salt water rinses out well on it's own, at least that's always been my experience. And the only thing I would do is instead of oiling, leave a cream moisturizer in your hair. The lighter the products the better. That's been my experience when going from soft to hard water.

[Chromis]

I second just rinsing the days you do ocean swimming. I find chlorine really needs shampooing out, but salt water not so much. If your hair feels weird, from the hard water with just rinsing, try a vinegar rinse or citric acid rinse. Fast food style packets are an option or just bring or buy a small bottle. Citric acid is a powder and easy to travel with.

I don't find I need to protect my hair super much in ocean or lake, but I do very much like to wear a swimcap! Over my whole head though, not just the bun haha. I don't think would stay on very well. Mine is made for longhairs and is by Speedo. It is silver grey so it makes me look like an alien and I just embrace that by completing the look with silver swim goggles too. I might have a high tolerance for looking weird.

In a pool, I would put in some conditioner, but castor oil sounds pretty heavy and probably a bit hard to wash out. Hard water will not make suds the way you are used to and you might need to wash twice. I worry you would actually just strip your hair more trying to get it out.

[Beeboo123]

When I come back from holiday in a place with hard water, I rinse my hair out with carbonated water (club soda? The stuff with just gas in it and no sugar or flavorings, that’s what I mean).

If I reaaaally have to wash my hair while on holiday, I boil the water first, wait for it to cool, then pour it in a bucket, and use that to wash my hair.

[Wendyp]

I say avoid hard water like the plague. If you look at my hair progress I can see what hard water does. Acv helped b4 I got our water softener in but I would wash with bottled water over letting hard water touch my hair ever again. My hair is like 2x the fullness today, 100x more moisture and way softer and shinier. But then now that I have felt and seen the difffernce I’m a bit fanatical about it lol

[lucid]

Two weeks? I wouldn't worry. You can buy a cheating shampoo just in case.

[Hiyotoris]

I've never been too precise with CG. Due to me having to wash with a sulfate shampoo (scalp issues). And I use silicones.

Maybe take a sulfate shampoo... just in case, one with EDTA in the ingredients. I believe the Pantene Aqua Light and their volumizing shampoo do have that, but you'd have to check it out for yourself as I am quite unsure.

I think my hair hated silicones, my ends always felt really rough? The last sulphate shampoo I used made my hair fall out in clumps every wash, maybe if I diluted it, it might work?




I've got hard water and I don't have any buildup since I quit using cones and started using vinegar rinses. I think hard water residue likes to stick to cones, but I don't have any evidence this is actually the case. I just know using cones can result in a gross buildup that reminds me of the buildup on my faucets and shower head if it gets out of control and I scrape some off with my fingernails. (Gross, I know. Sorry.)

I recommend bringing a vinegar rinse with you. Vinegar is a mild chelator, and it's worked wonders for me. I spritz it all over my hair, clip it up and out of the way, and just let it sit while I finish my shower. I use a much higher concentration than most people would recommend on here (1:1), but it seems I need that much to deal with hard water issues and still be able to get some other benefits out of the vinegar. I'd start with a lower concentration first if I were you, and then see if you need to add more.

You might want a chelating shampoo waiting for you when you get home, but I haven't needed to chelate or clarify since ditching the cones and using the vinegar.

I'm not sure how bringing a glass bottle on the plane would work out, I might need to make up a solution prior and take that with me. I just don't want to take loads with me, as I do have a weight limit. I'm already taking a shampoo and two conditioners and a hair mask! Hahaha.



If you're not used to hard water, the biggest thing you may notice is how difficult it is to wash out product. That's always been my issue when I visit hard water states. Also, nothing suds very well.
I would probably stick to very light shampoos and conditioners, nothing very heavy.

Save any treatments for when you come home. That's also when you should clarify to get rid of any mineral deposits on your hair.

While you're there, salt water rinses out well on it's own, at least that's always been my experience. And the only thing I would do is instead of oiling, leave a cream moisturizer in your hair. The lighter the products the better. That's been my experience when going from soft to hard water.

My hair loves to hold onto salt water and chlorine no idea why though, I remember the first time I went to this hotel, (i've been going for 8, nearly 9 years now,) when I came back I had to have 3-4inches cut off. I cried but it did need it. I remember last year it was easy to wash out even super coney conditioners and my regular argan oil, however I don't use cones anymore.



I second just rinsing the days you do ocean swimming. I find chlorine really needs shampooing out, but salt water not so much. If your hair feels weird, from the hard water with just rinsing, try a vinegar rinse or citric acid rinse. Fast food style packets are an option or just bring or buy a small bottle. Citric acid is a powder and easy to travel with.

I don't find I need to protect my hair super much in ocean or lake, but I do very much like to wear a swimcap! Over my whole head though, not just the bun haha. I don't think would stay on very well. Mine is made for longhairs and is by Speedo. It is silver grey so it makes me look like an alien and I just embrace that by completing the look with silver swim goggles too. I might have a high tolerance for looking weird.

In a pool, I would put in some conditioner, but castor oil sounds pretty heavy and probably a bit hard to wash out. Hard water will not make suds the way you are used to and you might need to wash twice. I worry you would actually just strip your hair more trying to get it out.

I'll give just rinsing the sea water out a go, though I feel like it may make my hair lank. When i put my cap on my bun, I use a hair bobble to keep it in place, its blue so I look like an alien too! I swear on holiday I look so ungraceful, I have googles on, and then the glorious google marks, completed with google tan lines. All great fun though! I'll defo keep the conditioner on the "to take" list, maybe jojoba oil would be better than castor oil?



When I come back from holiday in a place with hard water, I rinse my hair out with carbonated water (club soda? The stuff with just gas in it and no sugar or flavorings, that’s what I mean).

If I reaaaally have to wash my hair while on holiday, I boil the water first, wait for it to cool, then pour it in a bucket, and use that to wash my hair.

I think i get you on the water thing! I don't think I would have the patience to wash my hair like that, or to waste the water either. (Where I go, they often have water shortages so I just couldn't waste the water to just wash my hair in, if you get me?)



I say avoid hard water like the plague. If you look at my hair progress I can see what hard water does. Acv helped b4 I got our water softener in but I would wash with bottled water over letting hard water touch my hair ever again. My hair is like 2x the fullness today, 100x more moisture and way softer and shinier. But then now that I have felt and seen the difffernce I’m a bit fanatical about it lol

I would if I could! Though I can't avoid it for two weeks, I can't even go that long at home without washing my hair.

[Arctic]

Two weeks? I wouldn't worry. You can buy a cheating shampoo just in case.

This would be my advice too. Yeah your hair might be a bit odd during your trip, but most likely nothing permanently bad will happen in that time - and not everyone's hair hate hard water.

[JennGalt]

<<Snip>>
I'm not sure how bringing a glass bottle on the plane would work out, I might need to make up a solution prior and take that with me. I just don't want to take loads with me, as I do have a weight limit. I'm already taking a shampoo and two conditioners and a hair mask! Hahaha.

<<Snip>>


Maybe just take a little plastic spray bottle with you and buy some vinegar while you're there? Vinegar should be available and pretty cheap anywhere you go, and will work as long as it doesn't have sugar in it (no balsamic vinegar). The same white vinegar I use for cleaning products works for hair too, which is awesome since I can't be bothered to buy a different kind just for my hair.

[Beeboo123]

I think i get you on the water thing! I don't think I would have the patience to wash my hair like that, or to waste the water either. (Where I go, they often have water shortages so I just couldn't waste the water to just wash my hair in, if you get me?)


You actually use much, much less water by washing with a scoop and bucket, than when taking an ordinary shower. One bucket is more than sufficient for hair and body. An average shower requires 60litres of water. You would be saving water, not wasting it.