Clarifying and Hard Water Shampoos

[UP Lisa]

I have hard water. I also have extremely tangly hair. My hair does not tend to dry out. I am considering using a clarifying or hard water shampoo every time I wash, since my hair is the least tangly after I do that.

Does anyone else do this? Have you noticed any hair damage or scalp problems from doing it?

[Firefox7275]

I may have got the wrong end of the stick, but I think clarifying shampoos are primarily for build up from products used on the hair. And chelating is best for hard water? Also have you tried vinegar rinses? Again I *think* those with hard water had the best results, but do check. Leave-in conditioner can be good for tangles, also for getting less water (and therefore mineral deposits) on your hair.

Sorry that is not what you asked, but I hope it's still helpful. :o

[UP Lisa]

You are right about the shampoos. No. I have not tried a vinegar rinse.

How would a leave-in conditioner keep water from getting on the hair?

[jeanniet]

You might try doing a citric acid final rinse first. Citric acid chelates minerals in the water that cause deposits in your hair. Since I've starting using it as a final rinse, my hair is in much better shape and I rarely need to clarify. I use 1/8 tsp. in half a gallon of water, so you don't need much, although you'd probably have to experiment a bit to see what amount works best for you.

Here's a thread on "miracle water" that gives more information: http://www.longhaircommunity.com/archive/showthread.php?t=51184

[Silver Strands]

I don't know if Nexxus Aloe Rid is a clarifying or chelating shampoo but it works very well for me and I have hard water also.

I do have a water softener but it still tends to build up.

I know Sally's carries a brand called "Ion" well water shampoo and conditioner. Haven't tried it but it probably works well.

Also, I couldn't find citric acid but I have used a "True Lemon" packet mixed in water or conditioner and found it worked well also. Someone on here recommended it.

Last, but not least, I think if you have the ingredient EDTA in shampoo and/or conditioner it is a chelating agent.

ETA: Note to self: Read thoroughly before replying!
I haven't used a clarifying shampoo exclusively so I can't help you there.
Sorry, I should have read better before replying.

Good Luck

[wendyg]

I'd recommend a shower filter. Made a big difference for me in London (extremely hard water).

wg

[jeanniet]

Wendy, do you know what the specific number is for your water? I'm just curious. Ours is 10.

[wendyg]

Sorry, no idea. It's London, if you want to poke around the Net.

It trashed my hair for *years* pre-filter. Post-filter, I use some leave-in and comb while wet, and everything's fine.

wg

[Lillie]

What kind of Filter do you use?
:)

[Firefox7275]

You are right about the shampoos. No. I have not tried a vinegar rinse.

How would a leave-in conditioner keep water from getting on the hair?

Leave-in doesn't stop any water getting on your hair but it does limit contact, because you only have to rinse once and shampoo is easier to rinse than conditioner. It's what I've used to preserve my chemical dye for years (my hair is trashed for other reasons, but it holds red :p ). I turban partly dry then partially re-wet with conditioner - again this could mean less hard water being trapped in your hair.

Also with just a wash step, it *may* be possible to wash in a sink/ over a bucket using water boiled up in a pan or kettle - which is softer. I say *may* because length clearly matters! You might be able to do just a scalp wash and rinse the ends ready for leave-on conditioner? With shorter hair than yours I've done this with two sinks of water, so not a nightmare of running between bathroom and kitchen!

I'm not saying this will work, just that you might think about it and see what does or does not fit into your routine. :o

[teela1978]

Wendy, do you know what the specific number is for your water? I'm just curious. Ours is 10.
a quick google says london is above 11 grains per gallon (200 parts per million calcium carbonate), but like most cities I'm sure there's a range. My area ranges from 230-330 ppm (so.... 15-17 grains per gallon?). I just use SLS or ALS shampoo and it seems to be fine. I haven't noticed much of a difference with or without a vinegar rinse.

I tried nexxus aloe rid and didn't like it much, it never seemed to clean my scalp sufficiently.

[Masara]

I've just had a fun time on the internet looking for my water hardness. (something I've never thought of doing before) My town comes up as being above 30 French degrees. That makes 18 grains to US gallon or 300ppm calcium carbonate. The online converter says "this is hard" as if I had never noticed ;) I've always know my water was hard, but knowing it's really so hard helps me understand why my shower filter only worked for 3 weeks and why my inlaws who only live 45 minutes away don't seem to have the same problems (their water is much softer according to the map)

I use citric acid rinces which have a tiny effect, but I still get tangles by the end of the week (I'm a daily washer) I use a clarifying shampoo once a week and during the week I either shampoo right to the ends or put conditioner on dry hair and leave it on overnight which means less water penetrates in the morning.
None of this gives me the hair I have when I'm staying with my parents in a soft water area. It's a bit frustrating, but I'm at a loss as to what else I can do. (total house water softener is not an option)

[wendyg]

That's interesting: I'd have expected London to be near the top in hardness, but perhaps there are other factors to explain why it's so much more lethal for my hair than almost anywhere else. Although a friend's house near Harrisburg gives me similar troubles.

So I actually have two shower filters, and because they're in different countries they're different makes. Both are replacement shower heads with a replaceable cartridge inside.

The one in the US is a Culligan I got from Amazon. It made a *huge* difference (and my friend's daughter is grateful).

The one in the UK doesn't seem to have a brand name on it; I found it through diligent Web searching and again, the difference is substantial. My hair still reacts differently to US vs London water, but it isn't being trashed any more.

wg

[Lillie]

Thank you! :grin:

I will see if I can find a similar filter here in Germany.

We already have a filter (expired) and we need a new one. This one was not so good. The one before was better, but I can't remeber the brand.

When we moved to a region with very hard water two years ago, you could see my hair getting damaged within 6 - 8 weeks. :bigeyes: I never had split ands before, and now there are split ends up to SL. I want to cut my hair and get rid of the damage, but I need a new filter before I do that. :agree:

[UP Lisa]

I have the Ion shampoo for well water. I don't seem to notice as much difference in my hair as I do when I use the Kenra claryfying shampoo. The Kenra says it chelates, although it's called a claryfying shampoo.

[wendyg]

Lillie: as a stop gap while you search (and maybe as proof-of-concept) try getting a Britta filtered water pitcher and do your final rinse with that. Even that made a big difference for me, but it was kind of a pain to do. (I'd fill a half-gallon plastic jug and then warm it in the microwave.)

wg

[Lillie]

Thank you! :flower: I will try that.
I'm thinking about getting a Brita Filter anyway, because of the bad taste of tea & coffee and the limescale in the water boiler.

I just happened to find the brand of the filter we had first and compared it with the Culligan filters on Amazon. Seems to work quite similar (filters chlorine and stuff) and so I ordered one. I'll report back when I get it. :)

[jeanniet]

The only reason I don't use a filter is because I haven't been able to find one that would filter all the minerals in our water, and I don't need one for chlorine/chloramine filtration. Having difficult water is a tough thing. :D

I think in general the water in Europe is harder than the water in the U.S. Now I'm feeling pretty grateful mine is only a 10 and not higher!

[sweet&sourkiwi]

I have Joico Chelating and my hair never looks as good as right after I use it! However, it feels very harsh and stripping, I use monthly. Club soda/acid rinses can keep the minerals from binding onto the hair, but I don't know that they will remove existing mineral buildup.

I have a shower filter coming in the mail! I know it won't fix everything but it will be an improvement! I live in a zillion year old building and I'm pretty sure the pipes are rotting off into the water, on top of our hard water, ack.

I did use a small improvement rinsing with distilled water but it could get expensive...my filter was under $50 with shipping from Amazon and I hope its worth every penny!

[Masara]

Wendy. I had never thought of heating water from my filter jug! I've been trying to think of a way to use it for my hair, but I couldn't stand the idea of using cold water. I'll try heating it before my shower tomorow.
I'm having trouble finding shower filters in France. My last one came from Amazon UK and didn't last very long. Would you mind telling me where on the web you found your UK filter? They might send to France.
I grew up north of London (the other side of the green belt) and we had water from the chiltern hills. I thought I would never find harder water, but it seems what I have now is even worse. Now I know why it feels like every hotel or gîte I stay in has a water softener. They probably don't; it's just that nearly everywhere has softer water than me.

[virgo75]

I don't use a clarifying shampoo all the time but lately have been using one about every other shampoo - like once or twice a week on average. In between I try to only use clear shampoos because my scalp prefers those over creamy ones.

I don't think it causes a problem for my hair because I always deep condition afterwards(and use a spray leave-in cond.). If anything it might actually help because my water is disgustingly hard and using a clarifying shampoo is probably the only way conditioner can really work in my hair. My hair is dry, the hard water makes it more dry, but the clarifying shampoo followed by a deep treatment is working better than regular shampoo and conditioner.

I used to think my hair was just really prone to buildup(a problem I never had before moving here). But after checking online for my water's mineral levels I see it's probably my water.

I can't afford to use a water filter for my shower because I already have to replace my Brita faucet mount filter every 3 weeks or so. I can only imagine how often I would have to replace the shower filter. :shake:

Good luck to all of you ladies with hard water. I hope you're able to find a solution for your hair. :)

[UP Lisa]

I never really thought about the conditioner not being able to get to the hair due to hard water, but that's true. I'm lucky that my hair doesn't tend to dry out, at least.



I don't use a clarifying shampoo all the time but lately have been using one about every other shampoo - like once or twice a week on average. In between I try to only use clear shampoos because my scalp prefers those over creamy ones.

I don't think it causes a problem for my hair because I always deep condition afterwards(and use a spray leave-in cond.). If anything it might actually help because my water is disgustingly hard and using a clarifying shampoo is probably the only way conditioner can really work in my hair. My hair is dry, the hard water makes it more dry, but the clarifying shampoo followed by a deep treatment is working better than regular shampoo and conditioner.

I used to think my hair was just really prone to buildup(a problem I never had before moving here). But after checking online for my water's mineral levels I see it's probably my water.

I can't afford to use a water filter for my shower because I already have to replace my Brita faucet mount filter every 3 weeks or so. I can only imagine how often I would have to replace the shower filter. :shake:

Good luck to all of you ladies with hard water. I hope you're able to find a solution for your hair. :)

[wendyg]

Masara: of all places, www.50plushealth.co.uk

wg

[In2wishin]

I was reading on another hair care forum and one suggestion was to use a final rinse with water that had had aquarium water conditioner added :confused: Apparently the ingredients in a basic water conditioner are EDTA (chelating), Sodium Thiosulfate (chlorine and chloramine remover), and something with a long name that is to retain the slime coat on the fish but is often used as a filler in OTC medications for humans.

Interesting idea....I'll need to look into this more. My city water is 22 :eek:

[Masara]

Wendy, thanks. I'll have a look.

[Anje]

I think I've got 24 grains/gallon here.

I can't believe the previous owners of my house survived without a water softener to prevent the rocks from hitting them in the shower. (Also, since we're selling the house, guess what I'm going to miss!)

[Lillie]

I got my filter and I washed my hair yesterday. :cheese:
So far, I can only tell that my hair was really easy to detangle and it feels a bit softer than usual.

I don't know if that is just a coincidence or due to the filter. If it's the filter, my hair should stay soft (or even get softer) with the following washes.

Maybe I should also try a clarifying shampoo to get rid of the mineral build-up (for a "fresh start"). :shrug: I don't know how long it will take to get rid of the build-up without clarifying.

Yesterday I just did use a very mild baby shampoo.

[pelicano]

I have a water filter, but it's for chlorine, not water hardness. :confused:

My water (Essex, UK) is classed as very hard. Here is the data from the water company website (as I'm not sure how you are measuring yours):

very hard water hardness 393 calcium carbonate (mg/l) 157.2 calcium (mg/l) 27.353 degrees Clark 39.3 degrees French (°f) 22.322 degrees German (°dH) 3.93 millimoles (mmol/l)

I use Ultra Swim shampoo and, like you, I'm playing around with how often I use it, as it does seem to help.

[Lilli]

Resurrecting this thread... we have a well and a softener, but sometimes the softener goes out and it definitely makes my fine, blond hair dark and sticky and yucky. We don't have chlorine, so I don't need to filter that - I need it to filter iron, calcium, etc. Would that be the Aquasana?

[Mina17]

My well water is fairly soft, but we do have iron in the water. I use the Malibu Making Water Well sulfate-free shampoo, conditioner, and demineralizer when I feel like it's building up and discoloring my hair.