It’s not something we always think about, but the quality of our water (and the type of water) can influence the look and feel of our hair. With August being Water Quality Month, it’s the perfect time to talk about this often forgotten subject. Water full of minerals like calcium and magnesium—hard water—can have a damaging effect, as can chlorinated water in the pool and salt water in the ocean.
If you’re not careful, hard water, chlorinated water, and salt water can transform luxurious locks into lackluster locks. But how do you protect your hair against minerals or chemicals that can be prevalent in our water? And what are these compounds really doing to your hair?
The Damaging Details
If you’ve been experiencing what seems like an uphill battle as you deal with constantly dry or frizzy hair, your water may be to blame. That isn’t to say it’s always going to be the case, but it’s a good place to look. As minerals, like calcium and magnesium, build up around your faucet and showerhead, they too can build up on your scalp and around your hair follicles. This buildup can make it hard for hair care products to work properly, leaving you with hair that’s dull and more difficult to manage.
Chlorinated water, on the other hand, can often have a drying effect. Whether you’re hanging out, splashing around, or doing laps in the pool, before you know it, chlorine can effectively strip away necessary oils in your hair. Without these oils, your hair can appear frizzy and full of split ends. Salt water does something similar. Rather than removing oils, the salt draws water from your hair and scalp, once again having a drying effect. Dry hair is brittle and more susceptible to breakage and split ends. Salt water and chlorine can also impact your hair color.
Wash Your Hair Without Worry
Thankfully, the hair products you use can make a difference. High-quality shampoos and conditioners can help erase the damage done by hard, chlorinated, or salt water. With products that put top-shelf ingredients first, these waters don’t stand a chance. And blondes, listen up. Hard and chlorinated water can discolor hair, encouraging brassy and dull yellows. Salt water can also make an impact. Whether you’re a natural or bottled blonde, you can protect your bright locks with a non-toning daily purple conditioner and shampoo. Purple hair care products fight back against the effects of hard and chlorinated water, leaving you with locks that are bright, beautiful, and once again manageable! Ensure your locks stay bright by incorporating a weekly toning purple shampoo and using a hair treatment as needed for some extra TLC.
The protection doesn’t end once you’ve shampooed and conditioned—the products you use after washing matter, too. For instance, using a hair detangler gives you next-level control. It’s yet another way to manage dryness, frizz, and flyaways that can be spurred on by water. Even better, a high-quality hair detangler can help repair and strengthen damaged hair, whether it's hair damaged by the sun or water.
Upon styling your hair, the products you use can offer further protection. Incorporating a high-performance volumizing spray, for instance, can provide weightless volume to any look. The best will also provide UV and thermal protection.
How Do You Fight Back Against ‘Bad’ Water?
You don’t have to rely solely on high-quality hair care products to protect yourself against hard, chlorinated, or salt water. If hard water is a serious concern, a simple solution is to replace your current showerhead with one complete with a built-in water filter designed to catch common hard water minerals, like calcium and magnesium. Alternatively, you can install a whole house water softener.
For chlorinated water, your best bet is to use a swimming cap whenever you hit the pool. If that’s not your style, at least rinse your hair after fun in the pool and thoroughly wash your hair with high-quality products once you’re able.
If you plan on swimming in the ocean—again, don’t forget that cap! But, if you just need to let your hair down beachside, at least giving your hair a rinse after some time in the ocean will help until you’re able to do a proper cleanse. Of course, after a day at the pool or beach, you can always schedule a deep conditioning or a hair mask treatment at your favorite salon to give your hair a little love—and protection. Some of the best salon-quality brands even offer high-performance products for you to follow up your beach day with a spa day from the comforts of home.
About UNITE Hair
Known for their high-performing hair care products, UNITE Hair is an award-winning brand loved by stylists and their clients. Their range of over 45 hair products makes it easy to target varying hair types and concerns. Enjoy thoughtful, targeted product lineups from their 7SECONDS™ to BLONDA™ Systems. UNITE Hair also offers various online features to help you care for your locks and build gorgeous hairstyles. Take their Hair Quiz and create a product lineup that’s sure to give you a winning routine. UNITE Hair’s diverse collection of products can help you get the hair you want with the hair you have.
Keep your summer hair healthy and vibrant with UNITE Hair at https://unitehair.com/
Original Source: https://bit.ly/3jpwxzv
