Do you live in a hard-water area? Is your hair giving you daily grief? No amount of conditioners or styling sprays can rescue you, as the root of the problem lies in your tap water.

What is hard water? Hard water is water that has a high mineral content – especially calcium and magnesium – in comparison to soft water. Although it’s not considered as harmful for your health, hard water can cause serious problems to your hair and skin. After many washings, minerals dissolved in the hard water create a film on the hair. This prevents the moisture from entering the hair. The result is dry, dull, tangly, and strange colored hair. Hard water can also cause build up on the scalp, causing a dandruff-like condition to form.

However, do not fret. Hard water need not ruin your hair. For those of you who desire silky and shiny tresses, here are some effective solutions.

8 Ways to Save your Hair from Hard Water

  1. VINEGAR RINSE

The acidity of vinegar works to remove calcium build up from your hair. It also balances the pH of your hair, smooths down the cuticles, and leaves your hair feeling soft and silky.

You can use any vinegar, but apple cider vinegar is the best for hair. Mix 1 teaspoons of vinegar to 2 cups of water. (We also like to add a tablespoon of coconut water, it makes the rinse more luxurious). After shampooing, pour this mixture on to your hair. Massage the scalp and work through your hair and leave it for a couple of minutes, then wash it off.

Vinegar rinses also increases shine and gives body to limp hair. Use it once a week, as everyday use will make your hair dry.

  1. LEMON RINSE

Like vinegar, the acidic nature of lemon juice will help remove buildup from your hair.

To make the lemon rinse, take a tablespoon of lemon juice and add 3 cups of water, and mix well. After shampooing, pour this rinse on to your hair. Massage the scalp and work through your hair and leave it for a couple of minutes, then wash it off. Lemon rinse will enhance shine and look of your hair. Plus, the antiseptic properties of lemon also remedy dandruff.

  1. WATER SOFTNER

A water softener is a good, but expensive way to solve your hard water worries. It removes calcium and magnesium (limescale) and certain other metal cations from the hard water – making the water soft.

When you touch the soft water, it will not look or feel any different, although your skin and hair will be much happier. Also, soft water can be useful for people experiencing hair build up, eczema, dandruff and other hard water-related conditions.

  1. SHOWER FILTER

A shower filter is a cheaper alternative to the water softener. It can considerably reduce limescale, chlorine and many other chemicals from hard water. There are many different types of shower filter that attach to your shower unit. You can buy these online, at hardware stores or at home supply stores.

  1. BOTTLED WATER OR FILTER JUG

Another option is to use bottled mineral/spring water for final rinse. Although not that expensive, you will have plastic bottles piling up (and one plastic bottle can take up to 400 years to biodegrade). It can be a temporary solution especially if your hair is giving you a hard time, or when you are visiting the hard water area for a few days.

Instead of bottled water, you can also use water from a filter jug, and that may won’t be as much plastic waste.

  1. RAIN WATER

Rain is soft water. And it’s free! You can catch rainwater in a wide mouth container and use that to wash your hair. It’s said to make hair really soft and glossy. The only drawback – you can’t have it all the time.

  1. CLARIFYING SHAMPOO

Market-bought clarifying shampoos can be harsh on hair so use them sparingly. And when buying a clarifying shampoo or any products for that matter always choose products with natural and safer ingredients.

  1. LEAVE IN CONDITIONER

This will not remove the buildup, but it will surely pep up your hair. After shampooing and towel drying, when the hair is still damp, apply a few drops of natural leave-in conditioner like coconut oil, argan oil, jojoba oil or almond oil. It will seal the moisture within the strands and give you that smooth, glossy finish.