Hard Water and co-washing

[grownupnai]

Can you co-wash your hair with hard water? I tried and it was bad with build up and breakage. I switched to using shampoo with sulphates again after being a Deva Curl No Poo user(cant afford it anymore), and cheapy no cone conditioner co-washer(doesn't work in my hair in this city) and my hair became happy again. I'm curious as to whether or not it's possible to even co-wash with hard water. In this context and place, shampoo seems fine, but I would probably still co-wash occasionally if I still lived in NYC.

 

[grownupnai]

Bum bump bump. Help!

 

[discodumpling]

Co wash as needed just be sure to lower the PH of your final rinse with a cold ACV or some other PH lowering ingredient rinse, to counteract the high PH of the hard water.

A poo WITH sulfates is necessary in a hard water situation imo. It's the cheapest way to rid your hair of excess minerals/deposits etc. I just wouldn't use it for EVERY wash.

 

[divachyk]

Can you afford a water filter from Lowe's? I have a Sprite water filter. Doesn't take a lot of assembly to install. Not overly expensive either.

 

[Firstborn2]

Let me tell you, I know about hard water! The water in Vegas ain't no joke! I had a major set back when I moved here a few months ago because of the hard water. NJoy advised me about trying distilled water, it has completely turned the health of my hair around until I can get a shower filter.

 

[NJoy]

Let me tell you, I know about hard water! The water in Vegas ain't no joke! I had a major set back when I moved here a few months ago because of the hard water. @NJoy advised me about trying distilled water, it has completely turned the health of my hair around until I can get a shower filter.

Good for you, Girl. Because that Vegas water made my hair and skin screeeeeeam!!!! Even the whites of my eyes turned colors. I was looking dry and lit at the same time.

 

[Charla]

Can you afford a water filter from Lowe's? I have a Sprite water filter. Doesn't take a lot of assembly to install. Not overly expensive either.

divachyk I've been looking into the Sprite, but I keep running across reviews that it doesn't actually help with hard water even though it does filter out other stuff like chlorine. How long have you been using it, and does it seem to have made a difference in your hair?

grownupnai I cowash my strands and use a sulfate free poo on my scalp. Then once per month I chelate with Quantum. My leave-in has a pH of around 5.5. For my touch-up refresher, I use distilled water and about 1tsp soybean oil in a spray bottle.

I do actually plan to install a whole house water softener this Spring.

 

[temfash]

Can you co-wash your hair with hard water? I tried and it was bad with build up and breakage. I switched to using shampoo with sulphates again after being a Deva Curl No Poo user(cant afford it anymore), and cheapy no cone conditioner co-washer(doesn't work in my hair in this city) and my hair became happy again. I'm curious as to whether or not it's possible to even co-wash with hard water. In this context and place, shampoo seems fine, but I would probably still co-wash occasionally if I still lived in NYC.

I live in a very hard water area, I don't co wash as it seemed to be ineffective for my fine, highly porous, medium density natural hair. I don't use sulphates regularly apart from the ORS aloe shampoo which is a chelating shampoo I use this every 4/6 weeks. What has been effective for my hair has been using any shampoo that is effective with/without sulphates but before rinsing it out I slather on a cheapy conditioner leave in for a minute then rinse, this way my hair is not stripped or dry I then move on to the conditioning step of my regimen. HTH

 

[divachyk]

@Charla - about a year and it works fine for me. The health of my hair turned around but that is attributed to many factors - steaming, water filter, quality prods, zero to no cones usage and just understanding my hair better. The water filter was added into the mix around the time I made the other changes so cumulatively, the changes positively impacted my results.

 

[lolascurls]

I had to decide to co-wash only when back in the lower hard water areas (London). Seriously the countryside was tearing up my hair! I need a water filter....all I want for Christmas...lol!

 

[grownupnai]

Hmm, my skin is doing fine with the water, but I must use body wash here and can't use any nice soaps. This water only responds to detergent.

I definitely can't afford the cheapest water filter available here. The one capable of removing minerals.

The first two months I lived here so much of my hair came out and I had no idea why. I didn't even know what hard water was. All I knew was that my hair was coming out and I was doing the same thing I had been doing in Brooklyn. I was co-washing and using the same products but my hair started looking dull and brittle. It didn't bother me too much because It was a short style and I kept chopping at it anyway, but I wanted my shine back. I slept over at a friends house around that time, and my hair looked dirty... kind of funky actually and so I reached for the shampoo and have been a fan ever since. My hair is shiny and not dry. I washed my whole head thoroughly twice and followed with conditioner to detangle. I think my question was more out of curiosity. maybe sulphates made my hair dry with the nice soft nyc water. I can't remember. I stopped using shampoo in 2006' before I moved here and found out what hard water was.

I tried acv and it did nothing for me with this water(although it's good for the hot water kettle build up).
I tried baking soda and it did nothing for me with this water.
I tried an expensive shampoo bar from England(the popular one cant remember the name) and it did nothing for me with this water. In fact, Im so mad it cost like 15 pounds=20 euros or 28 dollars with the messed up exchange rate and shipping.

Sulphates at the very least a couple of times a week but preferably 3-4x is what keeps my fine hair strands shiny, clean, strong and absorbing product.

I think I will buy some distilled water for moisturizing when I don't wash.

 

[southerncitygirl]

grownupnai

get a shower filter girlie. www.multipure.com has a nice one and healthfood or hardware stores carry them too. i saw a difference in my hair and skin in less than a week after getting one. since its only me mine lasts about a year.

 

[NaturalPath]

I would strongly advise that you get a water filter asap! I wrote a previous post about how moving to Chicago damaged my hair so bad that I ended up having to keep cutting my hair. I ended up cutting alllllllll my hair off because my hair got to the point where it was dry and brittle.

I was too lazy to keep buying distilled water since I frequently co-wash my hair.

Buy a filter & save your hair

 

[NYDee]

How do you filter well water in a bucket?

 

[Kindheart]

Co wash as needed just be sure to lower the PH of your final rinse with a cold ACV or some other PH lowering ingredient rinse, to counteract the high PH of the hard water.

A poo WITH sulfates is necessary in a hard water situation imo. It's the cheapest way to rid your hair of excess minerals/deposits etc. I just wouldn't use it for EVERY wash.

That make the hair smells awful though.

 

[HoneyCoated]

I did some online research a while back about this and found out that a Chelating shampoo tends to be good for hair that's been exposed to hard water.

I believe Sally's bss has one called Quantum Chelating Shampoo (not sure though), and another one is called Mizani Phormula-7® Neutralizing/Chelating Shampoo. Also, for your final rinse, equal parts Apple Cider vinegar and water could counteract the hard water by balancing your hair's PH balance. Maybe this will help someone.

 

[Solitude]

I purchased a Sprite shower filter today.

 

[silenttullip]

For me the sprite was a waste of money *houston hard water*
Now the aquasana has been great it does have it's faults after almost 2 years but it has made it possible for me to cowash. I'd NEVER suggest cowashing in hard water. The deposits already build up on your hair from hard water and then putting conditioner on top of that... I think its a bad idea when I tried I got bad build up even using acv or lemon juice as a final rinse but everyone's different... Try the sprite but keep your receipt.

@divachyk I've been looking into the Sprite, but I keep running across reviews that it doesn't actually help with hard water even though it does filter out other stuff like chlorine. How long have you been using it, and does it seem to have made a difference in your hair?

@grownupnai I cowash my strands and use a sulfate free poo on my scalp. Then once per month I chelate with Quantum. My leave-in has a pH of around 5.5. For my touch-up refresher, I use distilled water and about 1tsp soybean oil in a spray bottle.

I do actually plan to install a whole house water softener this Spring.

 

[Lyric]

Good for you, Girl. Because that Vegas water made my hair and skin screeeeeeam!!!! Even the whites of my eyes turned colors. I was looking dry and lit at the same time.

Dang it I knew I wasn't crazy! Time to invest in a filter *runs to homedepot.com*

 

[MyInvisibleChyrsalis]

My hair has thrived. I too went out and invested in a shower filter, but Mama don't have time for all that, lol. It's been over a year and I've co-washed almost daily ever since and I'm doing fine.

 

[discodumpling]

That make the hair smells awful though.

Not at all. I use a capfull of acv in 16 oz of water. No smell at all! I find most folks go overboard with the amount of acv. I use the minimal amount needed to produce the desired effect.

Droid baby!