Has your hair been looking dull, dry, or brittle lately, and you don’t know why? Or, maybe your hair looks greasy just hours after you showered?

If any of these sound familiar, there’s a good chance your water is the problem!

What Is Hard Water?

Hard water refers to tap water that contains high levels of dissolved minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, and Copper (depending on the source). 

What Are The Signs Of Hard Water Buildup?

There are a couple of tell-tale signs that hard water is the source of your bad hair days!

• Your Shampoo is barely lathering, if at all!

• Your scalp is irritated or itchy.

• Your hair feels weighed down and gunky, a sensation that can only be described as instantly greasy.

• Your colour is fading super fast.
  
  

How Does Hard Water Affect Hair Health?

Leaving buildup on your hair and scalp can have a major impact on overall hair health, especially when that buildup consists of mineral and metal residue. It can leave hair dull, dry, and brittle, which can result in hair breakage. For those with colour-treated hair, the negative effects can be even more dramatic. Trace minerals Copper and Iron can also affect hair health in a number of ways as they can catalyse oxidative reactions initiated by UV exposure or during chemical processing services, which can lead to structural damage of hair proteins.

Beyond the buildup that sits on the hair itself, we also have to consider scalp health. Hard water can prove to be a major irritant that leads to clogged pores and hair follicles, itchiness and even dandruff. For people with conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis, hard water can exacerbate inflammation or worsen symptoms. 

Because hard water is more alkaline than your skin’s natural pH, it can disturb the scalp’s acid mantle, which is essential for trapping moisture, and it can weaken its protective barrier over time. 

So, What Can You Do About It?

The best (and easiest) way to address this issue is to clarify your hair with K18 Hair's Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo!

This once-a-week power wash effectively removes buildup and metals that are common in tap and hard water, including 99% of product buildup, 95% of sebum + 76% copper. The shampoo uses activated charcoal to absorb toxins, excess oils, and dirt, plus salicylic acid to clear sebum buildup in follicles, without stripping hair of essential moisture and lipids.

Weekly Use = detoxed and truly clean hair. 

K18's Detox Shampoo is pH-optimized and colour-safe, leaving hair feeling refreshed rather than parched. Most clarifying or detox shampoos use a high pH to swell the cuticle, which can leave hair feeling rough and dry. The K18 formula clarifies without leaving hair dry or stripped, which is the common complaint of clarifying formulas.

One common concern is “overusing” clarifying shampoo and stripping hair of all its natural oils. With PEPTIDE PREP™ detox shampoo, you don’t have to worry about that. It's an ideal product if you suffer from buildup, live in a particularly hard water area, or only wash your hair once a week. If you are someone who likes to shower every day, the DAMAGE SHIELD™ pH protective shampoo provides gentle cleansing for frequent washers.