Dry Skin and Hair: The Importance of Soft Water in Winter
Winter is when the temperature and your immune system drop. The harsh cold strips the moisture from your skin as quickly as it strips leaves from the trees. Most people associate winter with a myriad of health concerns. Many people get colds or a constant runny nose in the winter. You may be one of the millions who begin carrying lip balm and hand lotion as soon as the seasons turn, wary of the dry skin and chapped lips that come along with the chill, dry winds of the season.
Even staying indoors is tough on your skin and hair, as air circulated through a heater is just as dry, maybe dryer, than the cold air outdoors. Add constant handwashing to maintain this year’s viral safety, and soft water has never been more important to your health and happiness.
What is Soft Water?
You may be wondering why soft water is the solution to many of your wintertime troubles. Hard water is extremely common, running in about 90% of US home taps. Hard water contains extra minerals like calcium and magnesium, most commonly seen as “scale”, that white residue on your tub, faucets, and glassware after the water dries.
Those minerals not only build up on hard surfaces, but also dries out the skin, clog pores, makes your hair brittle, and builds up in laundry fabrics. Soft water lacks these minerals and in effect, can leave hair, skin, and laundry softer even through the harsh winter season.
The Benefits of Soft Water on Hair and Skin
Soft Water Reduces the Drying Effects of Hand-Washing
We are all washing our hands more often these days, which can leave them extremely dry after all that hot soapy washing in moisture-stripping hard water. In the winter, dry skin turns into painful cracks in your hands. Soft water, however, reduces the drying effect of hand-washing, which over thousands of hand-washes this season can really save your skin by preventing cracks and allowing dry skin to heal.
Bathing in Soft Water Gently Cleanses
Bathing in hard water reduces the effects of soap (by preventing lather) and can build up in your pores and hair. On the other hand, bathing in soft water promotes soap lather, allowing you to gently cleanse your pores, remove scale from your hair, and generally improve your exterior health which is essential for maintaining your health in the winter.
Soft Water Leaves Hair Softer and Less Brittle in Dry Air
Hair often becomes brittle, splitting and breaking in the winter and hard water buildup doesn’t help. Washing your hair in soft water softens hair, removes scale, and can promote the beneficial effects of conditioner and moisturizer.
Winter Time Benefits of Soft Water
Soft Water Improves the Effectiveness of Your Winter Lotion
During the winter, we apply lotions to both moisturize the skin and protect your skin from drying winter winds. By cleansing your skin with soft water, you can also improve the effectiveness of your winter lotions and protective oils. This will promote softer skin and better skin health all winter long.
Hot Baths in Soft Water Leave Your Skin Healthier
Winter is the perfect time for a hot bath, except that hot baths are notoriously drying once you rise from the steam. With soft water, a hot bath is far less damaging, and a little oil in your bath can even leave your skin better moisturized and fortified than before, without the damage of soaking in hard water minerals.
Winter Sweaters Last Longer (and Stay Softer) Washed in Soft Water
Soft water can even improve the quality of your winter sweaters. Mineral buildup in the heavy fibers of your favorite winter sweaters can cause them to become dull, itchier, and even sour in the wash. Soft water, however, promotes sudsing and gentle washing, keeping your sweaters soft and cozy all winter long.
How to Switch Your Home From Hard Water to Soft Water This Winter
Would your skin, hair, and winter sweaters benefit from soft water? This is easier to make happen than most people realize. Simply by installing a water softening unit between your water main and taps, you, too, can enjoy the gentle, cleansing benefits and dry skin protection of soft water. Contact us today to consult on a soft water installation in your home.
