.............................................................................................................................................................
Hard Water Dermatitis
DermaHarmony®
Most people
suffering from dry skin tell us they have tried nearly every cream, lotion, and
moisturizer out there.
Regardless of what
they use or how often they use it, their dry skin will often persist. Many
think dry skin is just something they have to live with.
They may not have
given much thought to a simple environmental factor like their water — the
possibility that the water they bathe in, wash their dishes, clothes and linens
in, and even drink may be contributing to the problem.
Hard water is a
common culprit in the fight against dry skin, but many people don't really know
what hard water is.
Others may have
heard of it, but even some who think they may have it may not take the time to
have their water tested to see how hard it actually is, or to find out what
they can do about it.
Water tests typically examine
levels of:
·
Alkalinity
·
Chlorine
·
Hardness
·
pH
·
Peroxide
·
Iron & Copper
·
Nitrate & Nitrite
·
Heavy metals
·
Inorganic chemicals
·
Organic chemicals
Hard water is
defined as highly alkaline (high pH) water that contains high levels of iron,
magnesium and/or calcium ions.
pH is a logarithmic
scale starting at 0 and going to 14.
Zero is as acid as
you can get and 14 is as alkaline as you can get.
Seven is the ideal
pH of water, and what we consider to be neutral.
Each integer
represents 10 times the previous one (ie: a pH of 6 is ten times as acidic as a
pH of 7). The natural pH of the human body at a cellular level is around 7.3.
Remember, water is
the universal solvent.
When these minerals
enter your water supply, they "harden" the water and make it
difficult for other substances like detergents, soaps, or any sort of solute
(something that dissolves in a solvent) to enter into solution.
As a result, you
may see an increase in clogged plumbing; deposits of soap, iron, and lime in
your showers, sinks, and faucets; difficulty getting soaps to lather and rinse
off and out; and persistent dry flaky skin.
These signs are all
indicative of hard water, but to be certain a water test can be performed.
This will not only
confirm if you have hard water but also whether the problem is mild, moderate,
or severe.
HARD WATER AND YOUR SKIN
This build-up or
"hardening" of minerals in hard water makes it very difficult for
other substances to dissolve in that water, including soaps and detergents.
The various
undissolved substances can leave a surface residue on the washing machine, your
clothing, your plumbing, tub, or shower — and your hair and skin.
With that, bathing
and washing our clothes in hard water can lead to increased skin irritation.
Whenever we bathe,
we often lather ourselves up with soaps, shampoos, conditioners and other
cosmetics and cleaning products.
If your water is
hard, you may notice these products aren't lathering up sufficiently. This
could prompt you to use more of the product.
Next, we start the
process of rinsing, which is where the combination of hard water and increased
amounts of cleansing products can really work against us, and a more
problematic residue of the hard water and cleaning products may be left on the
skin.
The soap residue
left behind on your skin clogs the pores and irritates the skin, making it
itchy, flaky, and dry.
The minerals in the
hard water itself can also clog skin pores, which can be especially harmful to
more sensitive areas like the face.
Facial skin or
other areas that are thin, reddened, or irritated from associated dry skin
conditions may worsen, with flushing from damage to the blood vessels.
In addition to your
skin carrying a residue of soap and hard water, our clothing, sheets, and linens
are also susceptible.
The water in our
washing machines is typically no different from that in our showers; it too can
leave detergent residue in our clothing and linens.
Therefore, our skin
can be in constant contact with this residue, causing chafing, rubbing and
further skin irritation.
Hard water can be
especially irritating to those who already suffer from a skin condition like
dermatitis.
Dermatitis is an
inflammation of the skin, and outbreaks are more common when one suffers from
persistently dry skin.
While hard water
itself doesn't cause dermatitis, it can irritate the condition or even initiate
a flare-up.
One of the most
common effects of hard water is its ability to dry out the skin and leave it
unable to absorb moisture.
The combination of
hard water with a co-existing dermatitis condition can lead to more frequent
and severe outbreaks.
REMEDIES FOR HARD WATER
The best remedy for
hard water is to try and make it softer.
Soft water is
literally the opposite of hard water; it is water in its purest form — minus
the mineral ions.
Without the
minerals, soft water rinses the soaps and detergents from our bodies and
clothes much more efficiently.
This leaves our
pores unclogged, allowing moisture to be absorbed, and with softer, healthier
skin.
If you are on a
municipal water system, you can ask the water supplier to provide you with the
hardness level of the water they deliver.
If you have a
private water supply, you can have the water tested for hardness.
If you suspect or
know that your household has hard water and you have well water, the remedy may
be as simple as obtaining a water softener.
However, if your
water is from a public supply, a water softening unit would have to be
installed, and this can be much more complicated and expensive.
If you are unable
to address your hard water at the source, then there are some other things you
can do to protect your skin from its harsh effects:
· Use less soap products to decrease soapy residue. You
should also consider using Syndet cleansing bars if you have hard water. The
word “syndet” is derived from “synthetic” combined with “detergent”.
Technically it refers to the binding that occurs between different detergents,
also called surfactants. Syndet bars are often marketed
as “cleansing bars” or “dermatological bars”. Another alternative
is to rinse with a diluted Apple Cider Vinegar.
· Take shorter showers to reduce your skin's exposure to hardened
minerals.
· Use store-bought water or sink filtered water to wash your face
only (the face is more sensitive to hard water).
· Apply shielding lotions to help protect against certain
substances.
These steps will
allow your skin to absorb more moisture. The more you protect against dry skin,
the less vulnerable you are to severe dermatitis outbreaks triggered or further
irritated by associated dry skin conditions.
We're big fans of
the AquaBliss High Output Universal
Shower Filter with a Replaceable Multi-State Filter Cartridge
(a mid $30 range filter). It is an Amazon best seller with several
thousand insightful reviews. It's also an Amazon's Choice product. Before
installing a more expensive whole-house system, you should try the
AquaBliss Universal Shower Filter. [Full Disclosure: This is not a DermaHarmony product and we have no
affiliation with the maker of AquaBliss, nor does this endorsement
produce benefit to DermaHarmony.]
DermaHarmony® is a Maine-based
business owned by David Addison (52) and incorporated as D3 Development, Inc.
We make a small line of top dermatologist recommended personal care
products. We're not a huge faceless corporation. Every day the four of us,
plus our staff, are hard at work making quality skin care products and
servicing customers. David also owns an advertising agency that he founded in
2003 that focuses on ski resorts and direct to consumer health products.
The business was started in 1997 and was rebranded DermaHarmony in 2006 when David purchased the business from one of his advertising agency clients. David suffered from severe adult acne and rosacea - his long battle with problem skin and background in product formulation and marketing is what pulled him into the business. David's actually dumbfounded that he was prescribed dozens of harsh drugs over a 35 year period that didn't work. For almost 20 years David took antibiotics to lessen his rosacea. It was a combination of Pyrithione Zinc, Sulfur, and Salicylic Acid soap that cleared his skin problems. And the cost - less than $8 per month without a prescription. Helping others to find clear skin is what drives our business.
The business was started in 1997 and was rebranded DermaHarmony in 2006 when David purchased the business from one of his advertising agency clients. David suffered from severe adult acne and rosacea - his long battle with problem skin and background in product formulation and marketing is what pulled him into the business. David's actually dumbfounded that he was prescribed dozens of harsh drugs over a 35 year period that didn't work. For almost 20 years David took antibiotics to lessen his rosacea. It was a combination of Pyrithione Zinc, Sulfur, and Salicylic Acid soap that cleared his skin problems. And the cost - less than $8 per month without a prescription. Helping others to find clear skin is what drives our business.
No comments:
Post a Comment