It's simple to place the blame for hair or skin problems on your nutrition, genetics, anxiety, or a cosmetic you just started using. But if you are unable to identify the offender, it may be time to look at the products you use to wash and rinse your face and hair. No, we are not discussing about body wash and shampoos; instead, we are concerned about the harms of tap water. In terms of hair and skin quality, water may be both a blessing and a curse. It can be packed with poisons, pollutants, and impurities that can harm your skin and hair, or it might be the key to shinier, better health hair and softer, younger skin.
What are the harms of Tap Water and how it affects your Hair and Skin?
Water is necessary for excellent internal health, yet it could work against us when we want to look perfect on the outside. Even with the best cosmetic and hair care products, some unwelcome substances in tap water may undermine your efforts.
- Chlorine
To eliminate germs and other unpleasant impurities before the water hits our houses, the majority of towns add chlorine to drinkable water. The chemical helps lower the risk of getting different waterborne infections by eliminating these harmful microorganisms. However, there is a warning chlorine can damage your skin and hair.
When exposed to chlorinated water while showering, bathing, or swimming for an extended period of time, the skin can become dry and chalky, develop blisters and painful burns, experience inflammation, and occasionally develop red, itchy rashes. Due to the fact that chlorine is a natural irritant, when it comes into touch with the skin, it expands the pores and removes the oily layer that normally keeps wetness in your skin. The skin's weakest layers are typically most vulnerable to harm from chlorine.
Over a period of years, prolonged exposure to chlorine can cause early ageing and have serious negative effects on the health of the skin. Additionally, chlorine contact will probably make your hypersensitive skin worse if you already have it due to a pre-existing illness like psoriasis, eczema, or dermatitis.
- Pesticides
Asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), blood malignancies, obesity, and paediatric developmental issues are just a few of the health issues that have been associated to pesticides. However, how might they impact the skin and hair? You can find a warning regarding skin rashes and blistering on practically any pesticide labelling. That's because some insecticides, like chlorine, have corrosive or irritating qualities that induce acute harmful consequences. Extreme skin disorders include discomfort, fungus, blistering, burning, hyper pigmentation of the afflicted area, allergic touch, photosensitization, and primary irritant eczema can result from reaction to these substances.
- Arsenic
Although it cannot be detected through sight, scent, or flavour, arsenic can end up in drinking water. It is a substance that naturally exists in water, sediments, and soil and frequently contaminates our water supplies. In many locations where groundwater is an important supply of drinking water, prolonged arsenic exposure poses a significant danger to the skin. The first signs of protracted exposure to large amounts of toxic metals are typically shown in the skin while including pigmentation shifts, skin conditions, and hard spots on the hands and soles of the feet, according to the World Health Organization WHO. These develop after an at least five years of contact and could be a sign of skin cancer.
- Selenium
Selenium is a crucial component of foods. It naturally occurs in foods like fish, eggs, almonds, and legumes. Selenium is healthy for you in modest quantities, helping to improve your immunity, metabolism, and digestion. Selenium can, however, be found in both bottled and tap water. Drinking excessive amounts of the element for long periods of time can be risky, if it was done intentionally or by mistake. A study claims that taking excessive amounts of selenium leads to the overproduction of antioxidant enzymes. A result of the body attacking its own tissues, such as those in hair follicles, due to an excess of antioxidants is hair loss.
- Chromium
Chromium-6 is a carcinogen and a threat to your skin, and it is most recognized for its role in the 2000 Academy award movie Eric Brockovich, which detailed the contamination of Hinkley, California's drinkable water. Extended skin-to-skin encounter can lead to burns, dermatitis, and skin ulcers. Severe skin rashes can occur in individuals who have delicate skin. Chromium should not be present in the water you consume, use for bathing or showering for these and other concerns.
- Hardness Minerals
The overabundance of calcium and magnesium in hard water causes skin dehydration and can mess with the tissues of your skin. These minerals' hardness makes it challenging to wash soap off your skin, making it rough and possibly itchy. Additionally, harsh water can exacerbate delicate skin, psoriasis, or eczema by further dehydrating out your skin. Some of the elements that make hard water are left behind after it comes in contact with your skin, extracting a lot of the humidity and oils that are naturally present on your skin. High concentrations of hard elements and a lack of moisture can also impact the pH and moisture of your skin, possibly leading to breakouts. It makes sense that media outlets like Vogue view hard water as a beauty enemy.
How can you respond to the harms of Tap Water on Your Hair and Skin?
You do not have to put up with your tap water-induced dry skin and crispy hair. You can take steps to lessen its effects on your skin and hair. Finding out what is in the water is the initial step. It's important to be aware of your surroundings because many substances that impact the hair and skin cannot be really seen or scented in water. We recommend having the water examined by state-certified laboratories, even if you can ask your water supplier for a review on the water's overall quality.
We advise making an investment in a water filter and softener device if the findings show that your water supply is the root of your hair or skin problem. While water softener removes calcium, magnesium, and other hardness elements, filtration helps in eliminating, pollutants, and impurities that might harm your skin and hair. These tasks are carried out by the system to generate soft filtered water.
Final Reflections to Avoid Harms of Tap Water
For healthy hair and skin, water quality is essential. Your skin and hair can struggle from water contaminated with pollutants, solvents, and impurities, but purified and soft water can do marvels for these visible signs of beauty. For your house, we advise making an investment in a dependable water filter and water softener. With the proper water conditioner and filtration, harms of tap water may be instantly tackled, maintaining the condition of your skin and hair in the process.