Beauty 6 years ago NY vs. LA Water and How It's Affecting Your Hair
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Apparently I have been living under a big fat rock.
Last week I arrived in New York with a fresh chop, ready to take fashion week by a storm, when something felt off. I had settled into my hotel room, taken a nice relaxing shower, but when I got out and did my hair, it looked flat, limp and lifeless. My first thought was that it was just super dry from the plane and the NYC heat and that I needed to do a moisturizing hair mask ASAP. I ran to Sephora and was posting what I purchased on Insta-Stories when my good friend Jen mentioned that my hair issue might have something to do with the “soft water” in New York. She said I needed to use a special shampoo.
I immediately dove face first into Google to research this theory and she was 100% right. Apparently there are two different kinds of water and because of that, I’ve been using the wrong products on my hair every time I’ve come to NYC. The product I kept coming across for the best shampoo to use with soft water was by Lush {yes, that intensely smelling store that we all walk past but don’t go inside}. I immediately purchased the wildly reviewed Seanik Bar.
Full disclosure: I was very hesitant to try this product out. No offense to Lush, but they aren’t the first place I turn to for shampoo. Plus, the idea of using a soap bar on my hair sounded, well, just weird. But, I used it and guess what – it worked!
What The Hell Is Soft Water?
Soft water has a low concentration of ions, lack of minerals and a greater concentration of sodium.
How Do You Know If You Are Using It?
You won’t see any chalky buildup on your water faucets, your water might taste a little saltier and your soaps and shampoos should produce a good lather. You’re also probably using it if you are in New York or the New England area {see map here}
How Does It Affect Your Hair?
Cons: If you have fine and/or oiler hair, your hair can tend to get greasier a lot faster, look thinner and weighed down.
Pros: Soft water helps your hair look smoother and shinier. So if you have medium to thick, frizzier and unruly hair, you probably prefer soft water.
How To Deal With It
If your hair is getting super greasy really fast and looks thin and flat, you’re going to want to try a shampoo that is rich in minerals and promises volume.
What The Hell Is Hard Water?
Hard water is naturally high in mineral salts like calcium and magnesium, chlorine, copper and iron.
How Do You Know If You Are Using It?
You can usually tell if you are using hard water if you see little chalk deposits in your washing machine or on your shower head – or your glassware looks super cloudy coming right out of the dishwater. Your shampoos and soap might also not lather as much. You’re also probably using it if your are in LA {or Souther California in general}. This map gives you an idea of the different variations of water alkalinity around the U.S.
How Does It Affect Your Hair?
Cons: In general the the minerals in hard water tends to cause buildup, brittle and dryness. If you get your hair colored and you notice that it gets brassy and discolored super fast – it’s probably because of hard water.
Pros: However, if you have finer or oily hair, hard water can help your hair with a more natural and less oily texture aka that beach wave look.
How To Deal With It
If you’re using hard water and your hair looks less than stellar, using a chelating or clarifying shampoo every few washes or even a clarifying mask once a month will definitely get rid of buildup. Washing your hair less in general should definitely help. Additionally installing a water softener into your shower will also help. If you live in Southern California but don’t think you have hard water, chances are, there is already a water softener installed in your home.
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