6 easy haircare tips for voluminous and vibrant hair in a hard water area
by Kath Hooper.
How are your lockdown locks going? Are you sporting unintended balayage as the roots descend in the long wait for hairdressers reopening? Perhaps where tidy edges once framed your face, split ends emerge instead. Until the restrictions ease and a trip to the hairdressers can revive your hair, we have some suggestions for how to care for your hair.
Hard water is an ongoing battle for our hair in the UK. Here in Bristol, we are all too familiar with the limescale residue on the kitchen sink, the discolouring of the bathroom taps and the scaly flakes in the kettle.
As masterful as your hairdresser is, it’s unlikely they can perform the alchemy needed for the perfect water supply for healthy hair. Don't worry, we've listed 6 easy tips that will make caring for your hair in a hard water area much easier.
What does hard water mean for your hair?
The minerals in hard water can weigh down your hair, leaving it limp and heavy. The harder water strips the vibrancy of your colour. And perhaps you’ve noticed a distinct crunchiness to your hair as the harder water dries it out. Nobody asks their hairdresser for crunchy curls and frazzled fringes.
But does the challenging water situation mean you have to settle for duller colour and lifeless locks? Of course not, you can still have healthy hair and here are a few ideas that will help:
1. Leave in conditioner to up the moisture levels
If you suffer with split ends and frayed framing, you need a little kiss of moisture.
That tough hard water is a big bully on hair prone to dryness. Launch your defence with some deeply nourishing conditioner. Or for a leave in conditioner to gently moisturise your hair throughout the day, run some light conditioner through the ends of damp, towel dried hair.
A good conditioner will relax those crispy edges and empower your hair to shine and shimmer again.
2. Sulphate free shampoo for gentle cleansing
Be kind to your hair and try a softer shampoo. Sulphate free shampoo is gentle on your hair. It removes excess oil without stripping your hair.
A sulphate free shampoo will clean your hair and won’t leave a residue. Your colour will be brighter and your coiffe will feel lighter. Our Hairy Jayne Nourishing Shampoo and solid Shampoo Bars are completely sulphate free so will keep your hair healthy.
3. A shower filter to tackle living in a hard water area
A shower filter may be a slightly more involved tactic.
But if you’re willing to invest (and install it!) you can soften the water you wash with. You’ll filter out all of the moisture-sapping minerals before they reach your hair, scalp and skin.
It can be a game-changer for those with particularly sensitive skin or dry hair.
4. Argan oil to nourish and bring back elasticity
Argan oil is another saviour to hair suffering from the onslaught of hard water.
You can restore your natural oils with just a dab of this product. With added softness to your hair, your daily fight with the tangle teaser will be a little less ferocious.
The argan oil nourishes your hair and gives you back the elasticity. It’s a lifeline for hair prone to breakage. A little argan oil can reduce frizziness and add shine.
Try a drop of our Hairy Jayne favourite, Pre-shampoo Treatment Oil, left in the ends of your hair. It has argan oil in along with lots of other nourishing plant oils.
5. Apple cider vinegar to remove mineral buildup
Washing your hair in vinegar sounds about as appealing as scenting it with l’eau de chip shop.
The first thing to say is: it is not as bad as it sounds.
You won’t be wafting a whiff of vinegar every time you swish. It’s just a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in 500mls of water. Mix it up in a bottle before you shower – remembering that warm water will be a more pleasant experience – and finish your hair wash with your vinegary waterfall.
The reason this works is that it strips away the build-up of the hard water minerals. By doing this every now and then, you’ll unburden your hair and free it up to bounce again.
Note that it is important that you dilute the vinegar well. It is more acidic than your hair’s natural pH level, so avoid a strong solution and especially avoid applying it neat to your hair.
6. Collect rain water for the purest hair wash ever
Yes, this sounds like your primary school science project.
No, you can’t predict the weather. It may well take some perseverance to gather your home-school science class rain water. And perhaps you’ve already had enough home-schooling for one lifetime.
But rain water is the purest water form available to us. It’s delightfully soft and will give new-found cleanliness to your hair.
Even just using rainwater for your final rinse will help to discard the build-up.
I’d love to hear your feedback if you’ve tried any of these. My personal favourite is to use oils in my hair. What about you? Get in touch on Instagram or Facebook.