The journey to good skin care is cluttered with many myths and urban legends about what does and doesn’t work for this-or-that reason. You could venture on a life-long, wild goose chase full of oils, pastes, creams and butters and never find the “best” technique that “really works!”
Is it possible that maybe the solution isn’t in the solvent, but the solute? Our answer to quality skin care is not the variable substance, but actually the only constant used through out our many, failed trials: water.
Here are 4 reasons why water quality is an important factor for skin care.
Hard Water v. Soft Water
First and foremost, faucets usually produce hard water, which is full of calcium and magnesium. This element make-up wreaks havoc on anything you try to clean with it, including your skin.
Acne and aging
Hard water has a pH of 8 or 9, while normal drinking water is generally a neutral 7. The alkaline level, which determines pH, naturally increases when water passes over rocks in springs. The water picks up minerals that make dissolving soaps more difficult, causing the build-up of soap curds on your skin. This leads to acne and aging effects.
Germs
Hard water coats your skin with a dull film due to insoluble minerals. This inhibits the skin’s natural oils from reaching the epidermis. Therefore, the skin’s natural, antimicrobial properties begin to cause infections.
Dryness
Constantly showering and cleansing with hard water rapidly dries out your hair (and results in something called hard water hair) and skin. Reduce your skin exposure with a shorter shower.
Quality skincare is derived from quality water. Possible solutions could be to purchase a water softener, or maybe use store-bought water to wash your face. Regardless, for the sake of your skin, take a hard pass on hard water.
