Hair and skin feel strange? a water softener system might help
Emerging from the colder temperatures of the winter months, it’s no surprise to notice your skin feeling drier and itchier. But now solidly into spring, with the temperature climbing, you may still be coming out of the shower feeling dry and flaky spots, or you may even feel more oily, with increased acne breakouts. If that’s the case, the issue could be beyond a seasonal affliction, and is more than likely coming from your faucet, and can be curbed with the installation of a water softener system.
The Hard Facts
Overwhelming, a vast majority of the country has hard water. What this means on a practical level is that the water within your pipes, and thus, being used throughout your home, have elevated levels of certain minerals — namely, calcium, iron, and magnesium. These elements accrue through a natural process, building up within fresh water as it moves freely through lakes, rivers, and streams. When hard water comes in contact with surfaces, the extra minerals — which are positively charged — become bonded to the negatively charged ions of whatever the water touches. This is what creates the white soap scum residue on bathroom surfaces, as well as the calcified build-up on faucets.
This is also what contributes to dry skin issues and oil build-up, as these minerals clog-up skin pores, trapping oil and dirt at, and just below, the surface level of the skin. Additionally, hard water makes soaps less effective, as the additional minerals make it more difficult to work up a cleaning lather, and leave behind the aforementioned clinging soap scum.
A Softer Touch
On the opposite side of the scale, there is soft water. This is water that has been stripped of mineral build-ups through the use of a water softener system. The water softener uses salt to replace the minerals from hard water with sodium through an ion exchange process, resulting in water that is much more gentle on your body, your homes’ pipes, and even on your clothes, appliances, and dishware.
Washing your body with soft water allows you to utilize less soap and shampoo to achieve a cleaner feeling, as it is easier to generate a cleansing lather. It can also change how your skin feels post-shower, as your pores are allowed to remain more open, your skin is better hydrated, and the oils generated by your skin throughout the day become more balanced when they are not being trapped or clogged.
Furthermore, installing a water softening system will result in your clothes likely feeling cleaner, as the detergent is able to more thoroughly clean without being bogged by additional minerals, absorbing and washing out of your clothes more easily, and running appliances like a dishwasher will result in dishes feeling less scummy, with less residual build-up after a wash cycle.
If you’re looking to cut down on skin dryness, or just have additional questions on the benefits of a water softener, contact Duane Blanton Plumbing at (815) 781-2567, or contact us online today!
