I’ve often wondered whether investing in a water softener at home could help my skin. Living in a very hard water area, my skin has always felt tight, stiff and dry after bathing and the difference when staying in soft water areas was always markedly better.
I also bathed in lake Windermere a few years ago and that natural pure water felt amazing against my skin too and didn’t irritate me or leave my skin tight and needing moisturiser.
It’s been a dream to have a water softener so now that I’m finally testing one I’m excited to see the results.
Why is hard water bad for your skin?
The trace minerals in hard water such as calcium and magnesium can clog and block your pipes and washing machine and leave bathrooms and kitchens stained with limescale, so just imagine what it can do to sensitive skin. It can clog skin pores which can lead to acne or eczema and it also strips the skin of its natural moisture leading to dryness, tightness and irritation and also a dry flaky scalp.
Free radicals can also form, caused by those traces of calcium and magnesium, which are known to break down collagen which keeps the skin firm.
A study done to understand whether water softeners could help eczema in children found that there seems to be a link between having a filaggrin mutation, being exposed to harder water and developing eczema.1
A genetic filaggrin mutation means that the skin is lacking the gene that helps the skin stay hydrated and moisturised, leaving it susceptible to eczema and atopic dermatitis.
Benefits of using a water softener
A water softener can be easily fitted into your plumbing system to remove the hardness from the water using salt and filters. There are so many benefits of using one, but the number one for me was the hope that it would help my skin heal. I hadn’t really considered all the other added benefits that you also get:
- Softer water makes soap easier to rinse off and so leaves little or no residue on the skin, in turn this allows the skin to retain more of its natural balance and doesn’t irritate it like hard water can.
- You need to use way less soap and shampoo as it lathers quickly and easily, much better than in hard water.
- You don’t need to use as much or as powerful cleaning products. Gone are the days of soaking and scrubbing at limescale, soft water doesn’t leave scale and limescale.
- Your kitchen and bathroom will shine with little effort! – It won’t get as dirty as it did with hard water so will be shiny clean and easier to maintain.
- Your appliance will last longer e.g washing machine, dishwasher, boiler as they too won’t get clogged up with limescale.
- You will have lower bills. Any pipes that are already clogged should clear over time and since you are cleaning less and using less water to clean, your bills will reduce all round. Less products required and less shampoo and soap used so you’ll save money everywhere.
- Did I mention it’s softer on your skin? Check out Harvey Skin Care Hub here for loads of tips on caring for your skin. (https://www.harveywatersofteners.co.uk/skin-care/)
Why did I choose a Harvey water softener?
Well the first reason was on a recommendation and a girl loves a good first hand review. I also did a lot of research and contacted about five different companies. Harveys responded immediately, the other companies? Still not a peep despite me chasing a few of them.
I also liked that Harvey Water Softeners have a number of different payment schemes to help you manage your finances and also offer a rental system which makes it much more affordable and can work well in rental properties.
They were also really open to working with me so this is a sponsored blog post and a live experiment. When I’m through this current flare I’ll be looking closely at my skin to see what changes I can see.
How was my skin before using a water softener?
I’ll be honest, this water softener has arrived at a new low point with my skin. I’ve been in a very deep healing crisis now which has been worsening for a few months and hit its peak just days after the unit was fitted.
If you read my blog regularly you’ll know I’ve been going through Topical Steroid Withdrawal now for nearly three years which means a continual cycle of healing symptoms as the skin heals from deep down, including inflammation, oozing, crusting, dry skin and excessive flaking.
So you can see, the skin is healing. I call it a healing crisis and I have been deep in healing recently.
How am I getting on so far?
It’s early days yet as my skin was already very dry, super flaky, crusty, oozy etc. I’m hoping it will make showers easier as they are currently hard to have as they trigger itching and dryness. I’ll be honest, I rarely shower, finding baths much kinder to my skin.
But I’ve already noticed a huge difference:
- When washing my hands the water feels silky soft and you need hardly any soap and lathering. They also don’t feel dry afterwards and as hand eczema is something I’m plagued with I’m hoping this will help them heal.
- My mum came into the room saying my new soap felt amazing on her skin. Well it wasn’t a new soap or anything fancy, just my new water softener. She was impressed!
- I’m also now only using a pea sized dollop of shampoo and it lathers and feels lovely and silky soft after washing.
- Cleaning the bath is also really easy and as I bath often this is a huge win win. It doesn’t leave any scum at all!
It really has only been a few weeks so far so I can’t say too much, as since my skin is at all time low, things can only get better!
I will be sharing some videos and a future blog with an update in a few months so watch this space.
Want to find out more about Water Softeners?
If you’re interested in getting a water softener for yourself or your child or partner, check out the Harvey Water Softener website using the link below:
I am very impressed with Harvey, from my initial inquiry to the installation and after care. This is a company that has the customer first and the product is top quality. I also love the Harvey app which tells me when I need to reorder salt.
“Buy a Harvey Water softener and receive 6 months free salt. Plus up to 50% off our drinking water solutions.”
Harvey Water Softeners
Offer ends Ends Midnight Sunday 5th December 2021”
This is a great offer for anyone deciding to invest in a Water Softener with Harvey – Ends Midnight Sunday 5th December 2021 – You could get 6 months free salt, 50% off drinking water solutions as well as discounts on tap options.
People have been telling me to get a water softener for years so it’s exciting to finally be taking that advice and investing in my skin health.
If you have any questions or comments, please share them below. Do you have one? Has it helped your skin?
Sources and further reading
- Water hardness and a possible genetic link with eczema in children, Br J Dermatol. 2020 Aug, British Association of Dermatologists.
- Skin raft blog – The effects of hard water on your skin
NB: THIS IS A SPONSORED POST
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