How Water Softeners Can Prevent Dry, Itchy Skin This Winter
Did You Know You Can Treat Your Water to Combat Winter Dryness?
Winter weather is notorious for drying out skin. However, before you spend another winter paying a fortune for lotions and creams, we want to offer you a better solution: water softeners and water filters.
While it may sound strange, the best way to keep your skin from drying out this winter is to invest in water treatment equipment for your home. Don’t believe us? We’ll explain.
The fact is most people in the United States bathe in water that dries out their skin and don’t even realize it. They have no idea the water contains minerals and chemicals that harm the skin and leave it vulnerable to winter’s harsh effects.
The good news is there are ways to treat this bad water and alleviate that winter itch. In this post, we will discuss two of the harshest types of water on the skin: hard water and chlorinated water. We’ll explain why these types of water are common, how they harm your skin, and what you can do to get rid of them.
Are you ready to begin your journey to better skin this winter? Good! Then let’s get going!
What is Hard Water?
First, let’s take a closer look at the two types of water that can wreak havoc on your skin. We’ll start with hard water.
Water hardness is a naturally occurring phenomenon. As water flows through lakes and streams, it collects minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, along the way. People refer to water with an overabundance of these minerals as hard water.
Because our country consists largely of ancient seabeds, a staggering 85% of people in the U.S. have hard water. And our region is no exception as Northern Illinois has some of the hardest water in the country.
And our water’s high mineral content does not go unnoticed. If you’ve ever seen scaling on your faucet or dishes after you wash them, you’ve witnessed the effects of hard water. It creates all sorts of problems by clogging plumbing, fading clothing, and costing homeowners a fortune in repair bills.
All that and we haven’t even mentioned what it can do to your skin. Let’s do that now.
How Does Hard Water Dry Out Your Skin?
You may think that water is water and it doesn’t matter what type of water you use to bathe. But that could not be further from the truth!
The truth is hard water has a unique attraction to your skin because its minerals have a positive charge and your skin has a negative charge. As a result, these minerals cling to you and are difficult to rinse out.
As they sit on your skin, the minerals clog up your pores and dry them out. These blockages make it challenging to moisturize. Moreover, the residual bits of calcium and magnesium can be embarrassing and unsightly when you itch them. For example, they can flake off when you scratch your scalp, making it look like you have dandruff.
Hard water also lessens the effectiveness of soaps and shampoos, leading to soap scum on your skin, which only worsens the dryness. Furthermore, it will increase how much you spend on soaps and shampoos because you will need to use more to create a sufficient lather.
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Not only is hard water annoying, but it can also have harmful long-term effects on children. Studies have shown that children exposed to hard water are much more likely to develop eczema, a chronic condition characterized by inflamed sores.
But hard water isn’t the only type of water that can cause these types of problems. You could also suffer due to an overabundance of chlorine.
What is Chlorinated Water?
Like most cities, Chicago treats its water with chlorine to disinfect it. This method is excellent for killing all the harmful bacteria that live in the water. However, the chlorine doesn’t go away after it does its job. Instead, it stays with the water when it enters our homes.
So, if your home has city water, then your skin has probably interacted with a lot of chlorine. Consequently, your winters are likely a lot more uncomfortable than they should be. And we’ll tell you why.
How Does Chlorinated Water Dry Out Your Skin?
Unfortunately, chlorinated water doesn’t react kindly to our skin. Instead, it comes in like a wrecking ball, destroying all bacteria in sight. And while getting rid of bacteria may sound like a good thing, it’s actually more harmful than helpful.
In truth, our skin needs some bacteria to defend itself from infections. But chlorinated water washes that bacteria away along with other important vitamins and fatty acids, leaving our skin vulnerable to disease.
In the wake of this destruction, problems like acne, rashes, and eczema can creep in and make your dry skin itch for days. Moreover, experts have also found that chlorinated water can increases the risk of bladder and rectal cancer.
Truly, hard water and chlorinated water are a lot more trouble than their worth. But the good news is a solution exists in water softeners and water filters.
How Do Water Softeners and Water Filters Solve These Problems?
Water softeners and water filters are your best defense against these harmful types of water invading your home. Here’s how each type of water treatment equipment works to protect you:
Water softeners combat hard water by removing the harmful minerals. The resulting water is much softer and friendlier to your skin. It also reacts much better with soaps and shampoos, creating a fuller lather. Most importantly, it won’t leave you exposed to any dryness or diseases.
Similarly, water filters are a godsend if your water has elevated chlorine levels. Many different types of filters can dechlorinate your water, including reverse osmosis systems, ozone systems, and activated carbon filtration systems.
Angel Water can help you determine which type of system is right for your home. We have licensed professionals that will correctly install your equipment and inspect it periodically to make sure your home is protected.
Stay Moisturized This Winter!
We hope this article has given you some hope for the harsh winter months. Although the cold creates greater risks for dried-out skin, it doesn’t mean we have to let it make us itch! By getting your water treated this fall, you can give yourself a distinct advantage against the cold.
Do you suffer from hard or chlorinated water in Barrington or Elburn, IL? Give us a call to set us a free consultation today!
Editor’s Note: This blog was originally published in September 2016 and updated October 2018.
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