The Big Reason Your Hair Still Feels Dirty After Taking A Shower (And It's Not Your Shampoo Or Conditioner's Fault)

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Have you ever washed your hair, but it still felt dirty, greasy, or oily afterward? Perhaps you've tried various shampoos and conditioners with better results, but there's still room for improvement. That's because the shampoo and conditioner aren't the problem. Instead, the trouble likely lies in the hardness of your water.

The main difference between hard and soft water is the mineral content. Excess calcium and magnesium are the main culprits that make water hard, and the increased concentration can happen naturally if the water flows through rock that contains these minerals, such as chalk or limestone. On the other hand, the absence of these minerals makes soft water. In fact, it's nearly free of minerals. This difference in mineral concentration is what affects how your hair feels after you wash it.

When your household water is hard, the higher levels of calcium and magnesium can interact with your shampoo, conditioner, and other hair care product ingredients, reducing their effectiveness. The minerals can mix with the natural oils in your hair and scalp, too, and the resulting residue can make your hair look and feel like it's greasy. On top of that, hard water can have other negative effects on your hair, such as making it dry and dull. It can even damage your hair, destroying its elasticity, lifting it from the cuticle, and leave it feeling rough.

Fortunately, you have a couple of options to reverse the dirty, greasy feeling left in your hair from washing with hard water. The optimal and most permanent solution is to make the water softer throughout your home. A whole-home water softener uses an ion exchange process where a resin removes the excess calcium and magnesium from the water before it leaves your pipes.

There are pros and cons to installing a water softener. For instance, water that's too soft can make your hair look flat and greasy, which can be challenging if you have oil-prone or fine hair. However, softening the water can reverse any damage that the hard water has caused, and with the right settings, can prevent the issue from happening again. Since installing a whole-home water softener can be expensive, cheaper alternatives are shower heads with built-in water softeners (like this one from Pocaland) or an attachable filter for your current shower head (like this one by Yodel).

On the other hand, you could change your hair care products. For instance, clarifying shampoos — ideally those that are sulfate-free — aren't just for removing buildup from styling products. You can use it once a week to remove any excess mineral buildup, without damaging your hair. Using a scalp mask on a weekly basis will eliminate any remaining traces. When the mineral buildup is gone, a scalp toner will hydrate and soothe the skin so that it doesn't dry out. If your hair needs more moisture and shine, you can use a hair mask twice a week as well.