Understanding Hard Water: What It Means for Your Skin and Hair

15th december, 2025

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If you live in a certain part of the UK, you’ll probably have heard about hard water. You might know that this is the cause of the limescale in your kettle, but what not everybody realises is that hard water can also affect your skin and hair when you shower or bathe in it.

 

Here, we’ll be taking a look at what hard water actually is and how to find out if you live in a hard water area. Crucially, we’ll also explore what this kind of mineral-heavy water can do to your hair and skin - and what you can do about it. 

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What Is Hard Water?

Hard water is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

 

It’s caused by rainwater passing through rock deposits such as chalk and limestone as it travels through the ground. These minerals become dissolved into the water, and are not removed before they enter your mains tap water supply.

The higher the mineral content, the harder the water. The hardness of water is measured in milligrams of calcium carbonate per litre, which you’ll see written as mg/l CaCO3.

 

Whether or not you have hard water depends on where in the country you live, and where your rainwater passes through before it reaches your taps. 

How to Know If You Have Hard Water

If you’re wondering - do I live in a hard water area? You’re most likely to have hard water if you live in the south or east of England. This includes London and the home counties of Kent, Essex, Surrey, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

 

There’s an easy way to check though, by going to your water supplier’s website. For example, Southern Water has a simple ‘water hardness by postcode’ tool where you can enter your postcode and see how hard your water is. This can also tell you about other contaminants and overall water quality.

 

It’s also possible to tell if you have hard water by looking out for some tell-tale signs at home. These include:

  • Chalky, white or crusty deposits on your taps, showerhead, drains and inside your kettle or coffee maker
  • Residue (known as ‘soap scum’) left on dishes and glasses after they’ve been washed or been in the dishwasher
  • An oily-looking residue or film on the surface of hot drinks - some people even find that hard water can give hot drinks a slightly metallic taste. 

Is Hard Water Bad for You?

If you’re starting to feel worried about hard water and its safety, don’t panic. It’s perfectly safe to drink and can even be good for you, as the minerals it contains can contribute to your overall mineral intake.

 

However, there is one area in which hard water isn’t so good for you. This is the impact it has on your hair and skin when you wash using mineral-heavy water.

 

People who live in hard water areas often report dryness, irritation and dullness in both skin and hair after repeated exposure. This is mainly because the minerals in the water can leave deposits and residue behind. These are hard to wash away and can stop your skin and haircare products working properly - or cause them to build up. 

How Hard Water Affects Skin and Hair

In skin, hard water can cause all kinds of unwanted issues, including:

  • Dryness and irritation - the minerals in the water can strip away the skin’s natural oils and disrupt its pH balance. This can damage the skin barrier and lead to uncomfortable feelings of dryness, tightness, redness, itching and irritation. 
  • Clogged pores - deposits of minerals can clog pores, potentially causing acne or making it worse
  • Soap scum residue - people in hard water areas often report problems with rinsing away soap and other skincare products. There’s often a kind of ‘film’ left behind, which is hard to wash away and can cause further irritation. 
  • Exacerbated skin conditions - if you have a condition like eczema and psoriasis, you might notice increased flare-ups after repeated exposure to hard water. 

In hair, there are some similar issues, such as a residue building up on the scalp which can cause dryness, itchiness and flaking.

 

You may also notice dullness and dryness, as the minerals in the water build up on hair strands and prevent moisture penetration. Breakages and tangles can become problematic, which can make the hair appear thinner.

 

Hard water can also play havoc with colour-treated hair, as it causes the dye to fade much more quickly. 

How to Purify Hard Water at Home

You can’t change your water supply if you live in hard water areas, but there are things you can do to purify it in your home.  

 

Some people use filtered taps and water filtration systems for drinking water, and you can do the same for your shower water.

 

By installing a Curo Filtered Shower Head, you can eliminate many of the problems associated with hard water virtually overnight.

 

Our filter system removes over 99% of the minerals, metals, nitrates and chlorine from your water. This is a great way to purify it, so you can keep your skin and hair healthy, hydrated and irritation-free.

 

What’s great about this solution is that it’s cost-effective and easy to install, so you don’t need a plumber to fit it. In just a few minutes, you can have clean, pure water - no matter where in the UK you live or how hard the water in your area.  

 

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