Hard Water?

[Melisande]

How do you care for your hair in areas with hard water?

My long hair has been in a constant tangle since moving to Paris.

The Lush shampoo designed for hard water lathers well, anyone know of a good conditioner?

 

[gomtik]

When I was in an area with hard water, I would rinse my hair with very vinegar water (very, very diluted) in place of conditioner. It made my hair very shiny, smooth, and soft.

 

[Melisande]

mm, sounds good...how diluted?

I got scared of vinegar since I tried it many years ago and ended up smelling like a human pickle. I've been searching pharmacies for citric acid with no luck...

 

[posed to death]

how do you know it is hard water or not?

 

[The_Ida]

^Because nothing foams or lathers... I live in an area with hard water too, I have to use sooo much detergent to get my clothes clean that I get rashes

 

[Marchessa]

I never knew how bad this was for my hair until recently. I've heard chelating shampoos (e.g joico) are good to get rid of the build up as well as apple cider vinegar rinses.

I'm going to try and look in to getting a shower head filter in the long run.

 

[Melisande]

Update: Gomtik's vinegar trick worked wonders! Smelled salad-y at first, but a good dose of lavender essential oil added to the solution did the trick.
Thanks!

 

[gomtik]

I'm glad it's helped! I don't know the exact ratio, but you definitely shouldn't smell like pickle once you're out of the shower!!!

 

[Melisande]

update: I tried replacing the vinegar rinse with lemon juice, amazing!
Worked perfectly and smelled divine.
I just used cheap 100% lemon juice out of a bottle.
1 TBSP diluted with 1 Liter water.
This, + hot oil treatment =hard water issues resolved.

 

[Deborah]

So do you do the rinse last? After the hot oil?

 

[Marjon]

I'd like to know this too

 

[Meg]

After getting my hair damaged by a hairdresser, I have been doing cider rinses every week to cope with hard water and using MoroccanOil to get more moisture back in my hair. I do the rinse at the end of the shower (after shampoo and conditioner) and I will leave it in mostly - the vinegar smell does evaporate as your hair dries. I will put the oil in my hair when it's wet and then after it's dry (because it's really hydrating).