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Hard Water (One of the Unrecognized Saboteurs of Hair Growth) Map. Take A Look!

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carameldiva said:
tryn, i believe that the one i have and the one that you have are similar but not exactly the same. From what i understand you should have the same results that i did. Good luck girl and keep me posted, k.
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Thanks, Carameldiva. The one that I have is clear. I will let you know how it goes.
 
Thanks for the information. I just wanted to point out though that just because the map shows that your area "blue" does not mean that your water is for sure soft water. I say this because I live in NC and so does my best friend and her mother. Her mother had been having a lot of issues with her skin and hair and could not figure out what the problem was. She tested her water and her water and found it to be hard so she bought a filter and all of her problems cleared up right away. So, my point is if u are experiencing problems with your skin or hair and are unable to find a "cure", you may want to get your water check regardless of the color your area has on the map. You may be surprised to see that you could still have hard water.
 
I bought mine at Lowe's for $26.99, it thePUR water Filteration System 3 stage filter..which filters out sediments, 99.9%microbial cysts, Cryptospordium and Giardia, Lead, Asbestos,Benzene,MTBE, and TTHMs, etc...Also Walmart has them for about 2 dollars cheaper without the swivel sprayer. I wanted the swivel sprayer though. They also have 2 stage filter for $18.99 filters out a little bit less than the 3 stage filter though. HTH
 
carameldiva said:
tryntogrowhair, the liquid aloe vera is a moisturizer so adding that to the conditioner immediately softened my hair and it was soft and moisturized all day long.
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This is the one that I use:

quart_liquid.jpg


http://www.warrenlabsaloe.com/liquids.htm

This stuff is amazing!!!! I added it to my humecto and my hair almosted melted in my hands! It softened immediately even though I had used a strong clarifying shampoo, Pantene, and Nexxus Emergencee, which makes my hair hard. They even have their own shampoo and conditioner but I think that I will stick to just adding the aloe vera to my hair, because who know what else is in their hair stuff. http://www.warrenlabsaloe.com/haircare.htm It also tastes the best of any aloe vera that I have used.
 
Ladies beware!

Last night as I was washing/twisting my hair I noticed that my hair was becoming tangled like it did when I would wash with hard water. So, I pulled out my hard water test strip and tested the Walmart DW. The results came back as "hard" water:eek: . I thought maybe it's just with this jug, but then I tested the other four gallon jugs I had and they all tested for "hard" water.

Now, when I first started using this brand, I did a test then and the water was soft water. Not sure what has happened, but I decided to go with Ozarka DW. I tested it and the water was "soft". It may cost more $1.06 compared to Walmart's $.58, but my hair is worth it. LOL! :)

I guess what I'm saying is to test your DW to make sure that it is not "hard" water, but in deed soft water you are using to care for you hair.

The walmart brand was still softer than the "very hard" water that comes from my faucet (tested this water as well), but never the less, it's still hard water.

Just f.y.i.;)
 
Asha97 said:
Ladies beware!

Last night as I was washing/twisting my hair I noticed that my hair was becoming tangled like it did when I would wash with hard water. So, I pulled out my hard water test strip and tested the Walmart DW. The results came back as "hard" water:eek: . I thought maybe it's just with this jug, but then I tested the other four gallon jugs I had and they all tested for "hard" water.

Now, when I first started using this brand, I did a test then and the water was soft water. Not sure what has happened, but I decided to go with Ozarka DW. I tested it and the water was "soft". It may cost more $1.06 compared to Walmart's $.58, but my hair is worth it. LOL! :)

I guess what I'm saying is to test your DW to make sure that it is not "hard" water, but in deed soft water you are using to care for you hair.

The walmart brand was still softer than the "very hard" water that comes from my faucet (tested this water as well), but never the less, it's still hard water.

Just f.y.i.;)
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Thanks for the Information. I got about 3 jugs of DW from Walmart. I will be checking into this problem. I thought all DW was soft. :eek:

Where did you get the test strips from????
 
MzTami said:
Thanks for the Information. I got about 3 jugs of DW from Walmart. I will be checking into this problem. I thought all DW was soft. :eek:

Where did you get the test strips from????
Click to expand...

The test strips I got from Lowe's where the water softners are located, but when I stopped by on yesterday to obtain more they were all out. I didn't even see the display for the strips. I had a few left over (I had grabbed about 10 at the time) to test with. Now, my DH says that he believes that he saw free testers at Sears near their water softner displays. I'll check and get back with you.

Know this that the Ozarka Dwater isn't totally soft water, but it is in the soft water range based upon the strips I have. The strip I have has the following range and the Ozarka DW tested in the Dark Taupe range.

0 50 120 250 425
soft<--------------------->Hard--------------------->Very Hard

(Dark Green) (Dark Taupe) (Dark Tan) (lt. Aurbun(sp)) (lt. orange)

Very similar to the colors found here, although this strips has one extra range. This extra range shows that even the Ozarka water at 50 is boarder line hard water (which is much better than the 425 tested from the water that exits my home faucets). The strips I used are called Hach SofChek Water Harness Test Strips.

http://www.diywatertesting.com/sofchekx3.html

I plan on purchasing these strips to keep handy when I go on trips. If the water where I'm visiting is hard then I know not to wash/rinse my hair with it and at least purchase bottled water to use instead.

However, I WILL be purchasing the water softner for my home. I had been putting it off for months because they aren't cheap, but I know that it will be totally worth it. Now I have to find the right one. Off to read this entire thread for leads.

ETA:

They have a website:

www.hach.com

and for a limited time, the testers are on sale until November 4.
 
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Thanks so much for this tip! I have been using Distilled Water on my hair thinking that it was soft. I was using Poland Spring Distilled water to remoisten my hair every day. I will definitely test this out! :eek:
 
miss_brown said:
I have a Culligan shower filter (highly recommended on the board... thanks ladies), and it's great! My products work better, and it was cheap (on clearance at Lowe's). Definitely worth the money :yep:
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Is this the same as water softener? If not, does it do the same job? I live in a red area.
 
New Important Information... I just went to Lowe's to get some hard water strips. I tested my faucet water results were(hard) which is not a surprise. I tested the water filter: results(HARD!!!) I then went to test my Distilled Water from Walmart: results(soft). I talk to the plumming guy in Lowe's and he said that water filters do nothing for hard water, you need a water softner. :eek:
I have one more test strip, and I will test my water filter again because it's in the red area which means it needs to be changed. So when my hubby gets home, I will have him change the filter to see if it makes a difference. But it appears that the water filters are not filtering out the hard water,only the other substances in the water, like chlorine, lead, etc...

I do know that every since I have had my water filtering system, my hair is softer and more managable.
 
MzTami said:
New Important Information... I just went to Lowe's to get some hard water strips. I tested my faucet water results were(hard) which is not a surprise. I tested the water filter: results(HARD!!!) I then went to test my Distilled Water from Walmart: results(soft). I talk to the plumming guy in Lowe's and he said that water filters do nothing for hard water, you need a water softner. :eek:
I have one more test strip, and I will test my water filter again because it's in the red area which means it needs to be changed. So when my hubby gets home, I will have him change the filter to see if it makes a difference. But it appears that the water filters are not filtering out the hard water,only the other substances in the water, like chlorine, lead, etc...

I do know that every since I have had my water filtering system, my hair is softer and more managable.
Click to expand...

Good information!

I figured that the water filters didn't do much as far as making the water softer.

I know when I first started purchasing the Walmart DW, the water I tested was soft. The three jugs I have now are all HARD!

We have a watering filter within our refrigerator that is still hard water, but no where close to the 425 mark as our regular tap water.

Thanks for much valued information.
 
tryn2growmyhair said:
Whats the difference between a water softener and a water filter? I know what a filter does but what does a softener do?
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I think the water softner filters out the chemical in the water as well as keeps water from being hard. It does it all! When the water is hard, it's bad on your appliances,drains, pipes, etc..In the long run it saves you tons of money. HTH
 
I rent and am unable to purchase a whole-house water softener and I wash daily so buying jugs of water is out of the question (no room to store them). I also bought a shower filter due to the raves on the board and then I, too, found out (Home Depot guy) that shower filter's can ONLY remove chlorine from the water and does nothing for the softness of the water. So to all the ladies with hard water there are shampoos that are specifically made for hard water. I, myself, have Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three and Ion Hard Water Shampoo. I tried the Three once and my hair felt cleaner and not rough after rinsing it out. The ION ... I think?? did the same thing but what I am going to do is try each of these out for a month each and see which one I want to continue using. Also, if you want to spend a little more money the following companies have highly recommended products for hard water:

Robert Craig - www.robertcraig.com - he actually has a kit that includes testing strips and three different shampoos that you can use based on how your water tests (soft - extremely hard). He also has conditioner.

Ouidad - www.ouidad.com - they have different shampoos based on the hardness of the water though.

Also LUSH has a hard water hard soap that is supposed to be really good.

I, myself, am going to try the Robert Craig and Ouidad products after my two-month trial of the PM Three and Ion shampoos just to see if the results would be maximized (and because I'm a PJ :lol: ). Also, products with EDTAs are supposed to be effective with hard water.

HTH
 
Thanks for the good information..But what about conditioners, deep conditioners.....etc. I use these more than shampoos. How would we combat the hard water??
 
MzTami said:
Thanks for the good information..But what about conditioners, deep conditioners.....etc. I use these more than shampoos. How would we combat the hard water??
Click to expand...

Products with EDTAs in them are supposed to work well with hard water. I'll have to check the conditioners that I really liked before even knowing about the effects of hard water to see what ingredients they have in them.
 
Thank you ladies for all of this good information. Please keep it coming. :grin:
I now know that I will need a water softener. How much does it cost and are their portable versions that I can stick in the shower? Also, where can I get the hard water testing strips? I am not near a Wal Mart. TIA.
 
tryn2growmyhair said:
Thank you ladies for all of this good information. Please keep it coming. :grin:
I now know that I will need a water softener. How much does it cost and are their portable versions that I can stick in the shower? Also, where can I get the hard water testing strips? I am not near a Wal Mart. TIA.
Click to expand...


The water softners connect to the water heater, I have never seen a portable one. They cost between 400-thousands of dollars. I was talking to a lady at Lowe's, and she said that they are financing one from Culligan and it cost $2,000 (lifetime maintenance). My hubby's friend said his cost $7,000(I'm not sure about that) :D But they are pretty pricy.

As for as the water strips they gave me four of them @ Lowe's at no cost. I wanted more but you know beggars can't be choosey
 
LiLi said:
I rent and am unable to purchase a whole-house water softener and I wash daily so buying jugs of water is out of the question (no room to store them). I also bought a shower filter due to the raves on the board and then I, too, found out (Home Depot guy) that shower filter's can ONLY remove chlorine from the water and does nothing for the softness of the water. So to all the ladies with hard water there are shampoos that are specifically made for hard water. I, myself, have Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three and Ion Hard Water Shampoo. I tried the Three once and my hair felt cleaner and not rough after rinsing it out. The ION ... I think?? did the same thing but what I am going to do is try each of these out for a month each and see which one I want to continue using. Also, if you want to spend a little more money the following companies have highly recommended products for hard water:

Robert Craig - www.robertcraig.com - he actually has a kit that includes testing strips and three different shampoos that you can use based on how your water tests (soft - extremely hard). He also has conditioner.

Ouidad - www.ouidad.com - they have different shampoos based on the hardness of the water though.

Also LUSH has a hard water hard soap that is supposed to be really good.

I, myself, am going to try the Robert Craig and Ouidad products after my two-month trial of the PM Three and Ion shampoos just to see if the results would be maximized (and because I'm a PJ :lol: ). Also, products with EDTAs are supposed to be effective with hard water.

HTH
Click to expand...

I love Robert Craig products. They really pamper your hair.
 
the map says that the water in devon is soft, but i'll have to disagree.
My hair has suffered a great deal since i've come to england 4 my studies, and I think the water didn't help at all. I ordered a free water test strip from kinetico.com, and it clearly indicates that the water in my appartment is very HARD !! Now I'm back to washing my hair with bottled water !

btw candy, your progress will never cease to amaze me :)
 
I just tested my water with a water test kit and it says I have hard water.

Now I see why the Kenra Chelating shampoo has been so beneficial for me.
 
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