I'm not going to lie, I had no idea what hard water was until I saw an ad for a filtered shower head explaining all the things that could be lurking in your water. That said, I'm also not about to drop nearly $200... on a shower head.
So when I saw an advertisement for Prose explaining how their custom haircare not only takes into account the weather AND water in your zip code, but 84 other factors, I thought this was the perfect solution to my hard water dilemma.
I was so impressed by the change in my hair that I needed the world to know... but before we dive in on my latest hyper-fixation (thank you, Prose), we need some background.
Let's break it down, bad news first:
- 85% of the United States has hard water
- Hard water is when the water in your pipes contains a high amount of magnesium & calcium
- These minerals can penetrate your strands of hair & crystallize as your hair dries
- It leads to duller hair more prone to tangles and breakage
- It can also leave your skin & scalp feeling extremely dry, itchy, & more oily than normal
- Color & chemically treated hair is more susceptible to hard water
Now time for the good news:
- There are no serious long-term health effects
- There are a few solutions to this... more on that below!
Here are the solutions I found:
- Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
- PROS: Acidity works well to reverse the pH imbalance
- CONS: Smell like a salad, annoyingly manual lift since it's all DIY... again, SMELL. LIKE. A. SALAD.
- Filtered Shower Head
- PROS: If you suffer from a medical skin condition like psoriasis/eczema, this might help
- CONS: Super pricey, pain in the 🍑 to install, can lessen your water pressure, not always possible to install especially in apartments
- Prose Custom Haircare
- PROS: Doesn't just combat hard water - their consultation takes into account everything from micro details like hair thickness, condition, and texture, to macro considerations like the weather in your ZIP code, your workout routine, stress level, diet, and more. The result is a fully personalized product tailored to your every hair need (ones I didn't even know I had!), along with your preferences and goals. The algorithm was algorithm-ing well because let me tell you... my hair has never looked better.
- CONS: Consultation is a tad lengthy (but honestly SO worth it)
TLDR; Prose is my go-to solution! Here are the spark notes:
- Hard water is WAY more common than you think & for sure affecting your hair quality.
- You shouldn't have to settle for less than salon-worthy
- Prose is BY FAR the easiest no brainer solution in my book. I can't recommend this product enough.
- My hair and scalp actually feel cleansed and refreshed, and my hair is noticeably softer, shinier, and smoother.
- I signed up for a subscription to get 15% off + Free Shipping! Plus, I can change the frequency of new products any time I'd like, so it's very low risk
- My name is on every bottle (not super important but I had to throw this in here because I think it looks really cool)
