Clear Skin with Soft Water
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by: LindaClopek | Total views: 75 | Word Count: 524
The struggle to find a cure for acne has prolonged for decades. New, more innovative approaches to curing this disorder have surfaced, yet millions continue to live with acne on a daily basis. If you ask a dermatologist or skin care professional what can cause or otherwise aggravate acne, you will get a thousand responses. Toothpaste, shampoo, detergent, and a countless number of other things can adversely affect our skin. However, why is that so many of us fail to consider the substance that interacts with many of these things: water? Water is something that constantly comes into contact with our skin. If you are someone who has seen little success in the way of treating acne with topical and/or oral treatments, yet consistently care for your skin and eat well, your home's water supply may be the culprit.
We can classify water into two very broad categories: soft and hart water. Hard water refers to water that is rich in mineral content. This is the type of water available in most homes. Those that receive hard water are faced with a number of nuisances, primarily hard water deposits and soap scum on bathroom fixtures. Hard water is favored over its softer counterpart for a number of reasons. For one, it is far less corrosive hard water. Further, it does not extensive treatment. Soft water is derived though a process known as distillation, which is oftentimes costly in large-scale applications. Hard water derives its high mineral content from the ground, where it comes into contact with Calcium and Magnesium ions, among number of other minerals.
Unlike hard water, soft water has a negligible mineral content. It is only available in a smaller number of regions with the United States. As mentioned before, it is corrosive and must be prepared through a process known as distillation. During the distillation process, mineral-rich water is boiled and the resulting vapor is collected. This vapor is pure, or soft water. Although distillation appears to be a simple process, it can be very costly when implemented on a larger scale.
Hard water is not optimal for use in skin care applications. Water, when combined with soap, should form a lather. This lather provides for a cleaning effective. However, creating a lather is difficult with hard water unless harmful additives are included. Rather than forming a lather, the soap reacts with hard water to form soap scum. Soap scum clings to whatever it comes into contact with, including glass doors and shower tiling. Soap scum also clings to our skin, forming an irritation inducing layer.
The unfavorable effects of hard water can be reduced or eliminated by taking some simple steps. A more costly option involves implementing a water softening system in your home. Water softeners substitute Sodium ions for the minerals present in hard water. A cheaper solution entails replacing shower heads and other bathroom fixtures regularly, as to prevent added hardening of water from accumulated mineral deposits. Purchasing bottled water to cleanse your face with (such as distilled water) is also an affordable option. The water can be used in conjunction with a spray bottle for more convenience.
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