When it comes to treating eczema in kids, bath time can be one of the most helpful opportunities to let the skin get deep moisturization and some much needed healing help. A good soak in the right kind of water can help water penetrate deeply into skin tissues so that the skin can heal better and stay hydrated for longer. Temperature is an important factor, as are the oils and other additions you can make to your bath – but there’s more. Many parents are now looking at whether or not water softeners can help make bath time more effective, and if hard water makes flare-ups happen more often. Today, we’re going to explore this topic and look at the difference between hard water and soft water for treating eczema.
What’s In Your Tap?
Hard water is a simplified term for the ‘as is’ water that comes out of the tap. Hard water is usually stocked with minerals and additives, and it’s what most people are accustomed to. If you don’t have a water softener that needs regular maintenance and filling, chances are you’ve got hard water in your home.
Hard Water
The reason why many people believe hard water is a trouble maker is that it’s high in a variety of minerals like calcium and magnesium which could lead to drying of the skin. It may seem strange, but even a soak in a warm tub can actually leech moisture from the skin if the mineral content of that water is high, as in the case of hard water.
While there are no real health risks to using natural hard water, people with skin issues like eczema could find that the extra mineral content plays havoc on their skin.
Soft Water
Soft water is water that has been run through a water softening device. This device uses salts to pull excess minerals from the water so that it’s left softer, less mineral dense, and friendlier to soaps. Soft water creates a bigger lather in soaps and detergents and may dry out more thoroughly from fabrics.
Since soft water doesn’t contain the number of minerals that hard water does, many people believe that it’s more soothing and hydrating to the skin.
The Facts
Recently, many studies have been done that explore the health benefits of soft water on skin conditions like eczema. While some people feel that a small change happens, research shows that the investment in soft water treatment machines may not be worth the small to negligible effect they have on overall skin health.
While it’s true that soft water makes soaps and detergents go further and may help lengthen the life of many fabrics, it probably doesn’t do much for skin.
Do you have a preference for hard or soft water?
If so, share with us in the comments below!
References:
https://voices.yahoo.com/eczema-hard-water-does-soft-water-help-eczema-7883962.html
Thanks for this post about water softeners. Soft water can definitely help with skin issues, but the overall benefit mostly seems to be for pipes and keeping them in good working order!
I believe that soft water has a lot of benefits, not only in our skin but also in misting. I’ve read a few posts regarding the difference between the hard and the soft water, and I think I’ll go with the soft water as it uses a softening device to separate certain components from the water.
Great info, thanks for sharing this to a lot of readers. I was just wondering is soft water safe to drink? I’ve read an article which says that it is only safe for bathing and for washing the dishes because it has a detergent component but if you want water for drinking, hard water is the answer.
You have to be sure your softening agent is pure salt. Not all products add detergent.
Amazing post!!! ive been living with hard water for 6 months and i can absolutely feel it in my hair! thank you thank you! give an egg white hair mask a try too, its a gem!
I would like to use a water softener to soften my tap water. It works well. And my hair become well too, once I don’t use hard water to wash. So nice, so far.
I actually have eczema and I’ve noticed a little bit of difference by switching to soft water but not too much. Might be worth it more for others though.
I have to say water softeners are helpful for skin issues. My water is so hard, so I installed a water softener to soften water.
Taking time to read the instruction manual is the most important thing to do when owning a water softener. To choose best water softener please consider its own special features and advantages over the others.
Since I installed my water softener I love that my clothes come out of the wash feeling soft rather than rough and hard.
My grandparents had really soft water at their home and I didn’t notice any difference apart from taking longer in the shower to rinse. Did nothing for my eczema.
I personally feel that water softeners have a smallish effect on eczema, however they are very useful for lengthening the lives of clothes which reduces the requirement for getting new clothes frequently.
They might have a smallish effect, but trust me prevention is always better than cure; hence as far as I am concerned a water softener protects against water-related diseases.
Nice share. I enjoyed reading such amazing blog post. Thing is I always try my best use fresh water for my kids bath and using the good water softener is very helpful for this purpose. Currently I’m using UBS vita fresh shower filter.
I was looking around for some articles to reference on something I read about earlier on and came across this piece- great facts you’ve highlighted there and what we need to do keep our skins healthy especially those with Eczema. Many thanks for the uplifting article.
Charlie
That’s so amazing. Your post is very useful. Thanks for sharing!
Hi there,
I like your article and am writing this comment, because I would like to add some thoughts that I think are important.
Eczema and other skin issues are often caused by contaminants solved in our tap water, which we consume. These contaminants negatively influence our gut flora. Softening tap water only, does not solve this issues. Reverse osmosis water filter systems remove up to 99% of water contaminants. If the area you live in suffers from contaminated tap water, think about getting an ro-system to filter your water before drinking it.
Best Regards
Shane
I have much different studies, and as someone living with Eczema, I have personally experienced the difference. Switching from hard water to soft water has had a HUGE impact on my dry itchy skin. Not only in the showers, but in my clothes as well. With hard water, the soaps and detergents would stay in my clothes, so when I would sweat they would leach out and rub my skin. Within two weeks of switching to soft water, the difference was amazing. Another thing is, that city water supply is HEAVY on chemicals such as chlorine. By having a filter on the whole home, it makes a crazy difference. The chlorine doesn’t absorb into your skin or into your clothes.