Eczema, Itchy skin and Water Softness
Got hard water? Water that comes from limestone or sandstone aquifers in particular tends to contain minerals which cause it to be "hard." Primarily calcium and magnesium. These minerals interfere with many detergents, including soap. They can deposit on your skin, your shower, in plumbing. People with itchy skin or eczema and dermatitis often try (or at least wonder about) water softeners to relieve their symptoms. First off, a shower-head water filter does nothing to remove minerals from water. These filters can remove chlorine and some "heavy" metals, but do not soften. That's another story. ©Science-y Hair Blog 2013 A study in England tested 336 children, ages 6 to 16 years of age. All had eczema. All were treated for eczema with medication, but half were also given an ion-exchange water softener to test for 12 weeks. Nurses evaluated the physical eczema symptoms and found no difference in measurable indicators of disease between the group which used soften...