Water softening is widely thought of in terms of cleanliness. Dishes, laundry, showers, hair. But in reality, the impact of water softening goes far beyond aesthetics. There is actually an overlooked, yet vital link between water softening and your wellbeing. You want it for your diet, not just your soap scum.
Skin and Hair Health
Water is determined hard or soft due to its amount of trace minerals. Hard water is rich in minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium ions. The minerals in hard water can leave a residue on your skin and in your hair, making it harder to wash away soap and shampoo. This sensation is due to salt softened water where sodium has replaced calcium and magnesium. This residue can clog pores, exacerbating skin conditions. Additionally, hard water often contains harmful chemicals, such as chlorine, which can damage the hair cuticle.
Switching to soft water can lead to noticeable improvements in the health of your skin and hair. Soft water does not leave behind the soap-like sodium residue that hard water does, allowing you not only cleanse effectively, but to FEEL clean. By introducing Cascadians positive hard water cleansing agents, you can eliminate the excessive use of soap. Furthermore, soft water is less likely to irritate your skin, making it ideal for individuals with sensitive skin or conditions such as eczema. With soft water, you can minimize the use of harsh skincare products.
Global Health Awareness
Scientists and Nutritionists have correlated a link between obesity and dehydration rates, and having clean and healthy water in the home incentivizes hydration. Using plastic bottles has similarly been shown to negatively affect health and even increase cancer risk. So having clean water in your home—which any good softening system should provide—inherently optimizes for bodily health.
Beyond that, however, homeowners are turning to water softening systems as a permanent solution for healthy water. In July, a Transparency Market Research report found that “increasing global health awareness” is a key factor in the rapid growth of the water softening sector, and that softening systems, particularly salt-free ones, “reduce unnecessary salt consumption” along with enhancing “efficient water management” and general eco-consciousness.
Salt Risks
Despite the common refrain that “there are no health risks with consuming hard water,” a 2013 study was far less conclusive, stating that “a good percentage of [the global population] consumes hard water, which is considered to be a significant etiological factor around the globe such as cardiovascular problems, diabetes, reproductive failure, neural diseases, and renal dysfunction and so on.” While the study doesn’t provide clear conclusions one way or another (and in some instances suggests that hard water could be a benefit), other studies have shown a connection between hard water and various health conditions such as eczema and dermatitis.
The science is far from settled, and perceptions about hard water exposure have led to a massive uptick in softener use. The majority of people turn to salt softeners, but as it turns out, this solution comes with its own health risks.
Although we’re told that salt softeners use negligible amounts of salt with regard to the human diet, the same companies also warn that those on low-salt diets may need to use caution. Some even offer potassium chloride as an alternative option to mitigate the health risks from salt. Combine this with the fact that salt softening is toxic to plants and fish, and it’s clear that salt softeners do present some risks to individual and environmental health, despite what Big Salt might have you believe.
Water is a necessary life force, one that should be healthy, reliable, and easily accessed. With 30 years of experience in water filtration, Cascadian has refined the softening process to eliminate unhealthy minerals and industrialized components. Our goal is to provide you with water that not only enhances your daily life but also promotes your long-term well-being.
Using polyphosphates, a natural chemical that can be tailored to your home, we aim to create a water system that is more suitable and safe for human consumption without the salt. Because water softening is not solely about cleanliness; it is about health. The choice to soften through Cascadian, your water can lead to improved skin and hair, fewer health risks, reduced environmental impact, and a healthier home overall.
Technology has ironically led us astray from understanding where and how our basic needs are met. Our ancestors knew to fetch their water from mountain streams, now the mountain can be brought to you. The purest water guaranteed to you should come in a plastic bottle, or require weekly deliveries of salt. Cascadian Water guarantees a healthier, more holistic lifestyle that minimizes impacts on individual health.
