Is Your Shower Hurting Your Looks? (NAPSA)—There’s nothing like a shower to wake you up in the morning or relax you at night. But that shower could compromise the investment you make in your looks. While the minerals in water are naturally occurring and safe to drink, they can detract from the beauty of your hair and skin. Depending on the city, water contains many different minerals and each mineral can affect your beauty routinein a different way. Hair Color Many women complain of dull and uneven-looking hair color. What they don’t realize is that the copper in their water may be the culprit. Whether you color at home or in a salon, copper is present in most tap water from coast to coast. According to Dr. Xinhao Wang, a water expert at the University of Cincinnati, “Mineral content in tap water varies by city, with Peoria, Tll., Lincoln, Neb., and Boise, Idaho topping thelist of areas that have a high amount of copper in their water compared to other cities.” During the coloring process, free radicals are formed when the hydrogen peroxide in the hair color formula comes in contact with the copper in water, which can affect the look of your color. Polly Blitzer, Editor in Chief of the Beauty Blitz, cautions, “If you live in a city with high percentages of copper in the water, it may be affecting your hair color.” So what’s a girl to do? Using a i Minerals in tap water can weigh down hair, while drying out and irritating skin. product rich in antioxidantsis a good start to prevent the formation of free radicals on the hair. “Choose a hair color product rich in antioxidants and vitamins C and E, like Clairol Natural Instincts, to prevent the formation of free radicals and preserve your hair color. The healthy formula ensures beautiful, natural-looking color every time,” explains Blitzer. Shampoo Do you everfeel like your shampoo just doesn’t work? It may not be your shampoo; it may be the type of water you have. Hard and soft water refers to the amountof calcium and magnesium in your water. The higher the mineral content, the harder the water, and this can affect how your shampoo works. “Shampoo is supposed to lather up on the hair to eliminate dirt. High levels of these minerals don’t allow suds to form, so you can’t thoroughly clean your hair. lcium also leaves a deposit on your hair that weighs it down, making styling moredifficult,” says Blitzer. Simple changes in your shower can make all the difference. Blitzer recommends putting a filter in your showerhead to make sure the calcium in your water is not affecting your hair. Soap Extreme weather is one reason for dryness and irritation of the skin but hard water may be another. The calcium found in hard water binds with soap and forms a deposit on the skin that may lead to dryness and irritation. Blitzer advises, “Use products like Olay Total Effects that contain niacinamide, a skin care ingredient which has been proven to help accelerate skin surface turnover and moisturize. This will leave you with a youthful, more natural glow.” Before you pack your bags and moveto a city with less copper and other minerals in the tap water, try incorporating some of Blitzer’s simple tips into your normal beauty routine and prevent the tap water in your shower from compromising your looks. For more information on dealing with minerals in your water, go to www.clairol.com.
