Hard water is water that contains high amounts of minerals such as magnesium and calcium. Hard water tastes great is 100% safe to consume. The minerals offer great nutritional value to a healthy diet, but they can be very problematic for your hair and skin.

Hard metals inside your water prevent soap from properly foaming and washing off, which leaves behind a film-like residue on your skin known as 'soap scum.' The buildup clogs your pores and leads to breakouts.

During an interview with Self Magazine, Dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross explained, "Impurities from hard water causes a chemical reaction with your skin's natural oils, and changes the oil from a liquid form to wax. This, in turn, clogs your pores and can lead to breakouts. Impurities have the same response to creams too, even those that are non-comedogenic." 

Even if you live in a soft water area, your home piping can create an acidic level in your water, which causes acne. 

Here are some tips to determine whether you're using hard water: 

1. Your shower tiles, basins, and bathtub tend to have a white film-like residue that takes ages to scrub off. 

2. You notice a buildup of scale on your cooking utensils such as the water cooker, coffee maker, and dishwasher. 

3. Your forks, spoon, and knives tend to have whitish stains over them after an extended program in the dishwasher. 

4. You experience hair loss, especially during and after your showers. 

5. There's a constant dry, brittle texture to your hair. 

7. Your color treatments tend to fade away quickly into a brassy shade. 

8. You experience breakouts, dryness and increased sensitivity to your skin.

Water is the first step of your self-care routine, and it affects your skin just as much as the products you use. A shower filter can help you save a lot of money and time spent on fixing damages caused by hard water, chlorine, and other free radicals.