Why Dallas Water Gives You Dry Skin + The Best Solution

You’re supposed to leave the shower feeling refreshed and hydrated. But the hard water in your Dallas tub gives you itchy, dry skin you can’t ignore. You could spend hundreds per year on lotion- but you’d rather find a permanent solution.

At Mother, we solve the real-world problems caused by poor water quality in Dallas homes. Sometimes, that means a short-term fix- lotions with ingredients that protect your skin against hard water. Homeowners that want a lasting solution turn to us for water softening solutions that fit their needs and budget.

Dedicated water softeners that attach to your shower arm are a cost-effective way to improve dry skin after showers. If you want a permanent fix for every fixture in your home, a whole house water softening system is the best choice for you.

Want softer water in Dallas? Call Mother anytime. We’d love to share our water softening expertise with you, and talk about installing a system in your home.

{{whole-home-water-softener-installation="/services/whole-home-water-softener-installation"}}

Here’s Why Dallas Water Gives You Dry Skin

You might know that hard water contains minerals like calcium and magnesium that leave your skin dry and irritated. But that isn’t the only reason that showering with Dallas water gives you dry skin!

1. Hard water strips natural oils. Calcium and magnesium form small deposits on your skin when you shower, bathe or wash your hands. These deposits strip your skin of its natural oils. 
2. Hard water messes with your soap. Ever notice that your soap doesn’t lather well? It’s hard water’s fault- it causes soap residue to stay on your skin and dry it out, even after you towel off.
3. Hard water’s terrible for eczema. Hard minerals make the symptoms of eczema and chronic dry skin worse- especially flaking and red, itchy scalps.

3 other ways hard water affects your shower

We hear 3 problems all the time when Dallas homeowners call us with hard water complaints:

1. Dry hair after showers. “No matter how much product I use, my hair is flat as a pancake,” one homeowner told us. Hard water also causes tangles and broken hair.
2. Scalp flare-ups. Flaky scalps aren’t always due to dandruff- calcium and magnesium buildup around your hair follicles have similar effects.
3. Gunky shower heads. Calcium deposits on your tub faucet and shower heads leave that chalky, white residue that blocks water flow.

Hate dry hair after showers? Read more about how to fight brittle hair in our updated guide.

{{hair-dry-after-shower-hard-water="/blogs/hair-dry-after-shower-hard-water"}}

The Quick Fix: Dallas Homeowners Use These Lotions

If you aren’t quite ready to install a water softening system or water filter in your home, the best short-term solution is to find a lotion that defends your skin against the effects of hard water.

We studied reviews from Dallas-Fort Worth homeowners who deal with dry skin issues after showering and bathing. Here are a few products they use to battle hard water:

• Make p:rem Safe Me Relief Moisture Cream. One Texan called it “the only one I will ever use”. Its all-natural, 12 ingredient formula includes mineral oil, raspberry extract and glycerin.
• CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion. A good daily moisturizer with three ceramides that you can find in most drugstores for under $20.
• Olay Complete + Hydrating Lotion. Another easy-to-find product in Walmart and Target, with niacinamide and shea butter.

Note: Mother Modern Plumbing is not paid to endorse or recommend these lotion and moisturizer products. These are real recommendations from homeowners.

4 ingredients that protect your skin against hard water

You’ll want a lotion that contains at least one or two of these key ingredients:

• Ceramides: Hard water breaks your skin’s natural barrier. Ceramides help restore it and protect your skin from harsh chemicals and dryness.
• Glycerin: Draws in moisture from the air and deep skin layers and locks it into the outermost layers of your skin.
• Niacinamide: Locks in moisture and protects your skin from mineral deposits.
• Hyaluronic acid: Creates a stronger bind than the minerals in hard water, locking in hydration and keeping moisture intact.

If you have sensitive skin, use hyaluronic acid products as recommended and in moderation. Overuse can pull moisture out of deeper skin layers.

Highly sensitive skin? Look for lotions with anti-inflammatory ingredients like aloe vera, chamomile and shea butter for further protection from hard water mineral deposits.

Fix Dry Skin With Home Water Softeners

If you’re tired of going through expensive lotion like bottles of water, get hard water out of your house forever with a water softening system.

Before you get premature “sticker shock”- did you know you don’t have to purchase a whole home water softener? There are great options strictly for your shower as well.

Our plumbers recommend two great soft water solutions for your Dallas shower to get rid of your dry skin issues.

Install a water softener directly for your shower

A “point of use” water softener is installed on the one fixture you want- in this case, your shower. These single-fixture softening systems target the hard water entering your shower head.

Most standard shower filters only focus on removing chlorine from your water. Upgrade to a dedicated water softener, and get calcium, magnesium and limescale out of your shower.

Skip those “water softening shower heads”. We haven’t found any products that truly live up to the claims- a point of use softener on your shower arm is better.

Benefits of a point of use shower water softener

Of course, softer water leads to hydrated skin, healthy hair and nails. But there are other solid benefits  a point-of-use water softener device.

Here are four great reasons to consider a dedicated softening system for your shower:

1. Cheaper than a whole home water softener: Individual product costs will differ by size and brand- but you’ll save a few thousand bucks by choosing a point-of-use softener over a whole home system.
2. Direct installation: The softening device is attached between the shower pipe and your shower head. Simple to install for any licensed plumber.
3. DIY filter replacement: Sediment filters should be replaced every 3-6 months, and carbon filters every 6-10 months. Most people can do this themselves.
4. Save on soap and shampoo: You’ll get a thicker lather with soft water- that means less shampoo and soap needed to get clean in the shower.

The full-house fix: whole home water softening systems

Does hard water ruin more than your shower? Are you sick of descaling or flushing your water heater, dingy clothes and mineral stains on your dishes and glassware?

Installing a whole home water softener gives you a permanent solution to the hard water issues that plague so many Dallas homes. These systems are installed at the main water line before it enters your home- that means mineral buildup and scaling problems don’t affect any aspect of your daily life.

Add filtration! Mother installs Watertech products- not only do they soften your water, but they remove bacteria, viruses, PFAS (forever chemicals) and other contaminants.

Is a whole home water softener right for you?

Choose a water softening system that protects your entire Dallas home from hard water if you want the following benefits:

1. $1,550 per year in savings. Our study found the average DFW household saves $1,550 per year on repairs, maintenance, utility bills and cleaning supplies when they install a home water softener.
2. Bright clothes. Just like mineral deposits dry your skin, they also make clothes dull and dingy. 
3. Cleaner dishes. Softer water means no more mineral buildup and interference with your dishwasher- get cleaner glasses and plates.
4. Healthy skin at every tap. Wash your hands in the kitchen, mud room or garage sink without worrying about dry skin or eczema flare-ups. You’re covered!

No More Dry Skin After Dallas Showers!

Texas has the sixth-hardest water of all U.S. states. Calcium and magnesium in your shower water leave your skin dry and scalp flaky- but all that can stop right now.

Hydrating lotions with niacinamide, glycerin and ceramides are great “Band Aid” solutions that keep your skin moist after the shower.

Dallas homeowners who want long-term solutions to hard water issues install water softeners- either specific devices for the shower, or whole home systems that protect every water using appliance and fixture in your house.

Stop suffering from hard water! Call Mother 24/7- we’re always here to answer. Our certified water softener experts will help you choose the best product for your Dallas home.

{{whole-home-water-softener-installation="/services/whole-home-water-softener-installation"}}