Plus, what you can do to save their salon results with breakthrough K18 technology.
Has your clients’ hair been looking especially dull, dry, or brittle lately, and you don’t know why? Has their beautiful blonde balayage faded into a brassy bird's nest all of a sudden? Or maybe they mention their hair looks greasy just hours after they showered.
If these sound familiar, there’s a good chance their products or routines are not the problem—their water is.
what is hard water?
Hard water refers to unfiltered tap water that contains high levels of dissolved minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and copper (depending on the source). A whopping 85% of the U.S. has hard water due to the mineral-heavy soil and rock (if you are reading this in the US, it is very likely you have hard water).
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what are the signs of hard water buildup?
There are a couple of tell-tale signs that hard water is the source of their bad hair days + brassy blonde tone.
Their shampoo is barely lathering (if at all)
Their scalp is irritated or itchy
Their hair feels weighed down and gunky, a sensation that can only be described as instantly greasy.
Their color is fading super fast, and if they’ve had a recent color “incident” at your salon (due to the unpredictable chemical reaction that occurs when bleach and color mixes with heavy metals).
Their blonde has taken on an orange/yellow/warm tone and the brass isn’t budging.
Sound familiar? Finally, you have an explanation.
how does hard water affect hair health?
Leaving buildup on the hair and scalp can have a major impact on overall hair health, especially when that buildup consists of mineral and metal residue. It can leave hair “dull, dry, and brittle, which can result in hair breakage,” says K18 principle formulator Jessica Pierre. For those with color-treated hair, the negative effects can be even more dramatic. “Trace minerals [like] copper and iron can also affect hair health in a number of ways as they can catalyze oxidative reactions initiated by UV (sunlight) exposure or during chemical processing services, which can lead to structural damage of hair proteins.”
For blonde clients, these oxidative reactions become especially obvious in their color. Turning a cool-toned platinum to an unwanted yellow, no matter how meticulously your work in the chair was.
Beyond the buildup that sits on the hair itself, we also have to consider scalp health. Hard water can prove to be a major irritant that leads to clogged pores and hair follicles, itchiness and even dandruff. For people with conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis, hard water can exacerbate inflammation or worsen symptoms.
Because hard water is more alkaline than skin’s natural pH (which sits somewhere between 4.7-5.75), it can disturb the scalp’s acid mantle, which is essential for trapping moisture, and weaken its protective barrier over time.
so, what can you do about it?
For clients with highlighted or lifted tone, K18’s newest innovation is a breakthrough for brighter, longer-lasting blonde. Introducing: TripleBright oxidation defense shampoo powered by K18 triple-action technology.
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It’s the only purple shampoo that works to keep your client’s blonde like new, delivering a brighter, longer-lasting blonde in as little as 60 seconds. Plus, it comes in an easy-to-use foam that will be a breeze to incorporate in your backbar + for clients to incorporate to their wash day routines.
TripleBright effortlessly ensures your blonde client’s ideal hair tone is restored and evened.*
Okay, what about the rest of your clients? The best (and easiest) way to address hard water is with peptide prep™ detox shampoo.
This once-a-week power wash effectively removes buildup and metals that are common in tap and hard water, including 99% of product buildup, 95% of sebum + 76% copper*. The shampoo uses activated charcoal to absorb toxins, excess oils, and dirt, plus salicylic acid to clear sebum buildup in follicles (without stripping hair of essential moisture and lipids).
K18 detox shampoo is pH-optimized and color-safe, leaving hair feeling refreshed rather than parched. “Most clarifying or detox shampoos use a high pH to swell the cuticle, which can leave hair feeling rough and dry,” says Pierre. “Our formula clarifies without leaving hair dry or stripped, which is the common complaint of clarifying formulas.”
One common concern is “overusing” clarifying shampoo and stripping hair of all its natural oils. With peptide prep™ detox shampoo and TripleBright oxidation defense shampoo, you don’t have to worry about that.
“It's an ideal product if you suffer from buildup, live in a particularly hard water area, or only wash your hair once a week,” says Pierre. If you are someone who likes to shower every day, “our damage shield™ pH protective shampoo provides gentle cleansing for frequent washers,” recommends Pierre.
ready to add a hard-water fighting shampoo to your service routine? here’s how.
During every blonde service: Remove brass-causing metals + minerals with TripleBright and follow with K18REPAIR™ for strong, soft, bouncy blonde.
During every other color service: Clarify with detox shampoo and follow with K18REPAIR™ for maximum clean + damage repair.
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