Shampoo to Combat Soft Water

Shampooing hair
Photo: Kritsada Namborisu/Shutterstock
Q: Can someone at Hairfinder recommend a shampoo that will combat soft water that is making my already curly hair curlier? I suspect a shampoo with a pH higher than 7 is what I need?
 
A: All of the research I've found indicates that the Lush Company makes a solid shampoo bar for use in areas with soft water. The bar shampoo is rated well on performance, but customers have complained that it seems "crumbly".
 
Other options might include tips like using a highly alkaline shampoo like a clarifying shampoo Quantum makes a great clarifying shampoo. You might also try using a volumizing shampoo such as Prell which tends to leave the hair with less added residue and therefore makes the hair look and feel fuller. Volumizing shampoos also tend to be higher in alkalinity. Rinsing with cold water also reportedly helps cope with the "over-soft" water issue.
 
As a last resort, you can also try using mineral salts (such as Epsom salts) in a mix of about 1/4 cup per gallon of water used to lather the hair while shampooing. The mineral additives should counter the softness of the water, while the rinse with the softer water will help to remove the mineral salts residues.
 
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See also:
 
The meaning of the pH levels of shampoos
 
The use of a water softener and the effect of softened water on hair
 
How to recreate the effect of seawater or chlorine on hair
 
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