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Hard water can be tough on the skin because it contains a high percentage of calcium and magnesium, both minerals that can cause dry skin, dandruff, and even skin irritation.
To prevent this, you must shift products and adapt them to better suit hard water and keep your skin healthy and in check.
Choosing a body wash for hard water suitable for your skin type and condition might be a little bit hard because there are thousands of solutions available.
So, to make your life easier, in this article, you find the best moisturizing body washes for hard water. A full list with options from several brands and different skin types.
Besides that, you can find the features that you have to pay attention to when buying a body wash for hard water and how to identify if the water is hard or not.
With all of this in mind, let’s go over some of the greatest body wash choices to save your skin from hard water and those pesky unwanted minerals.
What are the best body washes for hard water?
1. Dexeryl Atopic Skin Shower Cream
The Parisians are no strangers to very hard water, so it’s no surprise that Dexeryl Shower is a French pharmacy favorite and one of the best moisturizing body washes for hard water.
This is a rich milky soap designed to suit all skin types (even atopic skin) and to be used by the whole family to have soft and moisturized skin even after a shower with the worst water.
Soap and fragrance-free, this shower cream has a biodegradable formula with a physiological pH that does not sting the eyes.
Enriched with glycerol, vaseline, and liquid paraffin, it’s the perfect choice for those who may be intolerant to scented body washes or other irritating agents.
TIP: Top body washes for dry skin.
2. Babé Oil Soap For Atopic Skin
Another good body wash for hard water is suitable for all families from newborns to adults for the hygiene of dry to very dry, irritated, or atopic-prone skin.
The Babé Oil soap creates one of the most luxurious shower experiences you can ask for, even in a quick shower. It feels like you’re washing your skin with hydration and leaves with barely any need for an after-shower moisturizer.
Its formula with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties is enriched with over 40% emollient oils and omegas 3, 6, and 9, it has an oily texture that turns milky when it touches water.
This body wash deeply cleanses, nourishes, and regenerates the skin while restoring its natural hydration.
Curiosity: Did you know that Babé Oil Soap is one of the best body washes for eczema?
3. Uriage Xémose Cleansing Soothing Oil
One of the best sellers of Uriage, this cleansing oil is suitable for very dry skin prone to atopy.
It’s a beautiful oil that lathers slightly features ingredients like shea butter and glycerin and helps you leave the shower without feeling the skin tugging and pulling.
Enriched with Uriage Thermal Water and with a gel-cream texture, this moisturizing body wash contains Cerasterol-2F® to strengthen the skin’s lipid protective film. It provides a gentle and rehydrating cleansing action.
Its natural composition is tolerated by sensitive skin, children, and babies. It’s also made free of perfume, parabens, or soap, which makes it appropriate for everyone in the family.
TIP: This is one of the best body washes for black skin.
4. Cerave Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser
If you are looking for one of the greatest body washes for hard water for normal to dry and atopic-prone skin, then you need to give this Cerave product a try! We are talking about one of the best Cerave products.
The Cerave hydrating foaming oil cleanser is one of those products that is no fuss, no frills, just an amazing job left behind!
This is a foaming oil that features Cerave’s famous 3 ceramide complex, squalene oil, and triglycerides to provide moisture and repair the skincare barrier while it cleanses.
Due to its formula, it leaves skin feeling smooth and soothed. You will mourn its loss when it’s gone, but you’ll barely notice it’s there while you’re using it.
And, this body wash with cream-oil texture, can be used on the face and body, by the whole family (babies, children, and adults).
5. L’occitane Amande Shower Oil
Are you struggling with hard water? Do you have dry skin? Then, this moisturizing body wash oil is perfect for you!
As its name suggests, the L’Occitane Shower oil leaves a subtle and delicious scent of fresh almonds on the skin.
This is a luxurious shower and bath oil that has a unique blend of ingredients that include vitamin E and grapeseed oil to provide anti-oxidant properties. And, of course, it also has toning and firming properties.
Its formula respects the hydrolipidic layer of the skin while nourishing it. An amazing treat for the skin and the senses.
6. Eucerin Ph5 Shower Oil
For skincare enthusiasts, the Eucerin pH 5 shower oil is an old friend – everyone knows it because it’s one of the most effective and one of the best body washes for sensitive skin.
This incredible body moisturizing shower oil for hard water is suitable for daily use to maintain the hydration and comfort of sensitive skin during the shower.
With a pH balance system and natural oils that maintain the ideal pH to protect the skin’s natural defenses, while replenishing the lipids necessary for healthy and moisturized skin, this Eucerin shower oil gently cleanses without irritating or drying the skin.
Rich in natural oils, it restores lipids to leave the skin healthy and reduce dehydration while repairing and comforting, reducing itching and irritation.
7. La Roche Posay Lipikar Ap+ Cleansing Oil
If you are looking for an effective way to fight the effects of hard water while you need a great and pregnancy-safe body wash, then you have to try La Roche Posay’s Lipikar AP+. It’s a top-rated moisturizing body wash for hard water and one of the best all-around in this list.
The La Roche Posay Lipikar Ap+ cleansing oil has a powerful formula that combines several key ingredients that provide great results:
- Niacinamide, which soothes and helps relieve itching and restore the skin’s lipid barrier.
- Shea butter, which restores the skin’s hydrolipidic film.
- Aqua Posae Filiformis, which combats the factors responsible for dry skin and helps preserve the skin’s balance.
Dermatologically tested, this cleansing oil, with a physiological pH, intensely moisturizes and nourishes the skin while gently washing it without drying or irritating it.
Due to its formula, it is suitable for the body, scalp, and intimate area. And, it can be used by the whole family, including babies, children, and adults.
8. Aveeno Dermexa Daily Emollient Cream
Oat water has been used to soothe skin ever since… well oats were around! The Aveeno Dermexa is a good body wash for hard water because it respects the skin barrier, and helps with the itching and pulling that hard water can leave skin with.
The oats and ceramides present in the formula of this body cream ensure moisturizing, smoothing, and balancing actions.
However, if you are a foaming fan, this is not the product for you since it barely has any foam. If that doesn’t bother you, you’re in luck, since this is a great alternative especially if you’re feeling lazy and would like to skin body lotion after the shower.
9. Nuxe Rêve De Miel Face And Body Ultra-rich Cleansing Gel
With this product, the name tells you all you need to know. Nuxe has a whole line that includes this Rêve de miel body and face wash, which means “dream of honey”.
If you like sweet flowery scents, or the celebrity Nuxe rêve de miel lip balm, you will love this body wash. Besides its amazing scent, it also has a very moisturizing base.
Besides the obvious inclusion of honey, it’s enriched with sunflower oil and has very mild cleansers, leaving your skin smooth and already smelling amazing, your perfume will be jealous.
With a creamy texture, this Nuxe product cleanses the skin without drying it out. In the end, you have an excellent moisturizing body and face wash for hard water, suitable for dry and sensitive skin.
10. Avène Xeracalm Nutrition Cleansing Gel
The last suggestion for a body wash for hard water had to be the Avéne Xeracalm nutrition cleansing gel.
Another family staple that is appropriate to be used by the whole family. This shower gel helps to restore the ceramides in the skin by increasing their production within the skin and not just by adding them to the product formulation.
To enhance the results of this cleansing gel, it’s suggested to combine it with the Avène Xeracalm Nutrition Shower Cream. These products work much better when used together.
How to choose the best moisturizing body wash for hard water
When selecting a body wash for hard water, it’s important to remember that regular soap may not work as effectively. This is because the surfactants found in most cleansing products and body washes struggle to generate a rich lather and can be challenging to rinse off in hard water.
The minerals in hard water, particularly calcium, react with the soap, leading to the formation of stubborn “soap scum.” So, don’t anticipate the same frothy lather you get in soft water.
Instead of focusing on lavish bubbles, prioritize maintaining a healthy skin barrier and minimizing skin irritation.
Search for soothing and moisturizing key ingredients
Choose products that include soothing and moisturizing key ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter, mineral oil, jojoba oil, etc.
These are ingredients that are nourishing and help keep a healthy skin barrier without any skin irritation happening in the aftermath of a pleasant and relaxed shower. Look for the words “hydrating body wash” or any claims synonym with moisturization.
PH Balanced
Another thing to keep in mind while choosing a body wash for hard water is pH balance, which means that it should have its pH adjusted to the skin’s pH: between 4.5 – 5.5.
This pH balance contributes to maintaining a healthy skin barrier and reduces the likelihood of itching and other unpleasant side effects of the hard water.
These types of body washes often include the terms “no soap” or “syndet”. These both mean that the product uses synthetic detergents, which might sound scary, but it’s a great thing.
Back in the day when soap in bars was the only option, soap was produced only by a reaction called saponification, in which various oils and fats of animal and vegetable origin were mixed with liquid caustic soda to produce soap.
This is still to this day a very effective method to produce soap however, it has one major disadvantage: the final product has a fundamental pH, since caustic soda has a very high pH, making it incompatible with a healthy skin barrier.
FAQ
How do I know if the water is hard or soft?
You’re probably wondering: how do you know if the water is hard or soft?
First of all, hard water leaves noticeable residue once it evaporates, glasses become foggy, cutlery looks unwashed even after being washed and the whole shower accumulates limescale and looks permanently dirty.
Besides the effects mentioned above, hard water can even cause hair loss and weakening of the hair shaft leading hair to break more easily, besides making skin permanently sensitive due to dryness and lack of skin barrier.
Conclusion
In summary, choosing a body wash suitable for hard water is key to maintaining healthy skin. Look for products with moisturizing ingredients and a balanced pH level.
Please, consider investing in a water filter for your shower. Sounds like a faff, we know, but it does help to remove that excess mineral from the water. There are many kinds of filters and setups available on the market, but it is something that can help you tremendously with the health of your hair and skin.
Keep an eye out for signs of hard water in your home. Make the switch and enjoy the benefits of softer, nourished skin. Your skin will thank you!