LONDON: Hard water can damage the skin barrier that protects us from external threats like bacteria and sunburns, and lead to the development of eczema, a study has shown.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield and Kings College London in the UK have discovered that exposing the skin to hard water damages the skin barrier and increases the sensitivity of the skin to potential irritants found in everyday wash products such as soap or washing powder.
Hard water contains high levels of calcium and magnesium ions that bind to surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) which act as detergents or wetting agents making them insoluble, so they precipitate onto the skin.
Skin pH is normally acidic but hard water has high alkalinity which means it can raise the skin surface pH.
A shift towards alkaline pH disturbs the skins natural function as a physical barrier and leaves it prone to colonization by potentially pathogenic bacteria which can cause infection.
“By damaging the skin barrier, washing with hard water may contribute to the development of eczema – a chronic skin condition characterised by an intensely itchy red rash,” said Simon Danby, from the University of Sheffield.
Patients with eczema are much more sensitive to the effects of hard water than people with healthy skin.
This increase in sensitivity is associated with a genetic predisposition to a skin barrier defect brought about by mutations in the gene encoding filaggrin.
The study was published in the Journal of Investigate Dermatology. (AGENCIES)
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