college hard water
Hailey Dean Fesai
From luscious locks to untamable frizz, “college water” is what it is.
Marist students across campus have fallen victim to the notorious culprit. The destroyer of healthy hair and hope.
Across our nation’s college campuses, the buzz isn’t just about midterms but about hard water. The silent foe turning shiny strands into lifeless locks.
“It’s like my hair has lost all its natural curl and shine. It’s hard water. I know it. Everyone’s talking about it on social media,” said Marist senior Dia Waheed.
According to Allure, journalist Sophie Patch explains why hard water leaves hair in an uncooperative slump. After speaking with water science professionals, she breaks it down like this: hard water is simply water overloaded with minerals. Hard water consists mainly of calcium and magnesium. The more minerals, the “harder” the water. Since water sources differ, mineral potency changes from place to place.
The term “hard” actually comes from what happens when those minerals meet soap. Instead of a dramatic, movie-style chemical reaction, it’s the opposite: nothing happens. The minerals neutralize the soap, leaving behind residue that clings to hair. The result? Hair strands feel flat, heavy, and stripped of their natural shine.
The real trouble starts with long-term exposure. Minerals build up, making hair coarse, frizzy, and weighed down. Salt content pushes back the cuticle, forcing strands to lie ragged, altering natural texture. Colortreated hair gets hit even harder because minerals oxidize dye, leaving color faded and fried faster than expected.
So what can students do? First line of defense: showerhead filters. They reduce chlorine, heavy metals, and mineral buildup before it even touches your hair. Next, clarifying shampoos. My go-to is L’Oréal EverPure Sulfate-Free Clarifying Shampoo. It cuts through residue that endless scrubbing can’t fix.
Beyond that, weekly masks and leave-ins restore hydration and seal the cuticle. Keratin masks, protein creams, and curl conditioners all give strands a fighting chance. Regular trims help prevent split ends, and skipping daily washes lets natural oils do their work. For colored hair, hydration is non-negotiable because it’s the only way to keep color vibrant under harsh conditions.
Hard water comes from nature, but the real problem is access. For some, soft water flows freely. For others, it’s an added cost in filters and products just to keep hair manageable, and that divide shows up in the smallest details like shine, strength, and the life of our hair.
The question isn’t whether hard water exists but how we survive it. Until campuses start serving up softer water, we’ll keep dropping cash on products and pretending frizz is a personality trait. College may last only four years, but hard water damage? That debt sticks with you.
The Hard Water Shopping List
L’Oréal EverPure Sulfate-Free Clarifying Shampoo
K-PAK Reconstructing Conditioner
CURLSMITH Feather-Light Protein Cream
Olaplex Bond Maintenence Shampoo/Conditioner
“It’s like my hair has lost all its natural curl and shine. It’s hard water. I know it. Everyone’s talking about it on social media”
