Comments on: Hard water http://www.seborrhoeic-dermatitis.ev-by.org/2004/08/28/hard-water/ Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:56:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Neva Marjory http://www.seborrhoeic-dermatitis.ev-by.org/2004/08/28/hard-water/#comment-785 Neva Marjory Mon, 30 Aug 2004 21:59:19 +0000 http://www.seborrhoeic-dermatitis.ev-by.org/2004/08/28/hard-water/#comment-785 Soap is fat that has been chemically reacted with a strong base (lye), releasing glycerin in the process and turning the fats into sodium or potassium stearate. It is the single aton of sodium or potassium on the end of the oily stearate group that makes soap dissolve in water. When soap contacts hard water, the sodium or potassium in the soap (that it got from the lye) is exchanged with calcium or magnesium (from the hard water dissoved carbonates). Since each calcium or magnesium atoms can bond to two stearate groups, they link the soluble single stearates (with a metal on the end) into into an insoluble waxy calcium or magnesium double stearates (with the metal in the middle). Since the oils from your skin do not have the sodium or potassium part that soap has, it cannot react with hard water this way. <!--more--> If you have hard water, I suggest that you try washing with a minimum amount of diluted dishwashing detergent for a week or so, and see if eliminating the stearate coating has any effect. You may be surprised how much rinsing is required to remove all the detergent, compared to the feel of soap that was converting to waxy stearate instead of rinsing off. Soap is fat that has been chemically reacted with a strong base (lye),
releasing glycerin in the process and turning the fats into sodium or
potassium stearate. It is the single aton of sodium or potassium
on the end of the oily stearate group that makes soap dissolve in
water.

When soap contacts hard water, the sodium or potassium in the soap
(that it got from the lye) is exchanged with calcium or magnesium
(from the hard water dissoved carbonates). Since each calcium or
magnesium atoms can bond to two stearate groups, they link the soluble
single stearates (with a metal on the end) into into an insoluble waxy
calcium or magnesium double stearates (with the metal in the middle).

Since the oils from your skin do not have the sodium or potassium part
that soap has, it cannot react with hard water this way.

If you have hard water, I suggest that you try washing with a minimum
amount of diluted dishwashing detergent for a week or so, and see if
eliminating the stearate coating has any effect.

You may be surprised how much rinsing is required to remove all the
detergent, compared to the feel of soap that was converting to waxy
stearate instead of rinsing off.

]]> By: rogelio1200 http://www.seborrhoeic-dermatitis.ev-by.org/2004/08/28/hard-water/#comment-782 rogelio1200 Sun, 29 Aug 2004 10:41:37 +0000 http://www.seborrhoeic-dermatitis.ev-by.org/2004/08/28/hard-water/#comment-782 <FONT FACE="arial,helvetica"><FONT SIZE="2" FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">I for one have had great results with soft water. I dont like to travel because most places have hard water. The problem for me is not the soap. I stopped washing my face with soap a year ago and just use plain water. This also has done wonders for my skin. I havent had a sebderm outbreak in a long time, but the flakes are still there, but not nearly as bad as it was. It could different for you though... </FONT> </font> I for one have had great results with soft water. I dont like to travel because most places have hard water. The problem for me is not the soap. I stopped washing my face with soap a year ago and just use plain water. This also has done wonders for my skin. I havent had a sebderm outbreak in a long time, but the flakes are still there, but not nearly as bad as it was. It could different for you though…

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