I ruined my hair with bleach, but this small change in my routine brought it back to life
How often do think about the water you use in the shower? My guess is not often. It's just water, right?
Well, Hello Klean is the shower filtration brand here to take this seriously, because the quality of the water you use can make a huge impact on the health of your hair and skin. Yep, do I have your attention?
The brand launched in 2019 with its Shower Head, and since, they've sky-rocketed to success with a range of filters, plus hair and body products that are designed to protect against the negative effects of hard water, such as hair thinning, breakage and dry skin.
How can the Hello Klean Shower Head help hair?
I've used the Shower Head for two years, and you'll never catch me returning to a standard head again. Since making the swap, I have seen a massive improvement in the quality of my hair; everything from shine and fewer split ends, to hydration and manageability (more on this later).
The head may look incredibly chic, but there is so much science happening inside to filter out the nasties found in hard water. “We use a combination of activated carbon and KDF (a powerful filtration media) to remove over 90% of chlorine, plus reduce heavy metals, rust, and other contaminants,” explains Karlee Oz, founder of Hello Klean.
Filter 01 Shower Head 2.0
The main benefits of the Hello Klean Shower Head
The filter system in the shower head removes damaging metals and minerals that are found in hard water, which can be the main cause of dryness and irritation to the hair and skin
Filtered water helps to maintain the vibrancy of your colour for longer
Removing minerals and heavy metals will promote a healthier scalp, therefore encouraging quicker growth
Reduces chlorine in water that can cause dryness
What is hard water?
Many of us live with hard water, and while it's not necessarily bad or harmful to ingest, it's a common reason why people struggle with dry skin or brittle hair. “We invest so much in beauty products, but we rarely consider how the water we use impacts their efficacy. Hard water contains high levels of minerals like calcium, magnesium, and heavy metals. These minerals damage the cuticle and build up on your hair, creating a stubborn barrier that prevents your products from working effectively,” says Karlee.
“They bind to soap and surfactants, preventing them from foaming properly and leaving behind a stubborn, insoluble residue," she adds. If this is left untreated, over time hard water will lead to dryness, dullness, irritation and, dun dun duuun, breakage. On top of this, hard water can also exacerbate conditions like eczema and general skin dryness.
Alongside the Shower Head, the brand also has a Rain Shower Filter and Shower Filter so you can find the right model to suit your bathroom. But no matter which filter you opt for, they easily screw onto your pipes and deliver powerful water pressure (there is no pitiful trickle here!).
Filter 01 Shower Head 2.0
Shower Filter 2.0
Rain Shower
“All our filters are designed to effectively filter hard water and chlorine, but they have slightly different filtration methods due to the different designs. Our Shower Filter and Rain Shower use activated carbon, ceramic beads, and KDF to neutralise chlorine and capture heavy metals. Alternatively, our Shower Head uses Activated Carbon Fibre (ACF) technology, silver impregnation for antimicrobial protection, and amino acid granules to remove heavy metals and neutralise harmful elements,” says Karlee.
The brand also has a range of shampoos and conditioners that are specifically formulated to protect your hair from hard water and to cleanse it from build-up and harmful metals. Tackling two of the most common hair concerns when it comes to hard water – breakage and hair loss – both shampoos lightly lather and leave strands feeling nourished and never stripped.
Full Cover Hair 01 Anti-Thinning Hard Water Shampoo
Full Length Hair 01 Anti-Breakage Hard Water Shampoo
Smooth Talk Anti-Fading Light Hair Conditioner
How can you tell if you have hard water?
Here's the tricky part. Water is water, so how can you tell if it's hard or not. Well, the expert herself has a tip.
“The are a few telltale signs. If your shampoo doesn’t lather properly, your hair feels rough or heavy after washing, or your skin feels dry and tight post-shower, you’re likely dealing with hard water. You might also notice more mineral buildup on your shower head and chalky marks on your shower glass,” shares Karlee.
The final verdict
I've been using the Hello Klean Shower Filter for years, so this isn't as much of a review as it is a love letter. Of course, its sleek design had instant appeal to me, but beyond that, the switch from my old crusty shower head to this clever one has made a huge improvement to the overall health and quality of my hair.
As an ex bottle blonde, I know the struggles that come with bleach (read: brittle ends, hair loss, supreme dryness). TBH, it's my biggest beauty regret. But since swapping to Hello Klean – alongside ditching the bleach and using good treatments – my locks have come a long way.
I see far less breakage when I brush, and thank goodness as that's my biggest hair ick. But overall, the quality of my hair has greatly improved. My once straw-like strands now flow with movement and a silky shine, rather than looking a bit rigid, and they feel so much healthier. I also know that it does a great deal of good to my scalp, helping to remove the harmful elements that can build-up at the root, which is a big factor in stunted growth.
As the filter and shampoos work to remove heavy metals that would otherwise sit on my hair, I also have greater faith in the products I use, as now there is no barrier preventing them from penetrating my strands. Once you get your step one correct, everything after will fall into place.
So after two years of use, I have no plans to switch up. Sometimes I forget I use the filter, and I'm only reminded when I go on holiday and my strands are left feeling dry and looking dull – which is not cute when I'm also protecting my hair from drying sea water. So if it means going over my baggage weight allowance, it's SO worth it. Where I go, Hello Klean goes.
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