Water actually produces more harm than good on the outside of the body, and the cause of the harmful effects of water can be defined in one word: Oxidation.
Oxidation is the leading explanation for why we wrinkle. Oxidation is the root cause of most diseases. Oxidation is the cause of skin cancer. Oxidation is the reason most of us will die.
Oxidation takes place when excessive oxygen, in combination with oxidizing agents, begins a destructive journey that leads to the creation of free radicals, causing an unbalancing of electrons and eventually damage to cells that were otherwise healthy and productive contributors to a healthy body. These injured cells can themselves become aggressors and develop into more free radicals.
Pure water can result in Oxidation when damp skin or hair is exposed to catalysts such as warm air, sunlight or direct heat. Of course, today`s water is infrequently what is known as pure, and because of this, Oxidation is less the result of the water itself, but rather of what is in the water.
The most dangerous oxidative agents come right out of the tap. Tap water is purposefully loaded full of oxidizers including chlorine, chloramines and bromine.
Statistics on the quantity of these chemicals in tap water can be shocking. For instance, since 100 people died in Milwaukee from bacteria in drinking water years ago, it has become standard to find over 3 times the chlorine in the city`s tap water than is legally required in public pools! You literally might be using �pool water� to wash your face and hair.
In addition, today`s water is high in minerals such as calcium, iron and copper � perhaps healthy inside the body, but potentially disastrous to hair and skin. About ten years ago, a study in England linked hard water with eczema. And in case you believe that does not affect you, more than 90 percent of Americans get hard water from the tap daily.
Understanding how hard your water is and how much chlorine it consists of can lead you to hair and skin care products that will actually preserve your natural hair texture, color and shine as well as stop or even reverse signs of aging on the skin. So what is your next step?
Check Your Water. Do a simple chlorine test with OTO (orthotolodine) and get a hard water test strip to test for hardness. Simply purchase the OTO at your local pool store and use 5-10 drops into a small glass of water to see if the water changes yellow. If it turns yellow, it has enough chlorine to facilitate oxidation.
Use antioxidant products that are of the proper form and percentage to have an impact. An active form antioxidant, such as fresh-dried ascorbic acid at ten percent concentration or higher, actually stops oxidation on the hair, scalp and skin. Vitamin E, in a 5 percent concentration, is very effective on the skin to prevent oxidation from damaging lipids in and surrounding skin cells.
Do you think you have the best antioxidant product? Don`t believe the hype; see for yourself. Your test kit will also test your antioxidant products to see whether they are neutralizing oxidative agents and thus are active. When you test your water and it turns yellow from the chlorine oxidation, place one drop of your most liked antioxidant serum or cream to the water. If it is truly an antioxidant, or if the antioxidant is still active, the color will go away like magic. If it doesn`t, the antioxidant is dead.
Entries (RSS)