Water really causes more harm than good on the outside of the body, and the reason for the damaging effects of water can be outlined in a single term: Oxidation.
Oxidation is the main explanation for why we wrinkle. Oxidation is the basic cause of most diseases. Oxidation is the cause of skin cancer. Oxidation is the reason most of us will die.
Oxidation takes place when too much oxygen, in addition to oxidizing agents, embarks on a disastrous journey that leads to the formation of free radicals, resulting in an unbalancing of electrons and eventually injury to cells that were previously healthy and productive contributors to a healthy body. These damaged cells can themselves become aggressors and produce more free radicals.
Pure water can cause Oxidation when wet skin or hair experiences catalysts such as warm air, sunlight or direct heat. Of course, today`s water is rarely what is known as pure, and as a result of this, Oxidation is less the cause of the water itself, but rather of what is present in the water.
The most potent oxidative agents come right out of the tap. Tap water is intentionally crammed full of oxidizers including chlorine, chloramines and bromine.
Evidence on the amount of these chemicals in tap water can be startling. For instance, since one hundred people died in Milwaukee from bacteria in drinking water years ago, it has become standard to discover over three times the chlorine in the city`s tap water than is legally necessary in public pools! You literally might be using �pool water� to cleanse your skin and hair.
Additionally, today`s water is loaded with minerals such as calcium, iron and copper � possibly beneficial on the inside, but potentially devastating to hair and skin. Just over ten years ago, a study in the U.K. connected hard water with eczema. And in case you think that does not harm you, more than ninty percent of Americans get hard water from the tap daily.
Knowing how hard your water is and how much chlorine it possesses can encourage you to buy hair and skin care remedies that will actually protect 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?
Investigate Your Water. Do an easy 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 dispense 5-10 drops into a small glass of water to see if the water turns yellow. If it become yellow, it is filled with enough chlorine to provoke oxidation.
Use antioxidant treatments that are of the right form and percentage to have an impact. An active form antioxidant, such as fresh-dried ascorbic acid at ten percent concentration or more, actually ceases oxidation on the hair, scalp and skin. Vitamin E, in a five percent concentration, is very effective on the skin to prevent oxidation from affecting lipids in and near skin cells.
So you think you have a good 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 a single 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 not present.
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