Study Ireland – Stories & Guides from International Students

Before coming to Ireland, one of my main concerns was the hard water; for many, that may sound crazy but coming from a country with soft water (and as a cosmetic scientist), I was slightly aware of what was coming. For those unfamiliar, hard water contains high levels of natural minerals from rock and soil; although it is not bad for your health and is safe to drink, it can dry out your skin and hair in the blink of an eye. To help you prepare for that (or deal with it if you are already going through this), here are my tips and tricks to keep your skin and hair as healthy as possible during your time in Ireland.

1. Body Lotion: I know that may sound obvious, but applying body lotion daily after the shower will give your skin the nourishment it needs. Any body lotion will do, but if you feel it is not working, a trick is looking for lotions destined for extra-dry skin. Those will be your best friends.  

Extra tip: See if you can find vegetable oils (e.g., grapeseed, almond, macadamia); pump the body lotion into your hands and add a few drops of the oil before applying it to your body. That way, you are boosting the moisturising effect! 

1. Hand cream: Always, always, always! Keep it in your backpack, gym bag, or purse, and apply it after washing your hands or when you need an extra boost! 

2. Buy local: I must confess that I am very attached to my beauty products and brought my favourites from home, but I’ve noticed that when I was using the products that made my hair look amazing back home, they were making it dull and frizzy in Ireland. Those products were designed and tested in soft water, so their functionality is not guaranteed in hard water. When I bought shampoo and conditioner in Ireland, my hair completely switched. That happened because products made in Ireland or the UK are manufactured specifically for that market, considering the hard water for the efficacy tests. 

Extra tip: use hair masks at least once a week to ensure your hair is getting enough moisturisation.

1. Hair oils/serums: Hard water strips natural oils from hair, so regularly applying hair oils and serums are essential to maintaining shine, preventing breakage, lessening frizz, etc. I use it three times a day because I have thick, long hair, but your hair type will influence the number of times you can use it without weighing down the hair. 

Extra tip: One to two pumps are more than enough to help your hair; apply the product to your hands, rub it together, and apply it to hair from ends to roots. 

1. Keep it simple: Your face’s skin can change a lot due to the environment, stress, and water. Make sure to take care of it using appropriate face wash and cream to prevent dryness and breakouts. 

2. Filter shower heads: You can get filter shower heads online. They filter the hard minerals and make the water as soft as possible, making your experience smoother. 

3. Talk about it: People you know probably went through that same situation and can offer tips and tricks to help you with that change! 

4. Don’t worry: I understand that skin and hair are a huge part of many people’s self-esteem (myself included), but the more you stress about it, the more the body releases stress hormones that affect your mind and body. It can take a while to adapt, but with time, without notice, your hair and skin will go back to normal as you get used to and learn how to deal with the hard water. 

Skin and hair types are different, so some tips and tricks may not work for you, what matters is finding what works best for you and sticking with it!  

Any other tips or tricks? Please leave it in the comment section below 🙂