We call water “soft” when it has a low concentration of minerals (specifically magnesium and calcium) per particle. It is considered that water with a high concentration of minerals (or “hard water”) damages the hair.
What you really want is “slightly hard water” – water with a medium concentration of minerals.
But what about soft water?
While it won’t necessarily damage your hair, it has its disadvantages. For example, soft water will result in greasy and oily hair.
You don’t want your hair to look limp, lifeless, and thin, right?
To avoid that, you’ll need the right shampoo. I tested 20+ shampoos for soft water, and in this article, I’ll share my top picks!

How to Choose a Good Shampoo & Conditioner for Soft Water?

As challenging as it may seem, choosing the right shampoo for soft water is easy when you know what to look for.
Let’s look at a couple of important factors to take into account when choosing a shampoo for soft water.

Know your hair type

Knowing your hair type is the most important factor when it comes to choosing the best shampoo for soft water. Every type of hair needs different nutrients to be healthy.
Some of the most widespread hair types include: curly, wavy, kinky, and straight.
Depending on your hair type, we recommend choosing shampoo and conditioner specifically for your hair needs.

Ingredients to avoid with soft water

Knowing the ingredients you should avoid in your hair care products if your area has soft water is essential.
Unlike shampoos and conditioners for hard water, shampoos and conditioners for soft water should avoid the following ingredients: paraben, sulfate, formaldehyde releasers, triclosan, and triclocarban.

The 18 Best Shampoos and Conditioner for Soft Water

The Body Shop Scalp Care Shampoo

This shampoo from The Body Shop is a gentle cleanser that is much loved by the audience when used with soft water.
The shampoo is rich in ginger, birch bark, and white willow extract. It also contains honey as an ingredient and has an excellent moisturizing ability for dry scalp.
It soothes the scalp and eliminates dry skin. While it nourishes the scalp, the shampoo also cleanses gently to give you clean and beautiful hair.
If you are worried that soft water is affecting your hair, this shampoo will rescue your strands.

Paul Mitchell Shampoo

This Paul Mitchell Shampoo is everything you need for strong and shiny hair in soft water.
It is suitable for all hair types, including curly, straight, wavy, color-treated, and other types of hair.
If you have messy hair due to soft water, opt for this cleansing shampoo. It helps cleanse and style your hair, moisturize it, and maintain your health.
Most importantly, it does not take away the natural oils from the hair, and thus, your hair looks bouncy and beautiful.
This shampoo helps to nourish the hair from the roots and keeps your hair refreshed.
Get clean, lustrous tresses without ripping off their moisture and say goodbye to soft water woes forever.

Tea Tree Shampoo

This Tea Tree Shampoo will make your hair smell fresh and beautiful. It’s a must-have product if you have soft water issues.
The shampoo contains tea tree oil and other essential ingredients that wash away impurities and other build-ups from the scalp.
With this product, your hair will become lustrous and clean, like never before.
Furthermore, the shampoo has a fresh tree tea oil scent that keeps your hair smelling great all day long.
It also helps to efficiently combat hair problems like itchy scalp, dandruff, and dryness.
This rich shampoo will make your tresses glow with its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.

WOW Apple Cider Vinegar Set 

If you are looking for a shampoo-conditioner set that works great with soft water, these WOW products will surely win your heart.
By adding these to your hair care regime, you can reduce hair fall and improve volume.
With this shampoo and conditioner, you can detoxify your scalp and hair while restoring moisture.
They are rich in ingredients like vitamin B5 & E, keratin protein, and saw palmetto extract.
These ingredients will help make your hair smooth, silky, and soft.
Get manageable and healthy tresses with this set and save your hair from soft water effects.

Neutrogena Anti-residue Shampoo

Want to get rid of greasy hair? The Neutrogena once-in-a-week shampoo is the perfect way to eliminate a significant chunk of impurities from your scalp.
It can be used on all hair types, including color-treated hair. Using this clarifying shampoo will cleanse your hair and give it an instant volume boost.
Treating your hair with this shampoo once or twice a week will significantly affect your hair health.
The build-ups will be washed away, and your hair will be tangle-free. You’ll feel like you washed with shampoo for tangled hair.
It is one of the most efficient products that will keep your tresses healthy and shining.

TRESemmé Cleansing Shampoo

TRESemmé is a famous hair care brand offering salon-quality hair products like straightening shampoos and conditioners, shampoos and conditioners for fine hair, permed hair, curly hair, and color-treated hair.
Pamper your hair with the TRESemme deep cleansing shampoo and drive away from the soft water effects.
With this shampoo to your rescue, you can combat hair problems such as split-ends, dandruff, dryness, etc.
The rich botanical blends of olive oil and camellia help nourish the hair deeply and keep them tangle-free.
Experts crafted it to provide nothing but the best treatment for your hair.
There are no parabens and dyes, and thus you can use the shampoo generously to maintain your hair health.

Love Beauty & Planet Shampoo & Conditioner

This shampoo and conditioner set is excellent at cleansing and energizing your hair.
Enriched with ingredients like organic coconut water and Mimosa flower, they provide a burst of freshness to your hair.
If you have fine thin strands, this set can surely help volume up your tresses.
When soft water makes your hair flat, this shampoo and conditioner will revive the volume and add life to your hair.
It is also considered a detangling shampoo for all types of hair, including color-treated locks.

PURA D’OR Apple Cider Vinegar Haircare Set

Formulated to provide a fuller and thicker hair growth, this PURA D’OR set will reverse all the soft water effects.
They provide deep cleansing treatment to the scalp while also taking care of hydration.
In the shampoo and conditioner, Apple cider vinegar helps keep an optimal pH balance of the scalp by locking in moisture and reducing the frizz.
Apart from this, the duo is packed with 15 active ingredients that make sure you get your dream tresses healthy and glowing.

Pure Biology Thickening Shampoo

This shampoo from Pure Biology is what works efficiently in soft water.
This product will amaze you with its results in a powerhouse of nutrients, vitamins, keratin, castor oil, and coconut oil.
The entire ingredients combine to boost hair growth and reduce various hair problems.
It works by strengthening the hair, preventing breakage, and reducing hair fall.
It is a wonderful everyday product for both men and women to cleanse the scalp and have beautiful hair.

Maple Holistics Store Degrease Shampoo

Is soft water leaving behind a residue on your scalp?
If yes, try this vitamin shampoo that will solve all your hair worries.
It efficiently cleanses greasy hair and eliminates build-up from the scalp. In addition, this sulfate-free shampoo makes a healthy hair care product as it uses basil and cypress.
It takes care of dandruff, minimizes the pores, and improves scalp circulation. Lastly, it thoroughly moisturizes your hair by containing peach kernel oil and jojoba oil.
Pamper your tresses with this all-rounder product, and you will surely love the results.

Tree to Tub Argan Oil Duo

A shampoo-conditioner set with the proper pH balance is a secret to healthy hair. And you can achieve gorgeous tresses with this shampoo-conditioner set from Tree to Tub.
This duo is formulated with the most natural ingredients without harsh chemicals to give your hair the best treatment.
They comprise soapberry and Moroccan argan oil blend to give you soft, shiny hair.
These ingredients deeply moisturize dry hair and repair your damaged scalp.
And what’s more? They are infused with a natural lavender scent that will leave your hair smelling pleasant.

Redken Hair Cleansing Cream

If you are looking for the best clarifying shampoo for soft water, nothing can beat this Redken hair cleansing cream.
This detox shampoo does a great job setting your hair free from all kinds of build-ups.
It consists of fruit acids, making it a super-efficient product to clarify your hair and leave it soft.
The hair follicles are strengthened and work well with soft water.
This shampoo will purify your hair, add shine and make it soft.

Fekkai Shampoo with Apple Cider Vinegar

When soft water messes up your hair and nothing can set it right, the Fekkai shampoo is what you should use This silicone-free shampoo effectively removes all the build-up from the hair.
The ultimate detox shampoo is scented with fresh apple and pear to keep your hair smelling great. By adding this shampoo to your weekly regime, you can give a new life to your hair.
Purifying your hair and making it stress-free is all about this shampoo.

Fiora Naturals Shampoo-Conditioner

If soft water has been making your hair life miserable, we’ve got a solution. The Fiora Naturals biotin duo is here to save your hair.
It has some of the most natural and potent ingredients that make it an effective remedy against soft water.
You will find silk proteins, aloe vera, peppermint, and lavender in this duo. These ingredients provide ample benefits to your hair and make it healthy.
The duo revitalizes, strengthens, and enriches your hair with the essential nutrients and hydration to bring them back to life.

Honeydew Voluminzing Shampoo

The Honeydew lemon sage shampoo is another highly recommended product for fighting the effects of soft water on your hair.
It is infused with natural ingredients like tea tree and rosemary. And hence, it is a very safe and effective product.
Using this shampoo, you can get rid of excess oil from the hair and have clean tresses.
The natural herbs in the shampoo provide abundant nourishment to the hair, clarify the scalp, fight dandruff, and deep clean the pores.
The result is healthy, bouncy hair that is strong and revitalized.

Aveeno Scalp Soothing Shampoo

Aveeno is known for the best quality products, and this shampoo is no exception.
It is rich in ingredients like oats that soften your hair and soothes your scalp.
You will find apple cider vinegar in the shampoo that adds volume to your hair and clarifies your scalp.
This helps you get rid of impurities and build-ups to make your hair clean.
The shampoo is a sulfate-free, paraben-free formula, and hence anyone can use it without any reservations.

IGK First Class Charcoal Shampoo

The very name of this shampoo indicates what it does for your hair. The charcoal-infused shampoo detoxifies your hair and drives away all the dirt and residue from your hair.
This is one of the best clarifying shampoos that begin by cleansing your scalp and soothing it as the residues and build-ups are eliminated.
It does not weigh down your hair and makes it odorless too.
This shampoo will soak it all, no matter how oily and greasy your scalp is.

Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo

Do you prefer to get your lustrous tresses back? Then, use the Bumble and Bumble shampoo and get sparkling clean hair on the go.
If your hair needs deep cleansing, then this is the product you should be eyeing.
It helps you thoroughly cleanse your scalp and get your tresses back to life. They make your hair more vibrant and healthy-looking.
You can also use this shampoo to prepare your hair before any treatment.

Conclusion

So here you are with a list of the top and most effective shampoos and conditioners for soft water. These products will make your flat, limp hair poofy again.
If you want to restore your hair’s shine, thickness, and moisture, opt for the right products.
One of the best ways to combat soft water is to use the shampoo and conditioner specifically formulated for them.
By doing so, you will be able to eliminate oil and residue from your hair and have beautiful tresses that smile.
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Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_water#:~:text=Soft%20water%20is%20surface%20water,impervious%20and%20calcium%2Dpoor%20rocks.
https://skinkraft.com/blogs/articles/how-to-determine-your-hair-type
https://www.healthline.com/health/hair-loss-prevention#3