If you're suffering from irritated skin or lacklustre hair then it could be to do with the water quality in your area.
A recent study by Homecure Plumbers looked into the water quality across England and Wales and discovered the results varied massively depending on where in the country you live.
The research analysed government-backed and water authority data as well information from experts to come up with a map of hard and soft water areas. It also looked into the levels of nitrates, aluminium and turbidity.
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Hard water contains calcium and magnesium which can irritate skin, affect our hair colour and play havoc on household appliances such as kettles, shower-heads and boilers.
It can affect the performance of certain soaps and can cause hair dye to fade faster. A high level of calcium ions in water can even change the colour of the hair dye.
The research found that nine of the areas analysed had 'very hard water', the majority found in East Anglia, the East Midlands and the South East.
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You may find yourself using up more product in hard water areas too. Soft water lathers quickly with soap, meaning you use less product whereas hard water is unable to lather properly. It instead forms a level of 'soap scum' that lingers on shower-heads, taps and our skin.
"Overall though, the biggest issue with hard water is most definitely its effects on skin and hair," says Brian Campbell, from Water Filter Guru.
"If you shower in hard water daily, you may experience dry, brittle hair that's prone to breaking, and dry, itchy skin that's prone to breakouts."
At the other end of the scale, the West of England, Wales, the South West and the North East has the softest water.
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Flintshire and Denbigshire were found to have the lowest average rate of impurities in their water, closely followed by Shropshire and Powys. South London, East Surrey and West Kent had the highest level of impurities.
You can view the full results here.
Anyone fancy moving to Shropshire?
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