If you live in London and your skin feels tight after a shower, your hair looks dull, and limescale keeps creeping across your bathroom, your water is almost certainly to blame. London has some of the hardest water in the UK. Here is why, what it does to your skin and hair, and how a shower filter can help.

Is London's water hard?

Yes, very. London sits on chalk, and as rainwater filters through it the water picks up high levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium. Most of the capital is supplied by Thames Water, with parts of west and north London served by Affinity Water, and across nearly all of it the water is classed as hard to very hard.

That is great for a mineral-rich cup of tea, but tough on your skin, your hair and your bathroom.

What London's hard water does to your skin and hair

Hard water does not rinse away cleanly. The minerals react with soap and shower gel to leave a fine residue on your skin and hair, and London's tap water is also treated with chlorine to keep it safe. Together they can:

• Leave skin feeling tight, dry, itchy or irritated after showering
• Make eczema and sensitive skin harder to manage
• Leave hair dull, rough, frizzy and harder to style
• Fade colour-treated hair faster

If you have moved to London from a softer-water area, you may have noticed the change in your skin and hair almost immediately.

Hard water and limescale in London bathrooms

The same minerals that affect your skin also build up as limescale on your shower screen, taps, tiles and shower head. In a hard-water city like London it comes back fast, no matter how often you clean.

How a shower filter helps in London

You cannot change London's water supply, but you can change the water you shower in. A whole-home water softener removes the hardness minerals entirely, but it is an expensive, plumbed-in job, and tricky if you rent.

For most Londoners, a shower filter is the quick, affordable answer. The Clossyo Original shower filter screws onto your existing shower in about five minutes, no tools and no plumber, which makes it ideal for London flats and rented homes. Its KDF-55 and activated carbon media reduce chlorine by up to 99% along with heavy metals and sediment, so your skin feels softer, your hair looks healthier, and scale build-up on your fittings is reduced. If you like a calming scent, the Lavender Scented version uses the same filtration.

How to check your London water and spot the signs

London is hard-water across the board, but hardness can vary slightly by borough and supplier. To check your exact area, use our free water report tool, just enter your postcode. You can also spot the everyday signs at home:

• Limescale returning quickly on your kettle, taps and shower screen
• Shower gel and soap that will not lather well
• Skin that feels tight or itchy after washing
• Hair that feels rough or looks dull

Want the bigger picture? See our guide to hard water areas across the UK.

The bottom line

London's water is hard, and it takes a daily toll on your skin, hair and bathroom. You cannot soften the whole supply without a costly install, but a shower filter is a five-minute upgrade that makes the water you actually shower in noticeably gentler, from your very first wash.

Living with London's hard water? Explore the Clossyo Original and Lavender Scented shower filters, both with a 30-day money-back guarantee and free UK delivery over £35.