Do you ever wash your hair on holidays – or away from your home anyway – and think to yourself – wow, my hair feels really different?

In Ireland, water hardness is a natural characteristic of much of our drinking water supply. Hard water contains high levels of natural minerals absorbed from rock and soil, something which reflects the geological characteristics of our landscape. My 11-year-old niece said it well a few weeks ago when she visited from Norway: "Why does water taste thicker in Ireland than at home?" And she is not wrong – Ireland's water is indeed harder than many other places due to the mineral content in the ground, and I definitely taste more limescale in the water here in Ireland than when I am drinking water at home in Scandinavia – even with bottled water. This is no problem for our health – 'hard water' is just as hydrating and refreshing as softer water, but did you know one area where it actually can wreck a bit of havoc is your hair?

Hard water hair

Hard water can take its toll on our hair, leaving it both limp, dull and brittle. As well as that, the high mineral content in the water here, both from the ground and also pipeline erosion, can result in hair colour going brassy or discoloured much quicker too, something you don't want to happen when you have just spent a fortune at getting your colour done. What’s more, the buildup of those minerals and metals can be a large reason your colour service at the salon doesn’t turn out the way you hoped. It can affect the outcome of your salon service and the vibrancy of your hue between salon appointments. Basically, hard water is water that has a higher than usual concentration of minerals and metals like calcium and iron – and here in Ireland, we have a lot of iron in our water. Enter L’Oreal Professionnel’s Metal Detox Shampoo and Hair Mask – a brand new duo that helps detoxify the hair of metals (caused by the minerals in hard water).

Cleansing the hair of excess metal (copper) deposits will help maintain your colour vibrancy and enhance shine. The science of L’Oreal's new Metal Detox products is brand new, and pretty much everyone who has used it reports the same thing: Softer hair, more vibrant colour, less discolouring, more shine and overall hair that feels healthier and less brittle and dry.

Having used the shampoo and mask for a couple of weeks now, I notice it too. I usually only wash my hair twice a week, and am now alternating between my regular shampoo for dry hair, and the L’Oreal's Metal Detox one, which I was told is enough. You could even, according to L’Oreal, go twice with your regular shampoo and then every third wash, opt for the Metal Detox one, and this will suffice to get the effect.

Ever since I moved to Ireland from Scandinavia, my hair has not felt its usual glossy, soft self – something I am 100 percent putting down to the water. But this shampoo and mask literally transformed it – even just after one wash, I saw a huge difference. My long, balayaged hair has felt softer, smoother, and my colour has remained glossy and vibrant.

And I know many will argue that there is already Olaplex, and they have seen a real difference in their hair from that – but trust me, I have used Olaplex too – and this tops the effect of that, both in how my hair feels and also when it comes to the way it really brings out the glossiness of the colour – it is in a league of its own.