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Name:   Nancy W.
Status:  other
Age:  40s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2000
Question:
What effect, if any, would my residential well water that has a ph of 5.5 have on my skin?

Replies:
Nancy,

It would have no more effect than tomato juice (fairly acidic at about pH 4) or black coffee ( about pH 5) or urine (about pH 5 to 7). Unpolluted rain has pH of about 6.2.

Thus, your well water isn't very harmful to your skin. In addition, many soaps and detergent-based bath bars are slightly alkaline (pH above 7). These materials do quite nicely in neutralizing water acidity.

The real downside of acidic well water has less to do with its effect on skin than on its ability to dissolve lead solder from plumbing pipes. Alkaline well water dissolves less lead. I hope I haven't converted a cosmetic concern to an environmental worry. I was just trying to provide some useful facts.

Regards,
ProfHoff


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