A new map by cosmetic comparison company Cosmetify has revealed the types of tap water across the UK and how this could be having long-term effects on our skin without us even realising.
Have you ever washed your hands, or taken a shower in another part of the country and felt like it’s left your skin feeling or looking different?
Believe it or not, this could actually be the case due to the differing ‘hardness’ of the water.
Essentially, water may contain more or less dissolved minerals – such as magnesium and calcium – which in turn, can clog your pores and leave your skin feeling dry, and the more dissolved minerals a water supply contains, means that the water is considered to be harder.
In the short term, hard water can leave your skin feeling dry, flaky and itchy, it could also lead to breakouts of acne and eczema, and it can even affect your hair too by giving it a dull appearance. Over a prolonged period of time though, hard water can form ‘free radicals’ – which break down your skin’s collagen and cause it to sag and form fine lines and wrinkles – making you look older.
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Skin care specialists often say that the best way to protect yourself from the adverse effects of hard water is to install a water softener, which is a device that ‘softens’ the water to make it easier to rinse off soap and prevent the harmful residue.
Here in Manchester though – according to the new Cosmetify map – we are considered to have a soft water supply.
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But what does actually his mean for our skin though?
Cosmetify
Whilst we are told that hard water is the most damaging water type, soft water isn’t getting off scot-free.
It has lead skin care experts and top dermatologists to say that, whether we’re aware of it or not, Manchester’s water supply could too be having a detrimental and even damaging effect to our skin, especially for those with oily skin types.
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Luckily though, advice is on tap to help Mancunians look after their skin in the best way possible and it’s all thanks to a new interactive tool – The Water Effect by Cosmetify – which will not only tell you the water hardness in your area, but also give you recommendations that are dependent on your skin type in order to keep it as glowing as possible.
This expert advice comes from leading Dermatologist Vikram Rajkomar of Pall Mall Medical.
If you live in a soft water area, such as Manchester and have oily skin, Vikram says: “With your skin type, this may give your skin a greasy texture. Our recommendation is to keep on top of your skin care, making sure to cleanse at least twice a day to reduce the oils on the skin, but don’t scrub the skin as this can cause it to dry out”.
Keen to find out more?
You can view the full research and discover the water type in your area here.
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Greater Manchester shoppers can take part in a real-life supermarket sweep competition
Emily Sergeant
Aldi is giving Greater Manchester shoppers the chance to take part in a real-life supermarket sweep for charity.
Building on the success of Aldi Scotland’s long-running initiative – which has raised more than £60,000 for charity over the past decade – Aldi is bringing its successful ‘Supermarket Sweep’ fundraiser to England and Wales for the first time, and shoppers from across Greater Manchester will have the chance to take part for a brilliant cause.
10 winners will be selected to take part in the challenge at their local Aldi store, racing against the clock to fill their trolley with Aldi products in just five minutes.
Once the dash is complete, Aldi will donate the full value of each winning trolley to Teenage Cancer Trust, helping to support young people with cancer across the UK.
Unfamiliar with Supermarket Sweep the TV show? This is how it works.
Shoppers can take part in a real-life supermarket sweep competition / Credit: Aldi
The game consists of three teams of two, each with a clock that starts with 60 seconds on it. The teams then attempt to add as much time as possible to their clock by answering questions and riddles posed by the host. The time they accumulate determines how long they have in the ‘Big Sweep’ round to run around a studio mock-up of a supermarket, collecting shopping items.
The team with the shopping trolley filled with items of the most value wins the chance to enter the final ‘Super Sweep’ prize round.
Speaking as entries to the unique competition open this week, Julie Ashfield, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, said: “Our customers are always incredibly supportive of the causes we champion, and we’re pleased to be bringing this much-loved fundraising initiative to England and Wales for the first time.
“We can’t wait to give shoppers the opportunity to put their trolley-dashing skills to the test, while helping to raise vital funds for Teenage Cancer Trust. Every pound raised will help the charity continue providing specialist care and support to young people with cancer when they need it most.”
The competition is now open, with entries closing at 23:59 on Tuesday 4 August.
To enter, you’ll simply need to email [email protected] with your details for the chance to win, and you can find all the terms and conditions here.
Featured Image – Aldi
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England given potential advantage against Norway after reports of illness in World Cup camp
Danny Jones
England may have just been given a potential advantage ahead of the 2026 World Cup quarter-final against Norway, as it’s said that multiple players have been feeling sick of late.
Now, we’d never wish illness upon anyone… BUT, you certainly won’t hear us complaining about this one.
Yes, according to head coach Ståle Solbakken, some of his teammates haven’t been at their best over the last few days, but he has assured supporters that everyone is recovering well.
Speaking to the media before the upcoming clash, the manager said: “We’ve really only had Jorgen [Strand Larsen of Crystal Palace] who has had a fever, but then there’s been a bit of coughing and rasping scattered throughout [the national squad].”
He’s also admitted the Three Lions will be a tough challenge.
However, the initially reported ‘sickness bug’ is now being played down, with Solbakken noting that with his wider travelling camp having to contend with temperatures, altitude, air conditioning, flights, “changing rooms and all that […] it would be strange if something or other didn’t crop up.”
So, while it may have been exaggerated to a degree, they’ve certainly not been 100%.
The Scandinavian outfit are based at a training complex in Greensboro, North Carolina for this year’s World Cup – their first in nearly three decades – and have had to fly all across the United States for their matches in Boston, New York and Dallas thus far.
Once again, though, even the team doctor has told Norwegian press that the claims have been blown out of proportion, citing “very little fuss considering that we have been close together for almost six weeks”, and insisting that “all players are healthy now”.
Even James Corden was quizzing the opposition on the claims ahead of the fixture:
When asked about the truth in the headlines by domestic news outlet Nettavisen, he even went on to add: “So great that they believe this. We are in control.”
So perhaps there is a bit of sensationalism and/or gamesmanship at work, but that won’t stop us from hoping for a second that there’s even a shred of weakness to be capitalised on.
It remains to be seen just what condition both teams are in after the respective round of 16 thrillers – especially Thomas Tuchel’s side, who had to do it the hard way with 10 men against Mexico in that exhausting first knockout tie – but we’ll take whatever glimmer of hope we can that luck is on our side.
And regardless, it’s given England fans online plenty of material to have some fun with ahead of what is no doubt set to be another very long and stressful night this weekend.
Emily Sergeant -
27th August 2020 
