Hard water

I have that problem too so I'll be interested in some of the other answers, but because of that, my responce is going to be a little different.
I'd say just make sure you're doing everything else right. Some shampoos actually help remove moneral deposites which might help. Remember, regular trims, healthy diet, no cones or laurel/laureths in your shampoos, and keep tangles to a minimum.

Hello "Amazing Grace," and welcome to the Long Hair support board!

Yes, I do have a suggestion on how to combat the hard water problem. Purchase gallon plastic jugs of distilled or purified water. Into a clean and empty jug, I pour about 1/4 of a gallon of the distilled/purified water, and about 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Swish around a bit, and keep it nearby to where you are washing your hair. When you have finished washing & conditioning, and have rinsed out the conditioner (and squeezed out the excess water), carefully and slowly pour the vinegar-laced water onto your head, until your hair is soaked with it. Let it sit for 30 seconds, then squeeze out the excess water. Your hair may smell slightly of vinegar until it dries, but after it dries, your hair will be cleaner and softer.

The water where I used to live was fairly hard. Now, the water is only somewhat hard, but I still use this trick. Another plus is that it seems to keep my hair & scalp cleaner for longer.

Renee, your water is soft if you use just a little bit of soap on your hands, and you rinse and rinse and rinse and it still feels slippery. It typically requires an in-home water softener to get this effect. The upside (aside from having softer hair) is that you can cut way back on the amount of soap, shampoo and detergents that you use in your home.