What Are the Health Benefits of a Shower Filter?

We know that drinking plenty of good quality filtered water has fantastic benefits for our health but every time we stand under a shower we are potentially exposing our skin, hair and lungs to the chemicals and limescale that are present in the water. So let's dive deeper in the shower filter benefits:

Minimize exposure to chlorine & harmful chemicals

Our hair has natural oils that chemicals can strip leaving it dull and dry whilst hard water can leave deposits on our hair making it feel scratchy and straw-like.

The warm or hot water of our showers causes the pores of our skin to open which allows increased absorption of chlorine and other chemicals into our bodies, which can irritate skin resulting in dryness or eczema.

Not only do we absorb these chemicals through the pores of our skin, but also through the vapour we inhale as we shower. Worryingly, the steam that we inhale while showering can contain up to 20 times more chlorine and other synthetic chemicals than tap water contains. This is because the toxic chemicals in tap water vaporize at lower temperatures and much faster than water. 

It is this harmful combination of inhalation plus skin and hair exposure that mean showering without filtered water can result in a negative impact on our bodies.

What effects will a shower filter have on our skin?

It can quickly improve the symptoms of dry skin, acne, eczema & other skin conditions.

Chlorine is a strong chemical which is used to kill pathogens in our water but it can also damage the delicate microbiome on our skin. We need a balance of good bacteria to keep our skin healthy.

Alongside hard water, it has a drying effect on the skin and therefore encourages the sebaceous glands to produce excess sebum (fatty matter) which can clog pores and cause reactions such as eruptions and acne. This drying of the skin can also cause irritation, redness and tenderness, causing or worsening psoriasis or eczema. By reducing our skin's exposure to chlorine and chemicals, our skin will be more hydrated, healthier and less irritated.

How your hair and skin react

The structure of the hair is very sensitive to dryness because the hair cuticle has a natural coating of sebum (oil)  which chlorine and other chemicals remove. By drastically reducing the exposure of the hair to chlorine and chemicals with a shower filter, the hair can naturally produce sebum in the long term which has the effect of improving the hydration of the hair. 

Filtered shower water has an almost immediate effect as the water will begin to remove the limescale residue from your hair from the very first wash. Showering with filtered water can also help to treat dandruff and make your hair softer, silkier and shinier.

What effects will a shower filter have on your breathing and respiratory health?

The inhalation of chlorine and chemical fumes is a well known cause of the intense irritation of the tissues of our lungs and it is suspected that it is one of the main causes of asthma and bronchitis.
When our lungs inhale chemicals, they enter the blood stream directly. The negative effects are intensified as our kidneys and liver do not have the chance to filter the toxins out.

Research has found that by-products from chlorine and other chemicals are released via shower vapours into the air in our homes. One of these by-products are trihalomethanes which are a type of chloroform – the same stuff they use in movies to knock people unconscious!

By installing a shower filter we can dramatically decrease the chemicals in our bathroom and home, making it a safer and cleaner environment for everyone.

Are there any other benefits of a shower filter?

Our Invigorated Water shower head filters have some added benefits: Zeolite is used to remove fluoride and heavy metals whilst allowing the healthy minerals to stay in our water. Maifan is added to our filters to add extra healthy minerals such as zinc and magnesium and Tourmaline is used to increase the PH of the water to take it to a healthier alkaline state.

Our shower head filter (PH Rejuvenate) goes one step further with the addition of a Vitamin C block that not only reduces chlorine but adds a delicious citrus fragrance to the water making your shower invigorating and energizing. The addition of much smaller water holes on the shower head creates gratifyingly high water pressure whilst using 35% less water than a traditional shower head.