Shower and Bath Filters
Reviews and Recommendations
by Nancy Hearn, CNC
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
One of the main reasons to consider using shower and bath filters for tap water is because of our daily exposure to chlorine and chlorine by-products.
Many people understand the cumulative health risks associated with drinking chlorinated water over a period of many months and years.
However, what many do not realize is that we have an even greater potential for toxic exposure to chlorine, chlorine by-products, and other chemicals by way of our daily shower or bath than we do with drinking unfiltered tap water.
Shower and Bath Filters Remove Chlorine
One of the reasons we are at greater risk during showering and bathing is because chlorine vaporizes in a hot shower or bath and is then inhaled and transferred directly into the blood stream by way of the lungs.
According to Dr. John Andelman, Ph.D., in Bottom Line, August 1987, “A long, hot shower can be dangerous. The toxic chemicals are inhaled in high concentrations.”
In addition to inhalation, the chlorine is readily absorbed through your skin. When your shower water is hot (or even warm) this skin is more absorptive.
Thus, a five- to ten-minute shower or bath can equate to drinking up to a gallon of chlorinated tap water (unfiltered).
Another way to look at this is to realize that you might drink one-half gallon of water a day (eight 8-oz. glasses), but when you shower you expose yourself to 20 or 25 gallons of chlorinated water.
Health Risks of Chlorine and Its By-products
The biggest health issue related to chlorine has to do with the by-products that are formed when chlorine combines with organic matter in the water or in our bodies.
These harmful disinfection by-products (DBPs), such as trihalomethanes (THMs), have been shown to cause cancer in lab animals.
According to the Journal of Public Health, “Up to two-thirds of the harmful effects of chlorine are due to inhalation and skin absorption while showering.”
Scientific studies have also linked the long-term exposure of chlorine by-products to serious health conditions such as cancer of the bladder, stomach, colon and liver. High blood pressure, heart disease and allergies have also been linked to chlorine.
In addition to the health risks, chlorine strips the natural oils from your skin and hair, causing excess drying. Showering in chlorinated water can also break down hair dyes.
Shower and bath filters can significantly reduce your daily exposure to chlorine, chlorine by-products and other tap water contaminants.
In addition, the types of filters we recommend do not remove the natural occurring minerals in the water, which makes bathing much more pleasant and beneficial for skin and hair.
Shower and Bath Filters
Reviews and Recommendations
Our recommendations for shower and bath filters are based on personal experience, degree of filtration, water industry certifications, and customer reviews.
Shower Filter Reviews and Recommendations
Bath Water Filter Reviews and Recommendations
Editors Note: Please think seriously about the value of minimizing your family’s exposure to chlorine and its by-products!
If you only had $50 to $100 a year to spend on your health and prevention, I can’t think of a better way to invest that money than by getting a shower and/or bath filter(s) in your home.
You will get far more bang for your buck than you would get from investing the same amount in vitamins or other health supplements!
Further reading. . .
Chlorine in Drinking Water - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly News
How to Hydrate Your Skin - 4 Key Factors
Vitamin C Bath Filtration - To Remove Chlorine and Chloramines
Return from Shower and Bath Filters to Water Filter Reviews
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