Hydrate Your H2O. Preserve Your Skin
10 REASONS TO USE A SHOWER FILTER
1. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that every household in the United States has elevated levels of chloroform in the air due to chlorine released from showering water.
2. Tap water often contains at least as much, if not more, chlorine than is recommended for use in swimming pools.
3. More chlorine enters the body through dermal absorption and inhalation while showering than through drinking tap water.
4. The chlorine in showering water has harsh, drying effects on skin and hair.
5. Skin pores widen while showering, making dermal absorption of chlorine and other chemicals possible.
6. The chlorine in showering water can cause rashes and other skin irritations when absorbed by the skin.
7. Chemicals in showering water vaporize at a much faster rate than the actual water. Thus, the steam in a shower contains a much higher concentration of chemicals than the water itself.
8. Inhaled chemicals make their way into the bloodstream much more quickly than ingested chemicals, without the added filtration benefits of digestion.
9. More water contaminants are released into the air of a home from the shower than from any other source.
10. Chlorine is a suspected cause of breast cancer. Women suffering from breast cancer are all found to have 50-60 percent more chlorine in their breast tissue than healthy women.
Did you know that more chemicals enter the body through inhalation of steam while showering than from drinking water? A recent report in the American Journal of Public Health linked chlorine to significant increases in certain types of cancer and stated that “up to two-thirds of the harmful exposure was due to skin absorption and inhalation while showering.” A warm shower opens the pores of the skin and allows a high rate of absorption of chlorine and other chemicals. The steam we inhale while showering can contain up to twenty times more chlorine and synthetic chemicals than tap water due to the fact that these chemicals vaporize at a lower temperature and at a much faster rate than does water.
Chlorine and other chemical vapors are known to be strong irritants to the tissues in our lungs and a suspected cause of asthma and bronchitis. When chemicals are inhaled into the lungs they enter directly into the blood stream and can have magnified effects relative to ingested chemicals that are partially filtered by digestion.
Chlorine strips the natural protective oils from skin and hair, causing excess drying. In addition to the obvious health benefits of showering in chemical-free water, there are noticeable cosmetic benefits as well. Anyone who has ever gone swimming in a chlorinated pool can understand the harsh drying effect that chlorine has on your skin and hair. Without the effects of chlorine and other chemicals found in tap water, your skin and hair retain moisture for a younger, healthier look and feel.
References:
- Information provided directly by Aquasana Home Water Filters; shower filter pamphlet.
- Information directly referenced from www.allaboutwater.org/shower-filter.html
