In the big, wide world of wellness, even the most innocuous of objects may prove to be hazardous to your health. In recent times, it seems even water is not spared from scrutiny—with health buffs speaking up on the negative effects it imparts on an individual’s skin and hair. The solution, it seems, arises in the form of a shower head filter. Imagine a built-in sieve designed to reduce the presence and amount of irritating substances, where it is able to weed out nasties in the vein of lead and microplastics. The question, however, remains: is there any accuracy to this accusation?
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Funnily enough, the short answer is yes. “Water does contain disinfectants such as chlorine and chloramine,” elaborates Dr Evelyn Tay, founder and consultant dermatologist at Lumine Dermatology and Laser Clinic. However, that’s not to say it’s detrimental to your overall wellbeing. “While chlorine is a potential skin irritant, the role of chlorine on the skin, for example, in atopic eczema is unknown. Studies have not shown an inconsistent association between exposure to chlorine from swimming in childhood with the incidence of atopic eczema. In fact, the effects of chlorine on skin barrier dysfunction is less profound than the hardness of water.”
What does hard water actually mean?
“Minerals such as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate are found in our water. It also determines the hardness of the water,” states Dr Tay. “This is often determined by the geography of where the water is obtained from. Removing calcium and magnesium carbonate from water has been shown to reduce the deposition of irritative substances such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) that is left on the skin post shower,” she goes on to add. “In general, hard water is more alkaline. A higher pH on the skin is associated with an increase in breakdown of natural lipids in the skin, which play an important role in supporting skin barrier function. Hard water has also been shown to thin and weaken the hair shaft, as compared to deionized water.
So, does a shower head filter help with this situation?
Not according to Dr Tay. “A shower head filter mainly removes minerals such as chlorine from water. You see, chlorine is often added to water as part of the disinfection process in water plants. However, a shower head filter does not change the hardness of water; a factor which is accounted for by the concentration of calcium and magnesium in water.”
Are there any ways to go about reducing the hardness of water, then?
There are water softener systems and devices out there that do the trick. Homeware brand, 3M, for instance, touts a version which claims to produce brighter clothing, cleaner dishes, as well as less detergent consumption. “Removing hard minerals like calcium and magnesium will, essentially, better improve the pH of water and reduce irritation risk from shower materials such as SLS,” Dr Tay further explains. “It may also improve the hair quality in those who have brittle and dry hair.”
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Does this mean that there are no proven benefits for using a shower head filter?
Not exactly. While a shower head filter won’t do as much in improving the complexions of individuals with normal skin types, Dr Tay is quick to point out that it is still beneficial for those with more dry, sensitive skin, particularly if they experience flare-ups after swimming.
“Incorporating a shower head filter into your regime does reduce chlorine concentration in bathing water, and it is proven that chlorine can potentially irritate the skin of those who have atopic dermatitis,” she says. “It also has a potential drying effect by affecting the ability of the stratum corneum—that is, the outer layer of the skin—to retain water.”
