Here's Why You Should Invest In A Shower Filter

You probably know that your daily shower plays a role in the health and appearance of your skin and hair. But did you know that smoother, softer, and healthier hair and skin might actually be just as much dependent on the water you shower in as the products you slather on? Because this is the case, a shower filter could make all the difference in the quality of your skin and strands. So if you feel like you keep trying new products to heal concerns like body acne, dry skin, or dry hair to no avail; it might not be that your hair and skin is simply "just like that." Rather, the water you bathe in could be creating problems you wouldn't normally have. But why is this?

CLEAR Scalp & Hair dermatologist Dr. Francesca Fusco lets me in on some of the damaging effects of hard water over email: "If a person has a condition — like eczema, psoriasis, chronically dry skin or is using acne medications which cause dryness — hard water could exacerbate the problem by leaving it drier, scaly, and with residue. The hard water can be irritating to some sensitive skin too." Dr. Fusco even mentions that many of her patients' skin issues developed after moving to an area with hard water. So not only can bathing in hard water worsen existing skin concerns, there's even a chance of developing new concerns.

As if that weren't enough, unfiltered water can also negatively impact hair health. Dr. Fusco explains, "Depending on where you live, water can be "hard" meaning it contains minerals and oxidizers which can leave hair feeling sticky and dry. Calcium, magnesium, silica, and iron can deposit too, leaving a residue that can make your hair dry and your scalp dry and flaky." Yeesh. And as sufferers of dry hair know, it has a tendency to become frizzy more easily and also incur damage and breakage more easily. So filtering these minerals out of water can help make the hair and scalp less dry (and therefore less prone to damage)— all without a pricey new conditioning treatment.

Unfortunately though, dry skin and hair aren't the only issues that can come from showering in unfiltered water. As CLEAR Scalp & Hair Celebrity Stylist Riawna Capri tells me, the large amounts of minerals found in hard water can create product buildup. For hair, this means that necessary moisture, oils, and other other nutrients cannot properly penetrate, making it look dull and dirty. For skin, this means higher chances of irritation and clogged pores.

So if simply adding a shower filter means better skin and hair without having to spend more and more money on different products... well I'm certainly on the market for one now. If you are too, here are a few of the best to try:

1.

Raindrops Shower Head with Filter, $120, Raindrops901

A six-step filtration system totally purifies water for fresh hair and skin.

2.

Culligan Wall-Mount FilteredShowerhead, $31, Amazon

A patented filter reduces 99 percent of chlorine for healthier hair and skin.

3.

OPUS Aroma Sense Aromatherapy Vitamin C Handheld Shower Head, $80, A mazon

A Vitamin C concentrate replenishes this essential vitamin for healthier hair and skin.

Happy showering, everyone!

Image: paultarasenko/Fotolia; Courtesy of Brands