Filtered Shower Heads

In the past two years, I've shared many health tips on this blog, many of which I learned from my mom growing up, especially in regard to nutrition.

The information I plan to share in future posts here, I've learned in more recent years. (in turn, my mom has learned some things from me; it's been fun to share information with each other.) The coming posts are fun ones for me to share about. 

One of those things has been filtered shower heads. What are filtered shower heads? And why are they important in regards to health?    

Two years ago, I wrote a post here about the importance of drinking water. Not only is drinking water important, but drinking pure water is very important for good health which I shared here.  

Did you know that, when you shower or bathe (or go swimming), your skin absorbs that water? I never thought about that much before, but it's true. Our skin is the largest organ of our body. Our skin absorbs water and whatever we put on it. 

Most Americans (about 80 %) live in urban areas, in cities or towns, which means that most Americans have city water which has been treated with chemicals to help kill bad bacteria and other stuff. Because our city water is treated with certain chemicals, like chlorine and fluoride and other harsh chemicals, that makes it not so good to drink or shower in. Why? Your skin absorbs those bad chemicals. For real. 

Having clean, treated water works for washing dishes and doing laundry; no big deal there. 

But when it comes to you, the water that goes into you, namely, the water you drink and the water you shower in, is important. 

If you live in the country and have well water and not city water, then you are probably fine. But if you live in the city and have city water like most Americans, purchasing a shower head with a filter in it is a very good idea for better health. I personally think that every American home, in a town or a city, should come with filtered shower heads installed. 

Last year, I went to our local "Lowe's" Home Improvement store and purchased a very nice shower head by the brand Sprite that included a filter in it. It specifically filters out chlorine and fluoride. There are other very good brands of filtered shower heads out there that I'm sure you can find online on Amazon or in other stores like Home Depot. 

This brand offered two different shower head types to choose from - the standard, screw on type or the handheld type (both of them with 7 different settings!). Both types came with a filter that needs to be changed twice a year. (every six months) With tax, the standard, filtered, shower head cost me about $40. I went home and unscrewed our old shower head and screwed my new one onto our shower neck. 

This is the nice, standard shower head
I purchased last year from Lowe’s. 

They also offer this brand in a
"hand held" shower head with a hose. 

I could hardly wait to take a shower. After I did, the difference was amazing! My skin and hair felt so much softer. Why? I no longer had fluoride and chlorine in my skin and hair! I can guarantee, the fluoride and chlorine in our water wasn't just affecting my skin and hair, it was also going into my body through my skin. That does affect you after awhile, even if you don't realize it. 

Did you notice what is printed on both packages above? "For softer hair and skin" it says. They have that printed on there for a reason. 

Now, a year and a half later, I can also see the difference inside our shower. We have a cloth, shower curtain with an inside, plastic liner to keep the water inside the tub. Our cheap, white, plastic shower liner always used to turn a yucky pink red color after awhile. Usually, once a year, we would purchase a new liner at Walmart for about $10. But now, that yucky pink, red film is no longer on our shower liner - clear proof that our shower filter works! 

Perhaps you're still wondering if city water is really all that bad to shower in? 

I was in California earlier this year, working for friends for almost 3 months. California city water is some of the worst. (I know because we used to live in California years ago) California water is loaded with chemicals and other stuff. When I showered there, I could literally feel some of those chemicals and sediments on my skin and in my hair after I showered. It was undeniable.  

 

Recently, one of my brothers got a humidifier of his ready to use in his room this winter. (we live in a dry state) Before filling the small tank up with water (our standard, tap water), he noticed dried junk from the previous year inside of it. It shocked him, and as he cleaned it up, we could not believe all the junk that came out of that small humidifier. That was clear proof to us just how bad city water can be. (and our city water is considered "good" compared to some other places in the nation)  

Don't own a home, but rent instead? No big deal. Simply unscrew the shower head that is in the home you are renting, store that shower head in a safe place, and screw on your new, filtered shower head! Whenever you move, you can take your filtered shower head with you and screw the original shower head back on before you leave. It's that simple.  

And as a side note: I marvel at some of the shower heads people put up with and use. Some of them spray in all four directions of the shower while completely missing the person that is attempting to take a shower. Other shower heads barely work, spraying like a gentle mist from heaven. Under such conditions, trying to even get wet can take awhile. Other shower heads shoot out like a loaded, repetitive gun while the person attempting to shower gets out as quickly as possible to avoid further injury. (I’ve taken showers in scenarios mentioned above) Because showering is a necessary part of life, I personally think that showering should be enjoyable, not frustrating or painful.   

For me, some of the best investments I've made for my health have been using a glass water bottle to drink from (which I paid about $10 for at Target) and using a filtered, shower head for showering. (which I paid about $40 for at Lowe's.) Twice a year, I go to Lowe's to purchase a new shower filter which costs about $10, so about $20 a year. But it is so worth it. 

Water is important, very important. Water is part of the stuff of life.  

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, and I have no medical training. The things I share on this blog are simple, practical things that I've learned help with good health.