Are you struggling with using excessive shampoo and body wash just to get a decent lather and still dealing with coarse, dry hair and skin? You’re not alone. If your hair and skin are lacking, you might be dealing with hard water, which impacts 85% of Americans. Hard water is loaded with minerals, metals, and other contaminants that can wreak havoc on hair and skin, exacerbating conditions like eczema, dandruff, and dermatitis.
From dryness and irritation to dull appearance and sensitivity, the effects of hard water are all too real. Let’s look at how hard water affects our skin and hair and answer a burning question: are filtered shower heads worth it?
What's the difference Between Hard and Soft Water?
The difference between hard and soft water isn’t just about how it feels; it’s about how it treats your skin and hair. No matter the GPM (gallons per minute) flow rate of your free-standing or handheld shower head, water hardness can transform your overall shower experience. Here’s how hard and soft water impact your daily bathing experience.
Hard Water
Reverse osmosis water filtration systems are the bulkiest options, but they are also the most powerful. With multiple stages of filtration, including sediment and carbon filters, water goes through an intricate process to ensure that clean water comes out of your taps. It also has a membrane that further filters out any harmful chemicals, allowing only filtered water to continue through the system while returning the contaminated water to the drain.
The reverse osmosis system requires a separate faucet to connect to the filtered water tank, so your technician will need to drill a hole in your sink to install it. Alternatively, if your sink has an existing opening for a soap dispenser, your technician can mount your faucet here.
Like the inline filtration system, your reverse osmosis filter and tank fit under your sink, making it easily accessible to replace the filter approximately once a year.
Reverse osmosis water filtration is a great option for those who want extensive water treatment. It gives peace of mind that the water you consume is free of harmful chemicals and metals. Some systems also have a built-in tank that gathers the filtered water, meaning you’ll have water reserves if your supply is interrupted.
Soft Water
Now, picture water that’s been treated using a shower water filter to remove those minerals, giving you a gentler, soap-friendly bathing experience. Soap lathers up beautifully with soft water, making it easier to rinse away dirt and grime without leaving residue behind. Your skin feels softer, and your hair feels smoother after a shower with soft water – no more battling with the combo of dryness and mineral buildup.
What Are the Effects of Hard Water on Skin and Hair?
If you’ve been struggling to maintain healthy-looking skin and hair, consider checking your water quality – it could be the missing piece of the puzzle. Here are some of the effects of hard water on your skin, hair, and even your nails.
Dry Skin and Broken Nails
When hard water meets your skin, it can strip away natural oils, leaving your skin feeling dry, tight, and sometimes even itchy. The minerals in hard water can also clog pores, leading to breakouts and irritation. If you’ve been dealing with stubborn dry patches or sensitivity, hard water might be the culprit. It can also wreak havoc on your nails, leaving them brittle and prone to breakage.
Lifeless, Coarse Locks
Hard water can be a real buzzkill for your hair. The minerals in hard water can build up on your strands, leaving them looking dull and lifeless. It can also make your hair more prone to breakage and split ends, which is definitely not the look anyone wants. If your hair feels straw-like or lacks its usual bounce, hard water might be to blame.
The good news? There are solutions out there, like anti-scale filters, that can help soften hard water and give your skin and hair the love they deserve.
What Are Shower Filters?
Shower filters keep your bathing experience clean and safe by tackling impurities and contaminants that lurk in our water supply. The best shower filter is designed with a specific mission:
• To target substances like chlorine, heavy metals such as lead and mercury, and cloudy sediments that can make our water look less than appealing
• To infuse your water with healthy minerals
But do filtered shower heads work? Well, they elevate the quality of your bathing water to make it gentler and kinder to your body. By reducing chlorine levels – commonly added to municipal water for disinfection purposes but not so friendly to our skin and hair – shower filters help offset the downsides of chlorinated water exposure. Plus, they’re on duty to minimize the risk of encountering heavy metals that might sneak into our water due to environmental factors or aging infrastructure.
In a nutshell, shower filters are the frontline defenders against water contaminants, acting as a protective shield between you and potentially harmful substances. They offer a straightforward yet effective way to elevate our bathing experience and ensure cleaner, safer water for your daily showers.
Do Shower Filters Work for Hard Water?
If you’ve been googling, “Do hard water shower filters work?” we’re here to tell you shower filters do a great job of lessening the negative effects of hard water versus even the best shower head. There’s no such thing as a universal shower filter. You need to invest in multi-layer filters, with each layer doing a different job.
Let’s break it down.
Smart Filtration
Shower filters use a mix of smart filtration methods to tackle those pesky minerals and pollutants lurking in your water. Mechanical filtration kicks things off by physically trapping larger impurities and sediments, ensuring they don’t stand a chance in your shower. Layers like PP cotton and stainless steel come into play at this stage, helping to produce clarified water.
Activated Carbon
Next up, activated carbon (made from sustainable coconut shell) filters swoop in to adsorb organic compounds and dial down chlorine and chloramine levels. This is crucial because chlorine can be a real culprit, causing dryness and irritation to your skin and hair.
Kinetic Degradation Fluxion
But wait, there’s more! Specialized filtration media like kinetic degradation fluxion (KDF, for example, KDF-55) and calcium sulfate step onto the scene to target those specific minerals that make water hard, like calcium and magnesium ions. When used in a shower filter, KDF works its magic by transforming soluble heavy metals into forms that can be easily filtered out, reducing their concentration in your water and lessening the not-so-nice impact hard water gives.
KDF, however, does not soften water and is not a substitute for a water-softening system. Meanwhile, calcium sulfate acts as a water softener, helping to precipitate excess minerals and make your water more skin-friendly.
Are Filtered Shower Heads Worth it?
Filtered shower heads are a game-changer when it comes to dealing with the effects of hard water. They bring a whole new level of goodness to your shower, making your skin and hair feel happier and healthier. They reduce the dryness and irritation caused by hard water, leaving you with silky smooth skin, plus hair that is easier to manage and looks fabulous.
Softer Skin and Hair
Filtered shower heads work their magic by tackling excess minerals and impurities in hard water. This helps soften your skin and hair, making them more manageable and less prone to dryness and brittleness.
Layers of natural minerals and specialized filtration in shower filters create water that acts as a refreshing spa treatment for your skin and hair. These layers include:
• High-purity copper and zinc - for reducing contaminants
• Alkaline balls - for boosting pH and adding traces of healthy minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, and selenium, back into the water. (Discover more about the benefits of alkaline water).
• Maifan stone - a special mineral rock used for centuries to treat various skin diseases
• Silver ion balls - a natural antibacterial agent
Good for Sensitive Skin
Does anyone in your family have sensitive skin? Filtered shower heads are your new best friend. They deliver a calibrated balance of beneficial elements, including vitamin C - soothing dry, itchy skin and breathing new life into dull hair.
Enhanced Respiratory Health
By reducing chlorine levels and filtering out those sneaky bacteria, Brio shower filters go beyond the call of duty to give you healthier water. Take a deep breath and enjoy that fresh, clean feeling.
So, if you’re asking are shower filters worth it, take it from us – it’s like treating yourself to a spa-like experience every time you step into the shower. Your skin and hair will thank you!
Why Choose a Brio Shower Filter?
Filtered shower heads are a game-changer when it comes to dealing with the effects of hard water. They bring a whole new level of goodness to your shower, making your skin and hair feel happier and healthier. They reduce the dryness and irritation caused by hard water, leaving you with silky smooth skin, plus hair that is easier to manage and looks fabulous.
Easy Installation
Don't worry about a complicated setup – USA-based Brio shower filters are a breeze to install. The filter cartridge is compatible with your existing shower head, whether you’re into handheld, wall-mounted, or rain showers. The show filter attaches to standard showerheads with ease. Plus, no tools, new hose, or plumber required!
No Drop in Water Pressure
Keep that water flowing freely! Brio shower filters are engineered to maintain a strong, abundant flow of water. No drop in pressure means you can enjoy your shower to the fullest.
Reduces Scale Build-up
Say goodbye to unsightly scale deposits that can clog up your shower. Brio shower filters make shower maintenance easier, unlike alternatives with only one layer of filtration, for example, a filter system that only uses calcium sulfite to remove chlorine.
Eco-Friendly Coconut Shell
Opting for an eco-friendly water filtration system that uses sustainable coconut shells is a simple yet powerful way to support a greener planet. By reducing plastic waste, conserving water resources, and promoting sustainability, Brio’s sustainable water filtration systems offer a practical solution to the environmental challenges we face.
Ready to say hello to softer, healthier skin and hair? It’s time to upgrade your shower experience with a Brio shower filter. Your skin and hair will thank you!
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