With each passing day it is more common to find a shower filter in homes. These have become essential tools to guarantee good water quality and avoid health problems associated with contaminants or chemicals typical of treatment plants.
However, there may still be many doubts as to whether its incorporation is really important and what benefits it may imply. Therefore, below, we are going to tell you about the main reasons to have a shower filter at home and why you should also incorporate it.
Reasons to have a shower filter
Certainly, we can say that the fundamental reason for having a shower filter in the house has to do with being able to access cleaner water when bathing. However, it is necessary to know why this is important and what extra benefits this type of device brings. Here we answer it.
Most of the network water contains chemicals
Despite the fact that it is public knowledge how healthy water consumption is for people, the truth is that the water that reaches most of the homes in the different cities of the world, in the kitchen, bathroom and shower taps, is full of chemical products. One of the most prominent is chlorine, for which there are different studies that account for its consequences on the skin and health of people.
In addition to this, the water that reaches homes can contain fungi and bacteria that are harmful to the skin if you come into contact with them, especially when it is frequent contact, such as in the shower. In both cases, the shower filter is responsible for retaining and preventing these chemicals and bacteria from reaching people, making the water they use healthier and more purified.
Skin is sensitive to chlorine
The skin is the largest organ in the human body, being responsible for covering the entire body. Therefore, its care is essential. While it is true that chlorine is very effective at killing pathogens in water, the truth is that it is also absorbed through your skin, affecting your microbiome and the necessary balance of skin bacteria.
Something that studies have shown is that human beings are capable of absorbing greater amounts of chlorine through the shower than even drinking tap water. This has to do with the fact that showers are usually given at warm temperatures that favor the absorption of chlorine, while the water is in contact with very large surfaces of the body during the shower. For this reason, the shower filter at home is important to avoid allergic reactions, sensitivity and dryness that chlorine can cause on the skin, as well as to prevent it from being absorbed and passing into the bloodstream.
Chlorine is also capable of interacting with other materials present in water. When this happens, it forms by-products that are especially harmful to people. Among them, we find trihalomethanes or THMs, as is the case with chloroform.
Chemicals may increase chances of cancer
Not all the effects of chemical contact with the skin are aesthetic or noticeable. The permanent use of water with these components can promote the development of diseases such as cancer and other serious health problems. Although it is true that many of these are related to the consumption of unpurified water as a drink, the truth is that it can also occur due to the contact of these chemicals with the skin or with the inhalation of these in the air, as we have seen previously.
If we talk about the chemicals present in the water, many of them have been linked to various types of cancers. Investigations focused on the effects of chlorinated water on people's health have revealed many toxicity problems. Various studies have shown that communities that effectively use chlorinated water have a higher risk of cancer, the most frequent being kidney cancer, bladder cancer, and rectal cancer.
Along with this, it is important to mention that THMs in water that is chemically treated in water treatment or cleaning plants have been associated with many different outcomes of poor deliveries or problems during pregnancy. Here, problems of low birth weight, birth defects or spontaneous abortions have also been found.
Chemicals in water alter the skin's microbiome
When the term microbiome is used, one tends to think that it is something only related to the intestine of people. However, the skin also has a microbiome, which is a kind of cloak of microorganisms that are responsible for protecting the skin from infections and aggressions that may come from outside.
Being in permanent contact with water sanitizing chemicals, as is the case in the shower, both chlorine and the rest of them can cause major alterations in the skin microbiome. This then impacts that it (the skin) loses moisture, becomes dry, is prone to redness and rashes and, in addition, that it is less resistant. In effect, the protective layer of the skin is weakened.
In addition to this, it is important to mention that many of the effects of chemicals on the skin microbiome may not be visible initially, but can be experienced over time. This means that expressions about its effects are late, leading to the consequences becoming more serious. Keep in mind that when the skin is in permanent contact with chlorine, acne episodes can also occur or worsen in people who already suffer from it.
Hot air favors the inhalation of chemicals
Although we have previously said that chlorine in the water affects the health of the skin due to its contact and can also affect the body due to the possibility of being absorbed, this is not the only problem. In addition, when taking showers with hot water, the air and water at higher temperatures promote the opening of the lungs. This also makes it easier for chemicals in the water to be inhaled. So much so that studies have found higher chloroform concentrations in the lungs of people who take hot showers without filtering devices.
But the risk is not only for the person who is carrying out that shower. In addition, hot water releases chemicals that can be easily distributed throughout the home, while being difficult to dissipate in spaces like the bathroom. Therefore, people can be in contact with them both during the shower and after, exposing all family members.
Thus, chemicals in the shower can evaporate with the hot water and be released into the air in even higher amounts than in the water itself. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) studies have found significant levels of THMs and other chlorine byproducts in the air.
Chemical water increases the chances of developing asthma
Finally, chlorine vapors as a result of hot showers have been associated by specialists with an increased risk of developing asthma or suffering episodes of it in cases where the disease already exists. These are vapors through which chemicals enter the respiratory tract directly, generating different repercussions depending on the case.
In addition to asthma, it is important to mention that chlorinated water contains free radicals. According to research, these have been directly related to worsening liver function, including pre-atherosclerotic changes in the arteries, and also a weakening and malfunctioning of the immune system in general, with the repercussions this has on the body's ability to protect itself from infection and disease.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many reasons why it is important to implement shower filters in your home. This will give you the peace of mind that you and your family will be protected from the toxic chemicals that the water that comes from the pipes contains. It is undoubtedly an investment that will benefit those you love the most!
At Sanaté we have excellent quality filters that are manufactured with the most advanced filtration media, substantially reducing sediments, toxic chemicals, and hard minerals in the water that affect the skin, nails, hair, and even the respiratory system. They are filters with 14 filtration layers that allow you to enjoy water in its most natural state. Contact us! and find out everything about our products and their benefits for your home.