The Surprising Health Benefits of Using a Filtered Shower Head

Published July 29, 2025   |    Updated December 20, 2025

Photo by Clay Banks

The Surprising Health Benefits of Shower Filters: A Physician's Perspective

Your daily shower exposes you to contaminants through three routes: direct skin contact, inhalation of steam, and—for certain chemicals—potential dermal absorption. Shower filters are such an easy win for improving your health, because they’re relatively affordable, super easy to install, and you can forget about them for months at a time between filter changes. Most health improvements require more effort, cost, energy, and time, and I think it’s great that so many people are making the switch to shower filters to support their health.

Here's what the research actually shows about how filtered shower water affects your health.

Skin Health: Beyond Just "Softer Skin"

Chlorine Disrupts Your Skin Barrier at the Cellular Level

The most immediate and noticeable benefit of shower filtration is improved skin health, but the mechanism goes deeper than most people realize. Chlorine doesn't just dry out your skin superficially—it actively disrupts the stratum corneum, your skin's outermost protective layer.

Research shows that chlorinated water increases transepidermal water loss (TEWL), meaning your skin literally cannot hold onto moisture as effectively. This triggers a cascade of inflammatory responses that can manifest as:

• Chronic dryness and itching

• Increased sensitivity to other environmental triggers

• Compromised protection against allergens and pathogens

• Accelerated signs of aging

When you remove chlorine from your shower water, you're not just addressing a cosmetic concern—you're restoring your skin's fundamental barrier function.

The Eczema and Atopic Dermatitis Connection

One of the most well-established benefits of shower filtration is reduction in eczema flare-ups, particularly in children. Multiple studies have linked hard water combined with chlorine to increased rates of atopic dermatitis in infants and children.

From a clinical perspective, this makes perfect sense. Eczema is fundamentally a condition of barrier dysfunction and immune dysregulation. When you repeatedly expose already-compromised skin to a known irritant like chlorine, you're creating a vicious cycle:

1. Chlorine strips protective oils

2. Skin barrier becomes more permeable

3. Allergens penetrate more easily

4. Immune system overreacts

5. Inflammation worsens

6. Barrier function deteriorates further

Breaking this cycle by filtering out chlorine often leads to dramatic improvements—sometimes within just 2-3 weeks. Some people with eczema who don’t respond well to topical treatments alone found that addressing their shower water helps greatly.

Why Your Moisturizer Might Not Be the Problem

If you're someone who feels like you have to slather on heavy creams immediately after showering just to prevent your skin from feeling tight and uncomfortable, your shower water may be part of the actual issue—not your moisturizer choice.

Filtered water allows your skin to maintain its natural sebum (protective oil layer) more effectively. Many people find they can use lighter moisturizers, or use them less frequently, once they start showering in filtered water. This is particularly valuable for people with sensitive skin who react to many conventional moisturizer ingredients.

Hair Health: The Chlorine Effect You Can See

While skin benefits might take a few weeks to become apparent, as skin renews itself every few weeks, hair changes from filtered shower water are often noticeable immediately. Here's why chlorine is so destructive to hair specifically:

Hair's protective outer layer (the cuticle) consists of overlapping scales, kind of like roof shingles. When these scales lie flat, your hair looks shiny, feels smooth, and retains moisture well. Chlorine causes these scales to lift and separate, leading to:

• Increased porosity (hair absorbs and loses moisture rapidly)

• Frizz and flyaways

• Breakage and split ends

• Dull appearance

• Color fading (for dyed hair)

• Scalp irritation and dryness

What's interesting from a clinical perspective is that hair damage isn’t always from aging, hormones, or toxic topical products, and the answer is sometimes much easier— just shower water. The effect compounds over time with daily exposure, which is why people often don't realize their shower water is the problem.

Some other health bonuses: filtering chlorine often means hair color lasts longer between treatments, meaning you aren’t exposed to toxic hair dyes as frequently. If you’re dealing with scalp conditions like seborrheic dermatitis or general scalp sensitivity, removing chlorine from the equation frequently reduces inflammation and itching.

Respiratory Health: The Invisible Inhalation Risk

This is where shower filtration moves beyond cosmetic benefits into genuine health protection, particularly if you have asthma or other respiratory conditions.

Chlorine Vapor Inhalation During Hot Showers

When you take a hot shower with chlorinated water, the heat causes chlorine to volatilize—it becomes a gas that you inhale with the steam. While this isn't the high-concentration exposure you'd get in a poorly ventilated indoor pool, it's still significant for sensitive individuals.

Chlorine gas is a respiratory irritant. Even at low concentrations, it can cause:

• Throat irritation and scratchy feeling

• Coughing

• Chest tightness

• Exacerbation of asthma symptoms

• Increased mucus production

For people with asthma, this matters significantly. Multiple studies have shown that chlorine exposure (including from swimming pools and potentially from shower steam) is associated with increased airway hyperresponsiveness—essentially, it makes your airways more reactive to other triggers.

Children and Respiratory Development

The research on chlorine exposure and childhood respiratory health is particularly compelling. Some studies suggest that repeated chlorine exposure during critical developmental windows may increase risk of developing asthma or allergic sensitization.

While most of this research focuses on swimming pool exposure (which is higher concentration), the precautionary principle suggests minimizing unnecessary chlorine exposure where practical—including from daily showers. For families with young children, particularly those with family history of asthma or allergies, shower filtration is a reasonable protective measure.

PFAS: The "Forever Chemical" Your Body Can't Clear

Beyond chlorine, the emerging concern with shower water is PFAS contamination. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are synthetic chemicals that contaminate approximately half of US tap water supplies.

Why PFAS Exposure Through Showering Matters

From a toxicology perspective, I'm more concerned about PFAS than almost any other water contaminant for several reasons:

They accumulate in your body. Unlike many chemicals that your liver can metabolize and eliminate, PFAS are called "forever chemicals" because they persist both in the environment and in your body. Once PFAS enter your system, they can remain for years.

They interfere with multiple biological systems. PFAS don't just affect one organ or system—they interfere with cellular receptors throughout your body, which is why exposure is linked to such a wide range of health problems:

• Metabolic disorders and obesity

• Thyroid dysfunction

• Immune system suppression

• Increased cancer risk (particularly kidney and testicular cancer)

• Elevated cholesterol

• Developmental issues in children

• Reproductive problems

The research is still emerging. PFAS have only been widely used since the 1950s, and we're still discovering new health effects. Short-chain PFAS (the newer formulations that replaced older, banned versions) may actually be worse in some ways, and we have even less long-term data on them.

Can You Actually Absorb PFAS Through Your Skin?

This is where the science gets interesting and somewhat uncertain. While drinking contaminated water is definitely the primary route of PFAS exposure, emerging research suggests that dermal absorption may also occur—unlike heavy metals, which don't penetrate skin barriers effectively.

The skin absorption question is still being actively researched, but here's what we know:

• PFAS are designed to be both water-repelling and fat-repelling (that's why they're used in non-stick coatings)

• Some studies suggest certain PFAS compounds can penetrate skin, particularly with repeated exposure

• Hot water and prolonged contact time (like during showers or baths) may increase absorption potential

Given the serious health risks associated with PFAS accumulation and the fact that we're still learning about all exposure routes, I recommend the precautionary principle: reduce exposure wherever you reasonably can.

Currently, only one shower filter is certified to remove PFAS—the Weddell, listed first for this reason on my Shower Filters page. But as consumer awareness grows, I expect more manufacturers will pursue this certification eventually.

Microplastics: An Emerging Concern

Microplastic contamination of water supplies is another area where the health research is still catching up to the reality of environmental exposure. We're finding microplastics in human blood, lungs, placentas, and other tissues—but we don't yet fully understand the health implications.

What we do know is concerning:

• Microplastics can carry other contaminants (like heavy metals or persistent organic pollutants) into tissues

• They may trigger inflammatory responses

• Some release hormone-disrupting chemicals

• The long-term accumulation effects are unknown

While research is ongoing, reducing microplastic exposure where possible seems prudent.

The Mental Health Component: Feeling Safe in Your Home

There's also an underappreciated psychological benefit to shower water filtration that I observe: it reduces anxiety about environmental exposures, and generally are affordable enough to not increase anxiety about cost.

Many people—particularly those dealing with chronic health conditions, those trying to conceive, or parents of young children—experience significant stress about invisible environmental toxins. This isn't irrational health anxiety; it's a reasonable response to living in a world where we're constantly exposed to chemicals with unclear health effects.

Installing a quality shower filter provides tangible control over one exposure route. It's a concrete action you can take to create a healthier home environment, which often reduces the feeling of helplessness that comes with environmental health concerns.

Obviously, a shower filter alone won't eliminate all environmental exposures or solve chronic health conditions. But it's an affordable, low-effort intervention that addresses multiple contaminants simultaneously—and for many people, that peace of mind has real value.

Who Benefits Most from Shower Filtration?

While I believe shower filtration is beneficial for most people, certain groups see particularly dramatic improvements:

People with skin conditions:

• Eczema, psoriasis, or other inflammatory skin conditions

• Chronically dry or sensitive skin

• Contact dermatitis or multiple chemical sensitivities

People with respiratory conditions:

• Asthma (particularly if symptoms worsen after showering)

• Chronic cough or throat irritation

• Allergic rhinitis or sinus issues

People concerned about cumulative toxin exposure:

• Those trying to conceive or pregnant

• Parents of young children

• People with PFAS contamination in their local water supply

• Anyone with family history of PFAS-linked conditions (thyroid disease, certain cancers)

People with hair/scalp concerns:

• Color-treated hair (extends color longevity significantly)

• Fine or damaged hair prone to breakage

• Scalp conditions like seborrheic dermatitis

• Anyone frustrated by persistent dryness despite using quality hair products

The Bottom Line: Small Investment, Measurable Impact

From a clinical risk-benefit perspective, shower filtration is one of the most straightforward health interventions I recommend. The upfront cost is modest (quality filters range from $50-150), maintenance is minimal (replacing cartridges every few months), and the potential benefits span multiple body systems.

Unlike many wellness interventions that rely on subjective feelings or unverifiable claims, the benefits of chlorine removal are often objectively noticeable within weeks: skin barrier function improves, inflammatory skin conditions calm down, hair texture changes, and respiratory symptoms decrease and all of the shower filters I recommend have third party testing to prove they can remove chlorine effectively for many gallons.

For PFAS and microplastic removal, the benefits are more about long-term risk reduction than immediate symptom relief—but given what we know about these contaminants' health effects, prevention is far preferable to waiting for problems to develop.

The key is choosing a shower filter that's actually been tested and certified to remove what you're concerned about. Marketing claims mean nothing without third-party verification.

Your shower shouldn't be a daily source of chemical exposure, and it doesn't have to be!

Sources

Skin Barrier & Transepidermal Water Loss

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Hard Water, Chlorine & Atopic Dermatitis

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Chlorine Exposure & Respiratory Health

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PFAS Contamination & Health Effects

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2. U.S. Geological Survey. Tap water study detects PFAS 'forever chemicals' across the US. USGS National News Release, July 5, 2023. https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/tap-water-study-detects-pfas-forever-chemicals-across-us

3. Environmental Working Group. Interactive Map: PFAS Contamination Crisis: New Data Show 9,552 Sites in 50 States. Updated August 2025. https://www.ewg.org/interactive-maps/pfas_contamination/

PFAS & Thyroid Health

1. van Gerwen M, Colicino E, Guan H, et al. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and thyroid cancer risk. eBioMedicine. 2023;97:104831. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(23)00397-3/fulltext

2. Coperchini F, Croce L, Marino M, et al. Thyroid disrupting effects of old and new generation PFAS. Front Endocrinol. 2021;11:612320. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7851056/

3. Jing L, Shi Z. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure might be a risk factor for thyroid cancer. eBioMedicine. 2023;98:104866. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10755105/

PFAS General Health Impacts

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2. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2022.