Does your daily shower… make you sick?
"Stimulating Shower", "Refreshing Bubble Bath":
Synonyms of health, well-being, cleanliness, beauty…
Or maybe not?
Water is an essential ingredient in all of the above. But it is its quality that determines whether our contact with it will be beneficial or harmful to our health.
The most important problem with tap water is the chlorine it contains. Chlorine is added to tap water to kill pathogens; however, it very often creates chemical compounds (chlorine derivatives) that are harmful to health. These substances increase the risk of cancer of the liver, kidneys and, most often, of the bladder, when consumed, come in contact with the skin or are inhaled.
Research has shown that taking a shower or bath with chlorinated water is more dangerous than drinking chlorinated water. In particular, 2/3 of our harmful exposure to chlorine comes from its absorption through the skin and from its inhalation when taking a shower rather than from drinking. This is because in these cases, chlorine enters our bloodstream directly: A hot shower opens the pores of our skin and allows the rapid absorption of chlorine and its derivatives. At the same time, the steam we breathe in the shower contains 50 times more chemicals than tap water because chlorine and other pollutants evaporate much faster and at a lower temperature than water. By inhalation, chlorine derivatives enter our circulatory system directly. According to studies, a ten-minute shower with water containing chlorine derivatives burdens our body the same or more as compared to drinking 2 liters of water containing chlorine derivatives.
Showering with chlorinated water also has a negative effect on the health of our skin and hair because it deprives them of moisture and elasticity. Chlorine in shower water removes proteins from the skin and hair, causing irritation, dryness, dandruff, brittle hair, itching. Anyone who has swum in a swimming pool with chlorinated water has certainly felt its effects on their skin and hair. What is striking is that there are often higher levels of chlorine in our tap water than in swimming pools.
The solution to make our shower a really healthy habit is to install a special filter for the shower. Its use is necessary for everyone, especially for people with sensitive skin, allergies (skin, respiratory), children, pregnant women and the elderly.
Learn about KDF Shower Filter only from Rainbow Waters:
- Inactivates chlorine by 99%
- Removes any heavy metals (lead, mercury, iron, chromium)
- Removes any organic compounds such as trihalomethane (e.g. chloroform, benzene)
- Reduces the growth of fungi & algae
- Softens water
- Protects against skin irritations due to chlorine
- Helps prevent the growth of bacteria
- Easy to fit in the shower
Sources:
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16556748
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1694065/