Note: Please stop read this article, and read our updated shower filter article instead
I wanted to post an update on my quest for the best shower filter. I received a lot of useful comments on my last shower filter post, and I’ve also tested a couple of new shower filters.
The shower filter market is huge, and sales are dominated by shower filters that use KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion). However, KDF filters don’t actually perform well as shower filters. They often get clogged after a few months of use. Also, they don’t perform well in hot water, and they don’t remove chloramines (which is commonly used in place of chlorine in tap water). Also, KDF filters are also affected by water pressure. When the water pressure is not high enough, water can’t pass through the KDF powders.
I haven’t found any formal comparative tests of shower filters. One independent reviewer “ReviewGuy” tested eight popular filters with a chlorine test kit in 2006. About his tests, he says:
Tests include before and after total residual chlorine levels using a digital chlorine meter to measure the results. The shower filters are tested for their ability to remove total residual chlorine in an actual residential shower unit.
You can read about his results here.
The best performing shower filters were: two Vitamin C shower filters, and the 
ReviewGuy concludes by saying:
I welcome any of my readers to verify or debunk the claims I have made in this comparison by conduction your own independent research & testing. This is an open invitation that includes everyone from the end user to shower filter manufacturers. To date, there has not been a single person or company that can or will refute my data.
However, there are a few new shower filters that have appear in the market since 2006. In my opinion, the best shower filters today are combination filters that use both Vitamin C filters and chlorgon or ceramic filters.
What is Chlorgon? It’s a combination of calcium sulfite with a ceramic binder to form non-soluble ceramic sulfite beads.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is really the best at removing chlorine and chloramines. It removes 99% of the chlorine in both hot and cold water, and Vitamin C filters last about twice as longer as KDF filters.
But Vitamin C filters only neutralize chlorine — they don’t filter out anything else in shower water. To remove VOCs and heavy metals, you have to add a ceramic or chlorgon filter. See the detail in the shower filter update.
Sounds like a whole-house fitlering system is ging to be cheaper in the longrun – covers shower and drinking. Quite a bit of money been spent on shower filters just in this thread…
“Darren August 29, 2009 at 3:56 pm
In the mean time, if you use a Brita type pitcher for drinking, try pouring some of that water into a bottle (1-2 liter) and warming it in a sink of hot water or in your shower. After turning the shower off, dump it over yourself, making sure to rub it into your face and through your hair. My wife (who has very long hair) and I have noticed healthier feeling skin and hair afterward.”
Has anyone else tried this method? Honestly it seems to be the best method I’ve read yet after reading this entire thread. My suggestion, and I haven’t tried but will, would be to treat a jug of water w/chlorine to remove the chloromine, let it sit out in the sun open to get rid of the cholorine and then try it after the shower. What does anyone think? I wish we could test to see if the jug of water removed everything you just showered with.
I recently just replaced my Aquasana shower filter with a Sprite that I bought from Home Depot, this Sprite filter is larger ( at least in diameter ) model # am 8 before the Aquasana, that I use to have, the filter itself is hollow in the middle… I was wondering if I crush some vitamin c powder and put it in some form of a small “filter bag” like a tea bag ( if anyone has some recommendations) or even maybe mix it along with the kdf and chloroform, anyone have any idea of how much vitamin C should be used?. I know this sounds like a crazy idea what do you guys think? Also someone mentioned earlier on this filter http://www.naturalshowerfilter.com/ this sounds quite unique what do you guys think of this? I was thinking of getting this for my other bathroom I wonder if its worth the price. Also for those with itchy and sensitive scalp I would recommend Pureology Shampoo it is quite expensive but there are a lot of great reviews from people who have tried so many different brands until finally using this brand to help with the problem
Darren, YOU THE MEN !!!!!!!
Thank you for the coconut oil tip, also because of your reply, i will not buy this peace of junk filter….
Thanks again !!!!!!!!!!!!
Igor Brooklyn NY
Thank you very much for that coconut oil tip. I actually have the capsules so I will pop them open and apply to my scalp.
Filter-wise the Sonaki isn’t doing anything for my scalp but at least they are lasting longer than the first time. Starting to make a wierd noise, though.
Hi, again. I’m finally reporting back on the Vitamin C shower filter I bought from http://www.vitashowerfilter.com (same as wjschneider had). I received the Vita Shower Filter and used it for a week. It’s made by a Korean company, called PLM Co. LTD (www.plmkorea.com). I e-mailed the website, to try and confirm that I had a genuine filter made by them, but received no response.
The box seemed very cheap with badly translated English directions and claims about performance. The box states that the filter life is only up to 3 months! Not great for a $40 filter. Also, the “3 months” text was a sticker, which I pulled up to reveal “1 year”. Hmm…
First thing I noticed was how small the filter was. It seems to be smaller than what’s shown in the pictures. It also did not appear to be constructed as in the diagram on the website and at the end of the above article shows. The ceramic ball chamber was actually at the end, after the the second rust filter. There were only a few balls and they were located in such a way that the water didn’t seem like it would even flow through them.
Just like wjschneider, I only got a dozen or so showers out of it before the pressure had progressively gotten so low, that I had to remove it (think that Seinfeld episode with the low-flow shower heads).
My wife and I didn’t notice a differencein the water, either, other than a faint aroma (from the “aroma oil”, I assume) that was very noticeable right after turning on the shower, but became difficult to detect very soon into the shower.
I was extremely dissatisfied and will be returning the filter for a full refund.
SteveG,
My wife has recently discovered Coconut oil, through some online research. It has amazing anti-oxidant properties and is supposed to be a cure for dry-scalp, dandruff, and dry hair. It can be safely applied to the scalp without causing pimples (it won’t clog pores, like a other oils might, such as olive). You can massage it directly into the scalp, right before a shower. Every once in awhile, if you have time, you can massage it in an hour or so before your shower. You can find jars of extra virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil at any health food store, for under $10, and it’ll last forever. Don’t be put off that it looks solid – it melts at 76 degrees F. Good luck!
Okay so I’m looking into getting a shower filter and after reading this forum I am completely confused. My issue is that I don’t know what is in our water or what to test it with. My legs and sometimes whole body itch SOMETHING AWFUL after getting out the shower. I mean AWFUL. I use only body washes and soaps without those bad sulfates and are mostly natural but I still have this issue. I’m thinking it’s the water but it doesn’t bother my son or my boyfriend, just me. I’m also pregnant and it’s gotten alot worse. Do I need a filter to help with all these different things or is it like someone else said and I just need a simple one to remove minerals and ions? Omg someone please help. I just want relief.
We recently purchased a home completely on well. People my daughter works with mentioned that she smells kind of “metalic…” since the move.
Is there something about a well system that might create this? (The well is artesian – like 300 feet down.) Also GPM is relatively low (15 gpm)- would this be seriously impacted by adding a shower filter?
Thanks~
Hi,
I just found this web based conversation about shower filters. Within the last 3 weeks I bought and connected the filter for sale on the web page http://www.vitashowerfilter.com/. I literally got about a dozen very low pressure showers out of it before the pressure got even lower and I could not use it at all. A complete waste of my money. Anyone else have a comment about this filter or a better vitamin C filter?
Vita shower filter was ok at first but water pressure got beyond low that I can’t even wash my face:(;(It was too expensive to try that filter…
Hi re-purchased the Sonaki Shower Filter but the dry scalp continues. They inlcuded a ceramic ball filter and for some reason my scalp improved a little using that filter in place of the vitamin c filter but I don’t know why since that can’t remove chloramines as far as I know.
I’m thinking of getting a Vitashower filter and attaching it before the sonaki handheld and then using the ceramic ball filter in the sonaki.
These problems would be solved if they just got rid of those damn chloramines!
So I’ve been using my filter for about two weeks now. I can’t say I noticed a difference but to be honest I wasn’t expecting one seeing as I’ve never had a problem with dry skin and chlorine smells so not seeing a difference is a good thing! :oP
The seller was very helpful even after the sale was made (I had a few questions that needed to be answered) so you know that this guy stands behind his products 100%.
Daniel…you posted months back that you were going to try the Sprite unit & advise what you thought of it butI dont see any feedback. I have been using the Rainshower filter for several years & I guess it does okay but then again I havent ventured outside of the brand to see if theres anything better out there? I live in Vegas & let me tell you..the water here is horrid. My scalp gets so irritated, my skin is so dry! I know it is our water because when I travel to St Louis, MO my skin is in heaven as well as my hair!! What a difference. The trouble is…you can sit here & spend an entire day reading about the shower filters available on the market today but how on earth do you really know which is best? I just saw a post that said chlorine really doesnt irritate scalp or cause dry skin as some claim but rather its the minerals and ions??? So…what is the actual truth here? Ugh….so confusing. I just want soft skin+a less irritated dry scalp! I dont think I am asking for much. I guess I will just have to experiment & spend the dough! For anyone that says shower filters arent necessary & overrated…let me tell you…when it comes to a female…and our hair and skin, they ARE needed and in my opinion the ones that say straight tap water is sufficient…well, you are nuts lol because certain states tap water is BAD such as Las Vegas and thats a guarantee.
Has anyone check out vitashowercorp.com? I ordered a vitashower filter from Amazon but I am questioning its product if its a knock off or not, the packaging seems cheap and it’s made in China. Is this a good product like the one from vitashowerfilter.com? Can anyone shed some light on this for me? I’m ready to return it.
Steve,
That’s not a a good sign about the company. The website shows a pic of it inline with a handheld shower head (mine is a similar config to the one pictured). Also, Justin says he doesn’t smell anything from the supposed “Aroma Oil”. Anyway, I’m ordering one, now. I’ll report back here, when I’ve used it for a few showers.
In the mean time, if you use a Brita type pitcher for drinking, try pouring some of that water into a bottle (1-2 liter) and warming it in a sink of hot water or in your shower. After turning the shower off, dump it over yourself, making sure to rub it into your face and through your hair. My wife (who has very long hair) and I have noticed healthier feeling skin and hair afterward.
Yes, all the Vitamin C filters I’ve tried are imported from Korea or Japan, so there’s not much documentation or support for them. I tried to gather all the available information I could and put in into the reviews. It seems that the only thing left to do is try informal tests like ones Darren and Steve are doing.
Justin
I would be interested to know the results, keep us posted.
I have a Brita but unfortunately its worthless against chloramines.
I now have gone back to the Sonaki Handheld, which works great as a handheld showerhead but I am seeing no improvement at all in my dry skin and scalp.
Nice tip for in the mean time, Darren….thanks. I’ll try that while I’m waiting to get my filter. I have to say, I love how geeky we all are about this topic. You all rock.
Its very difficult to get info from that company. I wanted to know if there was a way to get the filter without the aroma oil and if it could be used with a handheld showerhead but got no reply each time.
I agree with Donatella. It seems everyone but Justin is referring to the “Vitamin Shower” filter (the white one with replaceable filter that is only Vitamin C), when they wrote VitaShower. Whereas the VitaShower filter is the orange filter with vitamin C, ceramic filter, chitosan, and aroma oil.
Justin, can you clarify? Can you also give your experiece with the actual Vitashower, so far? How long is it supposed to last? It doesn’t seem to say on the website. Thanks!
Darren,
Yes, I’ve been using the VitaShower filter (the orange filter with vitamin C, ceramic filter, chitosan, and aroma oil). I’d had it for about 6 months, and its still seem to be working — I don’t detect any chlorine in the water. As for the “aroma oil” and chitosan, I don’t smell any aroma from these. Hopefully there are benign!
Justin
Justin
I also found this which seems awesome in theory, but I can’t afford to try it. It includes ceramic+tourmaline, vitamin c, chitosan, and i believe powdered “hydro-bio” which is probably similar to other powdered shower filter media. No aroma oil crap.
http://www.sofiastyle.com/Vitamin-Shower.htm
It looks like the Sonaki Shower Filter, although the Sonaki makes no mention of tourmailine and ceramic, only chitosan. I emailed them, lets see if I get a reply.
i have read every post and i am not sure where to get the official vitashower. the original post links a shower head that is NOT vitashower and has added elements like ceramic balls (with antibacterial properties??), shell material, and “aroma” oil… i don’t know if i trust this.
but i would like a filter that combines vitamin c with another medium. any suggestions?…
I purchased by Vitashower here. It claims to be the only company that sells it with a replaceable filter.
http://www.waterionizer.org/site/898596/product/RS01
I wouldn’t worry about the hydrocholoric acid claim however its not a bad thing if the water is slightly acidic as this is best for skin. Not good for drinking but good for washing and clear skin! (The company says that it doesn’t affect the ph of the water.) That being said, I have not noticed any difference in smoother hair, skin or scalp since using it…
Im going to test the ph of the shower water (have ph strips and a kit that came with my water ionizer/filter – also purchased from this company) to see ..
On another site there was mention of a shower filter made by a Canadian company, AquaSmart, that claims it’s shower filter removes chlorine, 85% of chloramines, VOC’s, THMs, and heavy metals. As far as I can tell, this claim is based on their usage of KDF-85 as their filter medium instead of KDF-55. The makers of KDF apparently had some successful tests of their KDF-85 removing monochloromine from water (see http://www.kdfft.com/pdfs/Reductive_Dechloramination.pdf). The difference between the 2 medium is that KDF-55 has roughly 50% copper, 50% zinc, whereas KDF-85 has a larger % of copper (85% copper, 15% zinc). I’m a bit skeptical as to how the differences in the percentages can make a difference in whether chloramine is removed or not. I’m guessing that it would take a large amount of KDF (7+ pounds as used in their testing, and low flow rate (like .5 gpm) to really have a de-chloraminating effect. Do you think this Aquasmart product would actually remove much chloramine, as claimed? The link is http://www.aquasmart.com/shower.html.
Does anyone know where I can find a good deal on a vitamin C shower filter? I’d really like to try one out.
I ordered mine a few days ago from this guy on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370238492060&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT the price seemed good (and I see he has a sale now) and the shipping was reasonable. The seller was also very helpful, I asked him a million questions and he answered to the best of his knowlegde. You can order now or you can wait until mine comes and I can tell you if everything’s all right
I think if it did form HCL then people would be seeing a skin reaction. Acid, I would assume, would cause the skin to get dry. The opposite seems to take place when using a vitamin C shower filter.
Aquasana has quite a reputation for inflating their claims and deceptive marketing. I will say that I found the construction of their shower filter to be superior to others I have seen, but it did absolutely nothing to remove chlooramines from my water (I can’t make a comment about straight chlorine because I never used it in this type of water).
I did have a Sprite Filter in NY which uses chlorine and it took the smell out very well and seemed to work.
The issue I have with Vitashower, Sonaki, etc is that the build quality of their products seems to be very shoddy and there is no real way to prove that the Vitamin C is even being used. The Sonaki is completely see through so its pretty obvious that its being used up (not including the 6y defective filters I received that had no hole on the bottom!). The Vitashower has a small window on the bottom that is supposed to turn orange when theres vitamin C in there and clear when it runs out but my filter has never turned orange. It most definitely is not going through the vitamin c because my scalp is in bad shape.
I commend you in getting a response from Vitashower, though. I emailed them a couple of times and never received a response at all. It’s a very odd company.
I haven’t replied it yet because I would like to talk about their response first.
Based on their logic, we are ok because we are even eating Vitamin C with water. However, our stomach is totally different with our skin. A stomach has a lot of gastric acid already, so acidity doesn’t matter.
As for a cosmetic example, I am wondering if we can apply for their logic to our daily shower practice.
Any opinion?
I got their response already……. Here it is:
================================================
There are several reasons which we have no interest to dispute with Aquasana.
1)Our Viashower shower filters become more and more popular. Most of buyers do not believe Auasana. Suppose Aquasana is correct, as you know, people eat Vitamin C tablet everyday, if HCL is formed in our stmoach and creats a health issue, so many Vitamin C consumers, so many medical doctors, so many years of research, no body finds anything wrong. If Vitamin C does not affect our stomach, why does Vitamin C affect our skin.
2)So many cosmetic products use Vitamin C for skin care. Do you believe that cosmetic products manufacturers do not know HCL issue, only Aquasana does.
3)People eat 1000 mg of Vitamin C tablet each time by drinking only a glass of water, we also use only 1000 mg to treat one ton of water. The
Vitamin C was diluted 1000 times, Can you imagine whether there is any HCL issue. Simple example. there is a lot salts in sea water, if you add salts into fresh water, you can turn fresh water into sea water. However, if you throw a grain of salt into refsh water lake, do you think the fresh water lake will become a salt water one? Therefore, even the claim is correct, the amount has to large enough. Aquasana claimed that KDF (copper-zinc powder) can remove heavy metals. Are they correct? Yes and No. The reason is Yes. KDF may remove heavy metals, The answer NO is also correct, because it takes thousand of years to remove heavy metals if you want wait that long. It does not remove any heavy metal when tap water just pass through KDF, because the contact time is too short.
Aquasana is known to make a claim which you can not say INCORRECT. However, obviously it is wrong.
4)Since I have no interest to teach Aquasana, and very few people believe their claims just based on common sense.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any further concern.
Thanks,
Vitashower
We are NOT doubt about the effectiveness in Vitamin C filter. Many real customers addressed its nice job. We are ONLY worried about HCI formation and its acidity. I sent an email DIRECTLY to the company to get their factual explanation. So, let’s see how it goes. It seems that we have beaten a dead horse so far without getting the company’s official standpoint directly.
I don’t think the ph matters much. If it were an irritant it would show in hair quality. My hair actually got soft and fluffy after using the Sonaki Shower Filter and the Vitashower when it actually worked. I have a Vitashower now and the sucker isn’t working.
If the Sonaki filter lasted a month and not 2 weeks I would go back to it immediately. But for 2 weeks it would cost over $200/year.
The Vitashower I’m using now I had bought over a year ago so maybe it was one of the defective ones. I think I will order another as long as there is a money back guarantee in case its defective.
Aquasana is working on a chloramine reducing filter-it uses a special type of carbon that you can now buy for drinking water filters that works on chloramines.
The one issue I have with vitamin C filters is that it removes chlorine from the chloramines but leaves the ammonia behind.
Damn it, EPA, just go back to chlorine!
Yes, any comment/reply about ph matter. We would like to hear a real fact, but make up one. I am wondering why Vitashower Corp didn’t clarify this matter. They must know what is being discussed about their product. What are they afraid of?
I tested the Vitashower filter with a water quality test kit from home depot and i got 0ppm for both combined and free chlorine, so it does work!
Btw, if your city uses chloramine to disinfect the water, don’t waste your money (like i did) with carbon based shower filters. I have chloramines in my water and when i repeated the same test with a Sprite filter, i got no reduction in total chlorine, (2ppm, same as incoming water).
What bothers me however is that the water ph after using the Vitashower dropped from 8.5 to 6.2, that is, it became a weak acid. I suspect this is due to the formation of HCl in the reaction of ascorbic acid with the chlorines. I am no chemist, but what i read about HCl is not reassuring. Can anybody with a chemistry backgound shine some light on this? And please facts, not fiction. Thanks.
Here are some facts for you: http://www.swwrc.wsu.edu/conference/Papers/Greg_Peterka.pdf
The author of the above paper states that hydrochloric is NOT created when dechlorinating with Vitamin C.
yes I agree I have done hours of research and the whole hydrochloric acid thing seems to be over exaggerated, on multiple sites it suggest it is safe and is even used for dialysis patients in hospitals, it even explains it on the sonaki website in the faq’s how we even have hydrochloric acid in our own bodies, however my opinion is to use a metal removal filter in conjunction with a secondary vitamin c filter because heavy metals are leaching into our water supplies as well, especially with introduction of chloramines, it seems to degrade metals significantly faster. My choice would be sonaki because it looks better and one can clearly see when its time to change it, but to check when it is time to change any other vitamin c filter all one needs to to do is go to your nearest pool supply store or home depot and buy chlorine/chloramine test strips or drops.
If you get a good one it’ll last a year or more. However, build quality is spotty. I once actually had a place send me 6 of them before we found one that didn’t leak! This one lasted over a year though.
For build quality alone the Aquasana is the best, IMO. If only they made a Vitamin C Shower Filter.
Hi,
the reviews I have read about vitashower as far as performance goes, is great, but not the most functional unit out there. Most reviews I have read said the unit blows and last for about 2-6 months, and if it doesn’t blow on you the filter can’t be replaced the entire unit has to be replace and not the easiest.
I am looking into wellness…any suggestions
thank you.
The Aquasana is OK if your water doesn’t have chloramines. If it does than the Vitashower is better. The Aquasana filters last 6 months, the Vitashower 6-12 months.
Shianne,
I am in the same boat with trying to reduce skin blemishes. I recently switched all my skin care to chemical free products and have seen a noticeable difference even without a shower filter (I ended up ordering the Sprite HO but it has not arrived yet.) The ‘cleanest’ brand my local health food store carries is Aubrey so I figured I would start there. The shampoo and conditioner are just OK but I love the liquid body soap (doesn’t leave a film) and body lotion. As far as the face care goes, I started with their cleanser, toner, and lotion for sensitive skin and noticed a big improvement in most areas but needed a little more fire power for a few sneaky buggers so I just added the mask for combination skin which is helping. I’m looking for a spot treatment but I’m happier than with the old products – and that’s without changing my makeup . While researching makeup, I found a very enlightening website that helps you rate all sorts of skin care products including makeup, hair care, sunscreen, deodorants or you can even just look up an ingredient. It’s http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ Through them, I discovered Zosimos Botanicals – clean products, cheap samples, affordable regular size. Rejuva Minerals had all those things too, but Zosimos stood out for me because they are totally wind powered, have signed the Truth in Labeling Pledge, are a member of the Green Products Alliance, and more. Since the makeup is power, I also looked for makeup brushes and found Eco Tools. They have either bamboo or recycled aluminum handles and synthetic brushes – the only ones I could find that were good at both ends. You can even buy these super affordable nifties at regular drug stores. http://www.parispresents.com/EcoTools_s/36.htm While I’m at it, I also found a natural deodorant I really like by Hugo Naturals. It has rice hull powder to absorb wetness and seems to be working well so far – PS, I live in Phoenix. I hope all this helps.
I was doing some research on shower filters and I came across this page, I was considering the Aquasana 4100, but a bit confused now, mixed reviews about this product. My main focus is on reducing skin blemishes redness, clogged pores and such. what filter works best and functions the longest?
Thanks
The Jonathan is actually just the Aquasana Shower Filter with a higher price. It does not remove chloramines.
How does the Vita Shower filter compare to the Jonathan Beauty Water Shower Purification System?
That link goes to a page that mentions Vitashower filters but whatever he is selling is not made by Vitashower. The SF-1 does not contain aroma oils or chitosan, just Vitamin C. I have tried the SF-1 and build quality is spotty. First time I tried it worked great, next time it was leaking and it took 4 tries before getting one that didn’t.
I then tried the Aquasana. Unfortunately it cannot take out chloramines but if you have a water supply with only chlorine its worth a try. The build quality is very good, I was impressed with the materials they used.
I then went on to try the Sonaki. Leaked at the shower pipe even with tons of tape. Water Pressure was very good from the handheld but the filter only lasted 2 weeks! Then every other filter it came with was defective-there was no hole in the bottom of them so the water was just going around the filter. That is just pathetic. First off, even if the filters weren’t defective it would still cost over $200/year in filter costs. Throw in the cheap plastic connectors they use (hence the leaking) at a high price and I find Sonaki to be a bad joke.
I’m going to try the Vitashower SF-1 again and see what happens.
Paul Miller and other morons who think vitamin C forms harmful amounts of HCl. Shut up. You don’t know sh** about chemistry. Read a Chemistry 101 textbook. HCl exists in equilibrium in any water that has ANY chlorine ions present. Vitamin C reacts with Chlorine compounds in water and REDUCES the net amount of Cl- that is floating around. Jeebus, you people are dense. There is a guy online selling filters (not Vitamin C) and he is scare mongering. –maybe you know him *wink wink*.
I think both ways of filtering are effective, but these information ministers need to be stopped.
Hi fellow metapeople. I have been scouring the internet the past couple days to learn about the different kinds of shower filters currently being sold and i have some questions.
-In the Vita Shower Filter, does anyone know what the ever so mysterious ‘Aroma Oil’ is exactly? I have just written an email to the company, so one way or another we should know the answer to this soon.
-There seem to be a couple of filters using something called Far-Infrared in combination with other materials and technology not addressed here so far. Any information on these would be greatly appreciated.
Aqulic AQ-8100 – http://www.naturalshowerfilter.com/products/aq_001sf
Wellness Shower – http://www.wellnessfilter.com/About/Enhancement.asp
Also, I’d like to share this article that addresses several myths circulating including the hydrochloric acid one mentioned above – http://www.vitaminshowerfilter.com/vitaminc_myths.php I’m no scientist, but as far as the hydrochloric acid reaction is concerned it is clear to me that this reaction only takes place if the chlorine and the hydrogen are combined in a gaseous state which is not the case in the context of a shower. I think a more comparable reaction is that of adding the vitimin C products Airborne or Emergen-C to tap water. Wouldn’t these companies be out of business if their customers were drinking little hydrochloric acid cocktails?
Vitamin C should not be used as a dechlorinator. Yes the water may show zero free chlorine in a test, but it instead of chlorine, you will have hydrochloric acid (no good for the eyes, nose or throat, and the amount of chemical exfoliation it causes may or may not be a good thing).
Chlorine in water yields:
H2O + Cl2 = HOCl + H+ + CL-
The reaction that removes Chlorine from water with Vitamin C is:
C6H8O6 + HOCl = C6H6O6-H2O + HCl
HCl = Hydrochloric Acid
See what Wikipedia has to say about HCl:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrochloric_acid
Lots shower filters of good information here.
Great tips, Thanks!
My name is Daniel. I’ve noticed a particular difference in my skin based on where I am travelling. Specifially, my skin would go to perfect after a couple days away from my apartment.
I’ve discovered my skin HATES chlorine. I’ve tried the aquasana 4100 and it sucks. The $30 Culligan showerhead filter is far better at removing chlorine, but the filters last about a month. I’ve ordered the Sprite with hopes it will last longer. The filter is supposed to be reversible. If it works well, I will likely buy it in all brass (twice as expensive). Perhaps a combination Sprite and Sonaki Vitamin C shower would be the ultimate way to shower…or perhaps overkill. I will write back with how the Sprite does.
I’m convinced the aquasana is a scam as they refuse to quote any data on their website. An trustworthy company would post facts about how much chlorine their filter removes.
There is another filter out called “I Water” I wonder how this would rank?
No offense, Justin, but the website you are quoting (http://www.triangularwave.com/f9.htm) is selling chlorine filters and are going to push their product in any way possible.
The quotes you have provided are being taken out of context, are completely unrelated to the topic at hand, or simply falsified. Take the article you are quoting by Ian Anderson of the New Scientist – it does not exist. Check the New Scientist’s online archive or search through Google and you will see that Ian Anderson has never written any article about showers or water quality with the exception of one, on the dumping of first-world pollutants in third world countries and the related water problems. The only other sources of this supposed quote are blogs by health-nuts (the government is trying to kill us, nuts) and people trying to sell chlorine filters. The supposed print date for this article vary as well, from 1998 – 1986.
Todd, you are correct, it wouldn’t be very efficient or worth the money to purchase chlorine filters for most area’s drinking water because chlorine is present in low concentrations or not at all. For folks with really hard water, a simple in-line filter or shower head prefilter will remove enoughs minerals to make a noticeable difference. It is usually the mineral/ion content of water that accounts for people’s itching scalps or irritable skin after a long shower, not chemical exposure.
That particular quote New Scientist might be suspect, and I’ll remove it from my comment. However, there are reliable references on the hazards of absorbing and inhaling of chemicals while showering. There’s Colin Ingram’s The Drinking Water Book, or see:
“The role of skin absorption as a route of exposure for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in drinking water.”
H S Brown, D R Bishop, and C A Rowan” (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1651599)
And this EPA document on water filtration (http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/pdfs/fs_healthseries_filtration.pdf), quote:
“However, some contaminants, such as radon, disinfection byproducts, and some organic chemicals, easily turn into gases and may pose a risk when inhaled, such
as when showering”
Just purchased a Vita, I’ll let you know what I think of it.
Does anybody sell a user refillable “filter” for Vitamin C? I can use other filters, but for something as simple as Vitamin C why can’t I buy a bag of it somewhere and fill up some container myself?? Sure its nice to have such filters but when you have to buy goofy parts with disposable components or even if they are recycled– its a waste when it is unnecessary.
My old pool filter could be back flushed and reused before having to do a reload of some kind of powder (I forget) and then there was some other part that might have been replaced someday… lasted a long time– it wasn’t for drinking water; however, designs like that minimize waste. I wish I didn’t sell it because I’d use it as a pre-filter for the house…
Plus, how about filters that last until dirty instead of X period of time? would be worth some sort of pressure meter to measure how full the filter is… If I have a filter at a cabin– it should last 10 years instead of 1… and it doesn’t because it dissolves!
I have a carbon filter on mine that I got from Real goods. No matter what, I know my shower is far more enjoyable, and that annoying pool smell is gone. I really noticed it when I went on vacation, and did not have a filter any more.
Good question. About 60% of the chlorine absorbed daily through skin while showering. Other chemicals (VOCs, etc.) are also absorbed in the form of vapor.
Hi Justin,
Is it still going well with the Vita Shower filter?
I was about to buy one but I thought I would check with you first.
Thanks,
Michael
I understand that filter shower heads can remove 99% of certain contaminants – but can anybody show me the evidence that showering in regular old US of A tap water actually produces harmful levels of these chemicals in the body?
It would not be very metaefficient to spend time and money removing something that was not proven that it needs to be removed.