Many people spend a lot on skincare without thinking about the water they rinse it off with. If your city disinfects its water with chlorine, every shower puts that chlorine on your skin. For a lot of people, that shows up as a tight, dry feeling after showering.
A shower filter will not replace a good skincare routine, and it is not a treatment for any skin condition. What it can do is reduce or neutralize the disinfectant in your shower water, so the water you shower in feels gentler and smells less like a pool.
What chlorine does in the shower
Chlorine is added to municipal water to keep it safe to drink as it travels through pipes. That is a good thing. But in the shower, many people notice the smell, and some find that chlorinated water leaves their skin feeling drier than they would like, especially in hot showers.
Reducing chlorine before the water reaches you is the simplest way to change how your shower feels.
Carbon or Vitamin C?
Carbon filters reduce free chlorine as water passes through the cartridge. The AquaYouth 2.0 Carbon Shower Filter uses a filtration system manufactured by UBS Inc., which is listed under NSF/ANSI 177 for free available chlorine reduction. In independent lab testing it also reduced chlorine by 99%.
Vitamin C filters neutralize both chlorine and chloramine, the longer-lasting disinfectant many cities now use instead. If your city uses chloramine, Vitamin C is usually the better fit.
What to realistically expect
Most people notice the difference in smell right away, and many say their skin feels less tight after showering. Results vary from person to person, and a filter will not change your skin tone or replace treatment from a dermatologist. Think of it as removing one everyday source of dryness, so the rest of your routine has less to fight against.
Which one should you choose?
It depends on what your city uses to treat its water. Our short quiz tells you in under a minute.
Find the right filter for your water →