Babies and young children have thinner, more delicate skin than adults, so it is natural for parents to think about what is in their bath and shower water. If you live in a city, that water is almost certainly treated with chlorine or chloramine to keep it safe to drink.
That disinfection is important, and tap water is safe for bathing. But some parents notice a strong chlorine smell, or feel their child’s skin seems drier after bath time, and want to reduce the disinfectant before it reaches them.
What a shower filter can do
A shower filter reduces or neutralizes the disinfectant in your water:
- Carbon filters reduce free chlorine. The AquaYouth 2.0 Carbon Shower Filter uses a system listed under NSF/ANSI 177 for free available chlorine reduction, and it reduced chlorine by 99% in independent lab testing.
- Vitamin C filters neutralize both chlorine and chloramine. They are the better fit if your city uses chloramine.
Many parents say bath time smells less like a pool afterward, and some feel their kids’ skin feels less dry. Every child is different, so results vary.
What a shower filter cannot do
A shower filter is not a medical product. It does not treat or prevent eczema, asthma, or any other condition. If your child has a skin or breathing condition, follow your pediatrician’s or dermatologist’s advice first.
It also does not soften hard water. Shower filters do not remove calcium and magnesium.
A practical note for bath time
Shower filters work on water flowing through them. If you fill a tub for a baby, run the bath through the filtered shower head or handheld so the water in the tub is filtered too.
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.