Filtered Shower Heads: Are They Worth It?

Key Takeaways:

• Filtered shower heads claim to remove chlorine, heavy metals, and other contaminants from shower water to improve skin and hair health. 
• Studies show that KDF-55 filters and calcium sulfite are effective at removing chlorine and other heavy metals from water. 
• Using a filtered shower head likely won’t cause any harm, but it’s important to do your research given the quality of products may vary widely. 

Filtered shower heads are having a moment. The popularity of this product can largely be traced back to Jolie, a beauty wellness company, which went viral almost instantly after it launched in 2021. 

But what exactly do filtered shower heads do? According to the Jolie website: 

“Nearly all of the water in the country contains chlorine, heavy metals & other contaminants, which all contribute to many common skin & hair issues, such as dry skin, damaged hair, change in hair color, and rashes/irritation.We believe that beauty starts with clean water. The Jolie Filtered Showerhead removes chlorine, heavy metals & other contaminants from your shower water — to improve your skin, hair and wellbeing.”

While this seems promising, it’s worth investigating whether there’s research to support these claims. 

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Do filtered shower heads work? 

Several studies have found that using hard water — which is water high in dissolved minerals — can lead to skin problems, such as atopic dermatitis and eczema. (1, 2). 

What’s less clear is whether filtered shower heads can address these problems. For the sake of this article, we’ll focus specifically on Jolie’s filtered shower heads and compare some of its claims against existing research:

NSF Certification

According to Jolie’s website, their product uses an attachable water filter, which has a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Certification. The NSF’s certification process involves rigorous testing, inspection, and verification to standards for public health protection. In other words, Jolie’s water filter meets globally recognized standards in terms of safety and quality. 

KDF-55 

Jolie’s filter contains KDF-55, which the website describes as “high-purity copper-zinc granules and designed specifically for removing chlorine and heavy metals at high pressure and higher temperatures.” One study supports this claim, saying that KDF filters have high efficiency in chlorine reduction, as well as other heavy elements. 

Calcium Sulfite

According to Jolie, its shower head filter also contains calcium sulfite, which works in tandem with KDF-55 to reduce chlorine levels. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, using sulfite sales — like calcium sulfite — is a common dechlorination method that’s used to disinfect wastewater. 

Overall, Jolie’s product aligns with existing research about water filtration practices. 

What are the potential downsides of using filtered shower heads? 

However, there are things to keep in mind if you’re getting ready to purchase a filtered shower head: 

• It’s an unregulated industry. There are no federal regulations around filtered shower heads. What this means is that companies aren’t required to make products that meet certain standards — leading to potentially vast differences in product quality.

• More studies are needed. While there’s research around certain chemical compounds and their effects on water purification, there are currently no studies that thoroughly and directly investigate the effectiveness of filtered shower heads when it comes to skin and hair quality. 

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Should I invest in a filtered shower head? 

In short: there’s likely no harm in using a filtered shower head — and there’s a good chance it may even lead to improved skin and hair health due to the removal of chlorine and other heavy metals from water.

However, as we mentioned earlier, not every filtered shower head is created equal. So make sure to do your research to ensure you invest in a product that actually does what it promises to do.