They say smell is one of the strongest triggers of memory and for many people, the smell of chlorine takes them back to childhood and endless summer days with friends – splashing around in the cool water of some lucky neighbour’s swimming pool.
The downside to those happy memories? That chlorine is bad for your skin’s health.
It’s the reason our mothers would insist we had a shower afterwards – encouraging us to suds up with soap and shampoo to remove the traces of such strong chemicals. Our mothers were right.
But what to do when the very water we wash ourselves off in contains that same damaging chemical?
Because, the fact is, chlorine is in our tap water. We drink it, we wash our clothes in it and we wash ourselves in it when, really, just as our mothers recommended, we should be washing it away from our skin – and fast.
The damage caused by chlorine can sometimes be seen immediately if you swim every day – we’ve all had that dry skin sensation after a long hot summer spent frolicking in the deep end – but when the exposure to chlorine is every day, the long-term effects are more subtle but still very real.
Chlorine causes our skin to age prematurely – stripping it of important natural oils needed for good skin health and hydration. These oils have another purpose – ensuring the good health of our skin is managed naturally with the ‘good’ bacteria, which lives on skin in peak condition. When this bacteria is removed with harsh chemicals, the result is skin that can’t protect itself – leaving it prone to breakouts and other allergies. The result can be dry skin, which leads to wrinkles. In extreme cases, it can lead to flaky, irritated skin and even sinus problems that come from inhaling the chemical.
And when it comes to chlorine in our unfiltered household water, the exposure gets us from all angles – internally in the tap water we drink, and externally when we bathe or shower, as well as the residual left on our ‘freshly-washed’ clothes. Our absorption of it is made worse by the nature of our exposure – in the shower or bath, with the heat turned up, our pores open to allow the chlorine to seep in even more dramatically.
When it comes to your crowning glory – your head of hair – the effects are similar. Prolonged exposure to chemicals in the unfiltered water that is meant to be cleansing strips the naturally-occurring oils that keep hair looking shiny and feeling soft. At its worst – when hair is already damaged from use of styling products, hairdryers or hair colour – ongoing exposure to chlorine can lead to hair breakages, split ends and other scalp conditions, including dandruff.
Even relatively small amounts of chlorine can be harmful over time.
Feeling dry? If the damage has been done, you can treat dry skin with a good quality moisturizer. If you have a bath, a few spoonfuls of oatmeal can also have a softening, soothing effect. If your hair is the problem, speak to your hairdresser about a good quality hair treatment mask and make sure you have regular trims.
And in the long-term? Consider an Aeon Water Filter for your home and experience the peace of mind of pure, fresh, clean filtered water, chemical-free. Quick-fixes are one thing but all those beauty treatments come at a high cost. Installing a water filter is a long-lasting health solution that will keep safe in the knowledge that your skin and hair health is being managed well – without dangerous, harsh chemicals. When it comes to skin health, a Whole House Filter is one good option but an easy-to-install, Shower Filter System is another affordable alternative that will ensure your showers are the cleansing, refreshing experience you want them to be – with water as clean and fresh as nature intended.