Water + Health (Part Three)
Welcome back for Part Three of our Water + Health series!
If you missed the last few blogs, you can read Part One here and Part Two here.
Last time, we talked about the options for clean drinking water, and the time before that we talked about why you should be invested in finding clean drinking water. This time, we’re going over ways to enhance your water usage when it comes to things like baths and beauty rituals.
First up: let’s talk about bathing. There’s nothing like a good, hot shower or bath to help you relax and bring a sense of renewal to your day. Unfortunately, as we’ve talked about in previous blogs, the water that’s coming out of your tap isn’t exactly clean. In fact, it’s pretty contaminated.
Whether it’s petroleum byproducts, pharmaceuticals, or those pesky trihalomethanes we talked about in Part One, your tap water is chock full of potentially risky chemicals. Even worse, when you take a hot shower or bath, you’re heating up this mixture and allowing it to soak into your skin.
Think of it this way: let’s imagine you walk into a chemistry lab. It’s full of various chemicals, whether it’s plain H2O or toxic and corrosive HCL (hydrochloric acid). It would be bad enough if you were to blindly mix together random substances, but imagine if you then heated up that mixture--and soaked in it.
Now, that’s a pretty extreme example. Obviously, if we had something like pure hydrochloric acid running through our faucet, we’d notice. But this example helps give you a sense of the volatility that can occur in our public water supply. Various contaminants are mixed together, and then that contaminated water is heated and dispersed over your skin for an extended period of time. Weird and kind of nerve-wracking to think about, right?
The good news is that we at least know how to access clean drinking water, which is vastly more important, since what we drink is directly taken into the body, whereas the water we bathe in has to work a little harder to penetrate through the barrier of our skin. Nevertheless, our skin does absorb plenty from our environment, so it’s best if we create the most hospitable environment possible. Which brings us to more good news: there are ways to have clean bathing water.
First things first: if you have lead piping, consider replacing it. If that isn’t a possibility, always run the water in the faucet for a bit before you use it. Water with the highest concentration of lead is water that’s been sitting in the pipe for an extended period of time (think overnight).
Next step: purchase a filter for your shower head and/or bath faucet. These are relatively inexpensive (think under $100) and work quite well. An added benefit is that by filtering the water you bathe in, you’ll have healthier skin and hair!
Simply do a quick online search for shower head filters. Many have specific concerns they’re designed for--some focus on heavy metals, others focus on chlorine. Your best bet is to find one that removes both. Others will also include the added perk of removing contaminants like fluoride, but your top priorities should be removing chlorine, which is an extremely common disinfectant, and heavy metals, which most of us are heavily exposed to through our diet and lifestyle.
If you prefer to take baths, there are plenty of “bath balls” on the market. These are simply globe-like containers that hang under the bath faucet, and filter out contaminants as you fill the tub. Again, your best bet is to find one that guarantees removal of heavy metals and chlorine, if nothing else.
If you’re really concerned about contaminated water (which is awesome!) you can also consider a filter for your bathroom sink, so you have clean water when washing your hands and face. However, this is where things get a bit more extensive: in some ways, it’s easier to simply have a plumber install a filtration system that your shower, sink, and bath faucet can all pull from. Your local plumber is going to be your best bet for figuring out what works for you and your home, as there are so many different systems on the market. If you really want, you can even have a reverse osmosis system installed for your whole house, but if you want a great system that really cleans the water--as good as a water store, for example--consider that it will be a bigger investment. However, you can still get vastly cleaner water just by having a standard household system installed, and for some people, this is the way to go.
If you live in an apartment, have more budget restrictions, or just want something more basic, you can get a Point-of-Use (POU) water filter and have it installed. This means that wherever you have it installed, that particular faucet will be filtered. In some cases, this is an easier option than having a household system. Ultimately, it depends on your individual circumstances.
This brings us to our next water topic: beauty rituals!
Water has often been used ritualistically, both for cleansing and for beauty. If you stop and think about the number of beauty go-to’s that involve water, you might be surprised! Here are some of our favorite, that involve clean, healthy water:
Do an ice bath for your face in the morning, using purified reverse osmosis water and ice (simply use your RO water in an ice cube tray)
Take a bath using your bath faucet filter, and add essential oils, flower petals, crystals, or even (clean, non-toxic) bath bombs.
Purchase a facial steamer or simply boil water in a pot. Steam your face using purified water, and watch the magic! You may get a bit pink, but your pores will open, circulation will be amplified, and you’ll feel incredibly relaxed. It also has the added benefit of opening up your sinuses, if you have chronic issues like allergies or are suffering from congestion.
Make your own room spray! Simply using purified water and a glass bottle, add any essential oils you like. Make sure you always shake the bottle before use, as the essential oils will collect on top. Scents like lavender are wonderful to spray on your pillows before you go to sleep, while citrus scents like lemon and orange are a great way to wake up in the morning.
If you have houseplants, consider watering them with remineralized reverse osmosis water. This helps keep the soil healthy, and thus keeps the plant healthy as well. In turn, your houseplant will help filter the air for you, which will keep you healthy. It’s a win-win!
That’s it for this time, everyone. Make sure to check out our Instagram at @InfinityAestheticsCA for specials and more tips on water + health!
The author of this blog, Layla Hanson, is a writer and project manager for Infinity Aesthetics, specializing in holistic media production. You can see her popping in and out of the office from time to time to snap photos for our Instagram and website. Feel free to say hi and offer to pose for a picture!