FYI, These Shower Filters Will Transform Your Skin and Hair

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Not to be dramatic, but hard water is the bane of my existence. As a New York City resident, absolutely nothing sucks more than stepping out of the shower and immediately feeling like Spongebob stepping into Sandy's house without a water-filled helmet (too specific?). Sure, you can lather up with the best moisturizers or experiment with shampoos suited for dry hair, but once you get a taste of what filtered shower water can do for ya, it's hard to settle for anything less. Luckily, we don't have to continue subjecting ourselves to hard water and the unwanted contaminants that come with it.

Shower filters are a simple (and easy) solution to upgrade your shower routine by eliminating hard water. What is hard water? To put it simply, hard water is water with high levels of minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium. While it poses no major health risks, it can cause buildup in pipes, mineral stains on clothes, and, worse, leave your skin feeling dry AF. Putting a filter on your shower is like putting a Brita on your sink faucet—it helps remove chlorine, odors, minerals, and other heavy metals from your water. The result? More supple skin (hello, glowy skin) and healthier hair (hi, softer locks)! So, if you're ready to make the switch, we rounded up the best shower filters actually worth your coin.

Below, discover the best tested and reviewed shower filters out there. From the oh-so-popular Jolie shower head that's earned thousands of 5-star reviews to some Amazon finds that are easy on the wallet, there's an option for everyone (and every shower). And trust, once you experience showers with filtered water, you're gonna wish you'd done it sooner.

Filtered Showerhead

The internet-famous Jolie filtered showerhead is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it's the skincare step you've been missing. Along with removing chlorine, heavy metals, and other contaminants from your shower water (ideal for both your hair and skin), the Jolie shower filter is super easy to install and comes with all the necessary tools to do so. The best part? It won't affect or clog your current shower water pressure. And if you're not a fan (which is doubtful, tbh), Jolie offers free 60-day returns.

• Colors: Brushed Steel, Modern Chrome, Jet Black, Brushed Gold, Vibrant Red

• Weight: 1.56 lbs

• Filter lifespan: 90 days

• Replacement filter: 1 included; 90-day subscription available

Glowing Customer Review: "It was easy to install and the difference in my hair after just a few showers is amazing. No more bad hair days! And the shower itself seems better - not sure why or how to explain it - just seems a better, more relaxing experience. And my skin seems cleaner after a Jolie shower."

Filtered Showerhead

This derm-recommended, easy-to-install filtered showerhead does a great job of supporting healthy skin and hair. How? Glad you asked! With three stream settings (wide, narrow, and dual), it uses granular activated carbon, KDF-55, and calcium sulfite to reduce chlorine and all the other stuff that we don't want in our shower water. Best of all? While you're busy taking care of your skin and hair, the filter comes with an aroma kit that'll diffuse a luxurious scent for a spa-like experience. Yes, pls.

• Colors: Polished Chrome, Matte Black, Brushed Nickel, Brass

• Weight: 1.2 lbs

• Filter lifespan: 90 days

• Replacement filter: 1 included; 90-day subscription available

Glowing Customer Review: "I love this showerhead! My skin and hair have transformed since I started using it & my skin is finally not irritated. I also love the little addition of the essential oils, the lavender one makes our bathroom smell so good & I'm excited to try the other smells! Very easy to install & change the filter."

High Output Revitalizing Shower Filter

Odors and scale buildup are no match for this filter. Just like what you should do to that creepy dude on Tinder, this option blocks all the stuff you don't want—chlorine, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, dirt, and odors. It's basically like hitting a reverse button to ultimately restore what hard water did to your hair, skin, and nails. And for those looking for a quick fix with minimal effort, AquaBliss doesn't require any tools to install, and it works with several different shower setups.

• Colors: Brushed Nickel, Chrome, Matte Black, Matte Gold, Oil Rubbed Bronze

• Weight: 1 lb

• Filter lifespan: 4-6 months

• Replacement filter: 1 included; No subscription available

Glowing Customer Review: "We bought this filter after years of showering with hard water. Upon installation and first use you immediately feel the water running over you smoothly. Your hair and skin feels softer and upon stepping out of the shower water glides off you and you hardly ever need a towel to dry off. It’s strange but amazing."

Shower Filter for Hard Water

Saving your skin and hair from contaminants shouldn't be a luxury. Luckily, there are some affordable shower filters, and this is indeed one of them. (Just because it's the budget-friendly option, doesn't mean that it's lacking!) This shower filter, which helps increase your water pressure, uses a three part filtering system to remove up to 90% of chlorine, fluoride, iron, and calcium. Oh, and did I mention this bb has three stream settings (massage, rainfall, and combo) for the full spa-like menu?

• Colors: Clear and silver

• Weight: 6.6 oz

• Filter lifespan: 6-12 months

• Filter subscription: 2 included; monthly subscription available
  

Glowing Customer Review: "It’s not fancy but that’s not what I was looking for," writes a reviewer. "So easy to install. No leaks. I love how long the filter lasts…..around eight months. And they include a replacement filter so I’m set for a long time. My husband says it makes a slight humming sound, but I don’t notice it. It was confusing looking at so many shower heads/filters but the price of this is good as are all the reviews and I’m happy I like the first one I try. The water pressure is great. Recommend!"

Water Softener Shower Head

Strong water pressure is key when it comes to a good shower sesh (at least for me!), and this shower head is designed to give just that. Complete with three spray pattern settings, the filter removes sediments, iron, rust, and other heavy metals. The showerhead connects to standard wall-mounted showers and comes with two filter replacements, so you can enjoy the benefits of soft water for even longer.

• Colors: Clear and chrome

• Weight: 6.1 oz

• Filter lifespan: 6 months

• Replacement filter: 3 included; No subscription available
  

Glowing Customer Review: "This was an amazing purchase! It really makes you feel like you’re at a therapeutic spa. The pressure is awesome and everyone in my family has started to use my shower instead of their shower because of how much everyone loves it," reports a reviewer. "Had to buy another 1 for them so I could get my bathroom back lol. The water is very soft on your skin and on your hair which I love as well. Make sure to change the filter every 6-8 months (comes with a replacement) for that prime shower feel."

Vitamin C Shower Filter for Hard Water

If smell is just as important as water quality to you, let me introduce you to this bb that's available in three scent options: Summer Citrus, Morning in Bali, and Botanic Garden. It's formulated with shea butter, oatmeal, jojoba oil, rosehip oil, and coconut oils, so you leave the shower feeling e-x-t-r-a pampered, and it's packed with vitamin C to help maintain an ideal water pH level for your skin and hair. Plus, it uses a microfiber filter to remove rust (ew) and other floating matter that causes the hardening of water.

• Scents: Morning in Bali, Botanic Garden, Summer Citrus

• Weight: 5.9 oz

• Filter lifespan: 6 months

• Replacement filter: 1 included; Weekly and monthly subscription available

Glowing Customer Review: "Well, I was a bit skeptical with this product at first, but now I love it. It is easy to install and it smells amazing even with the cold water. Honestly, it does not make a dramatic notable difference, but I can tell the difference," writes a reviewer. "I do notice that my skin is softer than it was before. If you have hard water, this will be a game changer. Just give it a try. Highly recommended."

Shower Water Filter System Max Flow Rate w/ Adjustable Shower Head

If you're looking for great filtration and a massaging water stream, I think you two should meet. The Aquasana shower filter uses a upstream filtration system that removes chlorine, chemicals, zinc, and copper to balance the water's pH while preventing any clogging. While the bulky design may not offer the same sleek look as other options on the list, the filter lasts for up to half a year, so you can get more usage before replacing.

• Colors: White

• Weight: 2.3 lbs

• Filter lifespan: 6 months

• Replacement filter: 1 included; No subscription available

Glowing Customer Review: "How have I lived without this product?! I’ll tell you how. Dry. My hair was breaking. Skin itchy and flaky. Within two washes my hair is starting to heal and wrinkles less prominent!!! Amazing. Saves soooo much money vs getting a whole house softener."

Shower Filter

If we're going off looks, it's pretty easy to see that this one would be a top contender. This sleek, eco-friendly filter not only conserves water but is made with recyclable components. The filter itself uses ceramic beads to boost filtration and reduces up to 90% of chlorine, copper, iron, lead, and other contaminants from your shower routine. Plus, the installation doesn't require any tools, so you can go from hard to soft water in less than 5 minutes (yep, that quick!). The brand also has a purifying handheld shower head that attaches to your hose if that's more your speed.

• Colors: Silver

• Filter lifespan: 3-5 months

• Replacement filter: 1 included; 90-day subscription available

Glowing Customer Review: "I'm so happy with this product! I've wanted a shower filter for years but I thought it would be complicated to set up. I love that this one is a showerhead so it makes it so easy. I've been using it for a couple months now, but I must say I noticed benefits after the first use! My hair was immediately so much softer. With my previous shower head, my hair would look frizzy and messy for the first day after washing. Now I can't stop touching my hair because it feels so good."

Why trust 'Cosmo'?

As you probably know, Cosmo's lifestyle team spends all day, every day scouring the internet, testing products, and reading reviews so we can bring you the type of high-quality content we’d want for ourselves (and our standards are preeeetty darn high, TBH).

We also try to make sure the products we feature are good for both you and our planet. If we wouldn’t buy something for ourselves, we sure as heck won’t recommend it to you—and we’re always gonna keep it really, really real. Pinky swear.

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