Shower water · Skin
Chlorine + hard water dries and irritates skin.
Calcium and magnesium in hard water bind to soap, leave residue, and disrupt the skin barrier, linked to eczema flares and dryness.
American Academy of DermatologyResearch
What's in your tap is in your body
Your city water passes the safety tests. It also carries chlorine, chalky minerals, and, in older neighborhoods, trace amounts of metal from old pipes. Here's what each one does to you, in plain English, with the studies that say so.
The problem
What's in your tap is in your body
Quick tour of what city water does, every day, to everyone in your house.
In the shower
- Skin feels dry and tight after every shower
- Hair feels rough: brittle, dull, breaks easy
- Shower steam carries a faint pool smell
- Skin starts looking older than it should
At the sink
- Old pipes can leak traces of metal into the glass
- Coffee tastes like the tap, not the bean
- Rice, pasta, soup: they soak the water up
- Every drink in the house has a faint after-taste
Research compiled from EPA, NIH, CDC, AAD, SCA, WHO, and EWG. Deep-dive on the blog
Sourced detail
The research, with citations
Each card links out to the institutional source. Click any card to see the original report.
Shower water · Hair
Hardness damages the cuticle. Hair becomes dry, dull, brittle.
Mineral deposits build up on the hair shaft. Color fades faster, breakage increases, and shampoo can't lather properly.
NIH National Library of MedicineShower water · Lungs
Chlorine vaporizes in hot showers and is inhaled directly.
Trihalomethanes (chloroform among them) form when chlorine reacts with organic matter. Steam carries them into your lungs at concentrations higher than drinking tap water.
U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyShower water · Face
Chlorine strips natural oils, disrupts pH, accelerates aging.
Chlorinated water is harsher than facial cleansers. It oxidizes lipids in your skin barrier and contributes to fine lines and sensitivity.
American Academy of DermatologySink water · Teeth
Lead from older service lines erodes enamel and absorbs in bone.
Even at low levels, lead from corroded pipes (common in homes built before 1986) accumulates over time and affects bone and tooth development, especially in kids.
Centers for Disease ControlSink water · Coffee
Chlorine + hardness ruin extraction. Coffee tastes flat.
The Specialty Coffee Association's water standard specifies 17-85 mg/L hardness. Most Ohio tap water sits at 137+. Your $20/lb beans never had a chance.
Specialty Coffee AssociationSink water · Cooking
Chlorine cooks into your food. Vegetables, rice, broth. All of it.
Water makes up most of what you cook with. Chlorine bonds to amino acids and starches during boiling and changes flavor, color, and texture.
World Health OrganizationSink water · Daily drinks
TDS, chloramine, and trace contaminants change the taste of everything.
Tea, lemonade, baby formula, ice cubes: they all carry whatever is in your tap. EWG's Tap Water Database shows what's in your specific ZIP.
Environmental Working GroupSee it removed at your tap
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