Top 5 Best Vitamin C Shower Filters • (2024 Reviews)

Last updated Feb 15, 2024

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Do Vitamin C shower filters work? This is the main question we answer in our guide to choosing the best Vitamin C shower filter for your home. In this guide, we share our top 5 best vitamin C shower filter picks, the purported benefits, and additional helpful information to help you decide if this is the right shower filter for you.

Vitamin C shower filters are popular in Korea and Japan. Similar to water ionizers, their popularity in Asia has overflowed into the Western world, and now we’re reaching for them in America to experience the health benefits of bathing in Vitamin C.

Of course, with all new health products in the Western world that come from the East, there are advocates and naysayers. It’s our aim to give you all the information you need in this guide to draw your own conclusion and answer the question: Do Vitamin C shower filters really work?

Let’s start with our Top 5 picks before moving onto our complete buyer’s guide and FAQ.

Top 5 Vitamin C Shower Filters

Filter	Features & Highlights
#1 Sonaki Vitamin C Inline Shower Dual Filter (SUF-300VPX)	Removes up to 99.9% of chlorine & chloramines (Lab Test Results) Filter Life: Vitamin C Filter 5,000 liters, PureMax Filter 20,000 Liters Filter Media: Vitamin C, Activated Carbon Fiber, Bio Ceramics Warranty: 1-Year Warranty and 120-Day Money-Back Satisfaction Guarantee Dimensions: 11.8″ Long x 3.94″ Diameter Highlights: Dual-filtration system removes a wide range of common water contaminants including rust, lead, copper, heavy metals, chlorine, and chloramines \| Works with your existing showerhead \| Packages includes 4 Vitamin C filters and 1 PureMax filter \| Brass Parts w/ Chrome Finish \| Food-Grade Vitamin C \| Antibacterial \| Includes filter-change wrench Check Price at Amazon #ad
#2 Sonaki Vitamin C Inline Shower Filter (SUF-100V)	Removes up to 99.9% of chlorine & chloramines Filter Life: 5,000 liters Filter Media: Vitamin C Warranty: 1-Year Warranty and 30-Day Return Window Dimensions: 7″ Length x 4″ Diameter (Widest Part) Highlights: Ideal for chlorine and chloramine removal \| Ready to use with your existing showerhead \| Installs in minutes \| 3 Vitamin C filters included \| Top choice for people seeking healthier hair, skin, and nails \| Includes special wrench for changing filters Check Price at Amazon #ad
#3 UBS Vitafresh Shower Filter Original Classic (UVFC-CVPNO1)	Totally Neutralizes Chlorine Filter Life: 10,000 liters Filter Media: Vitamin C, Ceramic Ball Warranty: None Dimensions: 7.1″ Length x 3″ Diameter (Widest Part) Highlights: Longer filter life than Sonaki \| Pharmaceutical-Grade Vitamin C \| For people who want to add luster to their hair and skin \| Universal installation with your existing showerhead \| Includes 3 Vitamin C filters Check Price at Amazon #ad
#4 PureAction Vitamin C Filter Shower Head (SH158)	Removes chlorine & chloramines, reduces fluoride Filter Life: Vitamin C 1 month, Mineral Balls 4 months Filter Media: Scented Vitamin C Block, Tourmaline, Zeolite, Negative Ion Balls Warranty: 1-Year Warranty and 100% Money-Back Guarantee Dimensions: 8.7″ Length x 3.3″ Diameter (Widest Part) + 60″ Hose Highlights: Includes mount, hose, Teflon tape, and showerhead \| Perfect aromatherapy showerhead with 4 scents included \| High-pressure showerhead good for people with low water pressure \| A top choice for healthier hair and to reduce hair fall Check Price at Amazon #ad
#5 AquaBliss High Output 12-Stage Shower Filter (SF100)	Contains Calcium Sulfite and KDF Redox Media for Optimal Chlorine Reduction Filter Life: 10,000 to 12,000 gallons or 6-8 months Filter Media: Vitamin C, KDF, Calcium Sulfite, Activated Carbon, Zeolite, Tourmaline, Far-Infrared Balls, Magnetic Balls Warranty: 1-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty and Amazon Return Policy Dimensions: 7.7″ Length x 3.8″ Diameter (Widest Part) Highlights: The most comprehensive blend of filter media in our top 5 \| Contains KDF media that’s traditionally used to comply with NSF/ANSI Standard 177 for chlorine removal \| One of the most trusted brands \| Great for dandruff sufferers and for hair, skin & nail health Recommended Reading: AquaBliss SF100 vs SF220 Check Price at Amazon #ad Check Manufacturer’s Price #ad Coupon Code for 5% Off AWMSH2O

Buyer’s Guide

Now that you know the top Vitamin C shower filters currently on the market, let’ take a closer look at how we arrived at these filters and answer several frequently asked questions starting with the most important one.

Do Vitamin C shower filters work?

Before you make the leap to buy a Vitamin C shower filter, this is the first question you’ll most likely ask yourself. As with all new health products, it’s important to do a bit of homework before you buy.

Here’s what we found during our research. According to the City of San Francisco (sfwater.org), 1000mg of Vitamin C added to a medium-sized bathtub will completely remove chlorine and neutralize chloramine. Furthermore, Vitamin C is a common reducing agent used for dechlorination.

AWWA Standard (AWWA, 2005b) includes Vitamin C as an agent for dechlorination in disinfected water mains. The drawback that sfwater.org notes is that Vitamin C shower filter manufacturers overestimate the life of their filters (we have a fix for this to save you some bucks).

The last point to consider is there’s currently no NSF/ANSI Standard for the dechlorination of water with Vitamin C. In other words, NSF/ANSI does not yet recognize Vitamin C as an effective filtration media for chlorine removal. For this reason, the lab test results provided by Sonaki are from a Korean lab.

Conclusion

Korea and Japan are both First World countries with cutting-edge water filtration technology. We trust water filtration products manufactured in these countries. Additionally, the sfwater.org article confirms that Vitamin C effectively removes chlorine and chloramine from municipally-treated water. Yes, Vitamin C shower filters do work.

Vitamin C Shower Filter Reviews

Since there are a lot of skeptics who don’t believe that Vitamin C shower filters work, we decided to do a deep dive into current Sonaki shower filter info and the other filters in our Top 5. We’re familiar with AquaBliss and trust them as a reputable shower filter manufacturer.

Here’s what we concluded:

The #1 problem with the Sonaki filter is longevity. You’ll likely need to do some maintenance to avoid leaks and broken parts.
You’ll most likely love the effect the Vitamin C shower water has on their skin and hair.
Installation is easy.
The Sonaki dual filter is recommended for people with blond hair who are experiencing a reddish tint or dry hair from chlorine exposure.
The chlorine smell is completely gone.
It appears that sfwater.org hit the nail on the head when they called out water filter companies for overestimating the life of the Vitamin C filters.
People with chloramine-treated municipal water should notice a positive effect on skin health after switching to a Vitamin C filter.
There’s a reasonable belief that Vitamin C does not effectively remove chlorine at high flow rates and from hot water. This is important to note because sfwater.org added Vitamin C to a bathtub and allowed it to dissolve rather than testing water from a shower filter. We recommend using a DPD-1 chlorine test kit to test your tap water before and after.

How to Make Your Own Replacement Vitamin C Shower Filters

A lot of people make their own Vitamin C replacement shower filters by adding Vitamin C powder to the orange Sonaki replacement filter housings.

Here’s what you need to make your own:

Instructions

Carefully pop off the top of the Sonaki replacement filter (you’ll find that the top is glued to the housing with varying strengths of glue depending on which batch you receive)
Only apply pressure to the part of the filter above the black o-ring to release the cap (you may need to go around the top several times to gently break the glue away without cracking the housing)
If the cap won’t budge, soak it in very hot water (not boiling) and try again
Once you release the cap, flip the filter upside and tap out the seal and cap (save all the parts)
Wash all parts with mild soap and a soft sponge, then allow them to air dry
Pack the filter housing with Vitamin C powder until it reaches below the cap line
Add a bit of water and pack down the Vitamin C powder again as much as possible below the cap line
Replace the cap, o-ring, and cloth filter in their original positions, and you’re good to go! No need to worry about adding glue since the o-ring creates a seal

Vitamin C Shower Filter Benefits

The main benefit of a Vitamin C shower filter is chlorine & chloramine removal. Since chlorine wreaks havoc on hair, skin, and nail health – mostly due to its drying effect – Vitamin C helps to reverse this problem by removing chlorine.

Here are the benefits most users experience:

More radiant and youthful-looking skin
Softer, shinier hair
Improved nail health
Vitamin C has a slightly acidifying effect on water (unlike alkaline drinking water, acidic water has cosmetic uses including natural acne treatment)
No more noxious chlorine odor while showering
Eczema, dandruff, and psoriasis sufferers are finding relief with Vitamin C shower filters
Get rid of dry itchy skin

Which brand is the best?

The best pure Vitamin C shower filter currently on the market is the Sonaki shower filter. While Vitamin C shower filter feedback is quite mixed across the board, Sonaki is the clear leader.

We recommend caring for the filter, following instructions carefully, and contacting Sonaki with any questions you have to get the best experience. Considering the Sonaki filter comes with a 1-year warranty and 120-day money-back guarantee, it’s worth a try.

Sonaki Wins

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Bottom Line

We do believe Vitamin C shower filters work, and the key part is to buy from a trusted seller. Sonaki is the #1 manufacturer of Vitamin C shower filters in the world and the most trustworthy brand in our Top 5. It’s best to stick with them if you’re serious about buying the best Vitamin C shower filter for your home.

We recommend considering the dual-filter Sonaki system with additional activated carbon fiber for enhanced contaminant removal. We’re also big fans of the AquaBliss SF100 filter which includes a wide range of filtration media that’s proven to work.

KDF redox media is the chosen media to meet NSF/ANSI Standard 177 for chlorine reduction. Keep in mind, Sonaki and UBS Vita-Fresh shower filters do not meet NSF/ANSI Standards because there’s currently no NSF Standard for Vitamin C.

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