Is Your Shower Making You Sick? The Hidden Toxins in Your Water with Leo Szymborski

On today’s episode, we interviewed Leo Szymborski, founder of PHPrescription, a pioneer in advanced water purification and hydrogen wellness technologies. Leo shares how growing up in heavily contaminated South Jersey inspired him to dedicate his career to restoring water to its cleanest and most biologically supportive state. In this conversation, we discuss why water quality is one of the most overlooked drivers of health, how chemicals in tap water can be absorbed through the skin during showers, and how advanced filtration, remineralization, and hydrogen infusion can transform everyday water into a powerful tool for supporting cellular health, skin health, and detoxification.

Top 5 Takeaways for Listeners

1. Water quality is a foundational (and overlooked) health factor.
• Contaminants in tap water may include chlorine, chloramine, heavy metals, pesticides, PFAS (“forever chemicals”), and VOCs.
• These toxins can contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation, and skin irritation.
• Improving your water quality is one of the easiest ways to reduce daily toxic exposure.

2. Your shower may expose you to more chemicals than your drinking water.
• The skin absorbs small molecules easily — chlorine is small enough to pass directly through the skin.
• During a hot shower, chemicals are also inhaled through steam and vapor.
• If you struggle with dry skin, eczema, brittle hair, or sinus irritation, your shower water may be contributing.

3. Test your water before you invest in filtration.
• Most inexpensive home test kits only measure chlorine and hardness.
• Comprehensive testing can identify 100+ contaminants including heavy metals and industrial chemicals.
• A commonly used lab test recommended by Leo:
https://watercheck.com

4. Whole-house filtration protects you beyond just drinking water.
• Drinking filters help, but contaminants also affect you when showering, cooking, brushing teeth, and washing your hands.
• A full system typically includes:
• Chemical filtration (pesticides, VOCs, PFAS)
• Heavy metal removal
• Optional UV light for bacteria and pathogens
• This protects your entire household’s daily exposure.

5. Hydrogen-infused water may support recovery, skin health, and cellular repair.
• Molecular hydrogen acts as a selective antioxidant, targeting damaging free radicals.
• Hydrogen-rich water may support energy production, inflammation reduction, and recovery.
• Hydrogen showers allow absorption through the skin and inhalation through steam, which may support respiratory and skin health.

Resources & Links

PHPrescription Water Systems
https://phprescription.com

Hydrogen Water & AquaPellets Technology
https://phprescription.com/products

Comprehensive Home Water Testing
https://watercheck.com

Use discount code BIOHACKINGBLONDES for listener pricing and special offers.