How chlorine disrupts the skin microbiome

Your skin microbiome — trillions of microorganisms forming a critical immune defence — is vulnerable to chlorine. Chlorine acts as an antibacterial agent that can't distinguish beneficial bacteria from harmful ones.

Disrupting the skin microbiome is linked to:

  • Proliferation of C. acnes when beneficial competing strains are eliminated
  • Increased skin inflammation (a known acne trigger)
  • Follicular hyperkeratosis — blocked pores

The limescale-pore connection

Limescale deposits from hard water physically block hair follicles over days and weeks, creating the perfect environment for C. acnes: trapped sebum, no oxygen, blocked drainage.

The evidence

A 2020 study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found people in hard water areas had significantly higher adolescent acne rates, even after controlling for other factors. Calcium/magnesium mineral deposits were proposed as a contributing mechanism.
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