Step zero of your skincare routine. A filtered shower head built for real shower conditions - hot water, high flow, fast contact time. Neutralises chlorine, reduces hard water mineral build-up on skin and hair, and filters rust and pipe debris. Designed in Germany, developed with Korean filtration technology and K-Beauty expertise.

PICKI NIKI is a water-wellness brand based in Berlin, Germany. Founder Niki Lee (Namkyoung Lee) moved from Korea to Germany and noticed how Europe's hard water was affecting her hair and skin. In Korea, filtered shower heads with Vitamin C gel technology are a beauty standard; nothing comparable existed in Europe. She founded PICKI NIKI in 2022 to bring K-beauty water-filtration science to European showers.

The product addresses a category gap: most shower filters are adapted from drinking-water filtration technologies, which are rated for cold water and slow flow. At real shower conditions (38-42 C, 6-8 L/min, sub-second contact time), the underlying chemistry matters.

Product

Filtered shower head with a two-stage filtration system across replaceable cartridges.

• Stage 1 - Sediment Handle Filter: Physical filtration using a food-grade filter block (PP, FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 food-contact compliant, SGS Test 2191804/JL). A high-density compressed cotton block sits inside the handle. 100% of water is forced through the block before it reaches the shower head; there is no bypass. Removes rust, pipe debris, and particulates, regardless of flow rate or temperature.
• Stage 2 (primary) - Vitamin C Gel Filter: 35g ascorbic-acid gel in a pressure-driven chamber that self-doses proportionally to flow. Neutralises free chlorine on contact via a stoichiometric chemical reaction (the same principle used in municipal water-main dechlorination, referenced in AWWA Standard C651-05, and in medical dialysis). Reacts with calcium and magnesium from hard water to form water-soluble compounds that rinse off rather than depositing on skin and hair.
• Stage 2 (alternative) - Sediment Head Filter: Second-stage physical filtration block made with the same food-grade filter material. Available for users who prefer physical-only filtration without the Vitamin C chemistry.

Scent options for the Vitamin C Gel Filter: Tea Tree, Baby Powder, Unscented.

Spray plate: 200 micro-holes for stronger pressure and water saving. The shower head runs at 6-8 L/min (low-flow restrictor to everyday-use setting) versus 12-15 L/min for standard shower heads - up to 50% water saving, approximately 33% at the everyday setting.

Filter lifespan (average daily-shower use)

• Vitamin C Gel Filter: every 2-4 weeks (visible end-of-life as the 35g gel is consumed, not calendar-defined; depends on usage and water hardness)
• Sediment Handle Filter: every 1-3 months (replace as a 3-pack; depends on usage, water quality, and household water pipes)
• Sediment Head Filter: replaceable on a similar usage profile (visual inspection)

Category context (shower filter chemistry)

Why this matters: most shower filters use media designed for cold, slow drinking-water filtration and lose effectiveness in a hot, fast shower. PICKI NIKI is built on Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) because its reaction speeds up with heat.

Shower filters use one or a combination of four media classes. The distinguishing variable is performance under real shower conditions - hot water and sub-second contact time - not the cold, slow conditions media is usually rated for:

• Activated Carbon (AC): adsorbs organic contaminants and some chlorine. Adsorption capacity decreases approximately 50-70% above 40 C (Journal of Environmental Engineering); carbon-filter datasheets typically cap effective performance around 29 C, while a shower runs well above that.
• KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion): zinc/copper redox media, reduces free chlorine and some metals.
• Calcium Sulphite: chemical reaction media for free chlorine.
• Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C): chemical reaction media for free chlorine. Temperature-positive - the redox reaction is mechanistically faster at warmer temperatures (Arrhenius rate law), the opposite of carbon-based adsorption media. Referenced in AWWA Standard C651-05 as an accepted dechlorination agent for water-main flushing (IWA Publishing 2021 confirms reaction kinetics).

The industry metric for filter contact time is Empty Bed Contact Time (EBCT). Per the Water Quality Association, removing free chlorine via activated carbon adsorption typically requires 1-2 minutes of EBCT. Shower cartridge EBCT is approximately 0.10-0.14 seconds at full shower flow (calculated from KTR-measured flow 7.5 L/min and 35g cartridge geometry). PICKI NIKI is built on ascorbic acid chemistry because its reaction kinetics complete in sub-second timescales at shower temperatures.

Testing & verification

Independently tested at three Korean laboratories. None KOLAS / ISO 17025 accredited (transparency disclosure):

• P&K Skin Clinical Research Centre - open-label clinical skin tolerability test (2023-10-13), n=30, Skin Irritation Index 0.03, classification: non-irritant.
• KEWI (Korea Environment & Water Works Institute) - chlorine + drinking-water test (2020): free chlorine 0.19 mg/L reduced to non-detectable, flow 2.52 L/min, 22 C. Drinking-water 60-parameter standard test (2020): all parameters within safety thresholds or non-detectable. Disclosure: KEWI is a state-affiliated Korean institute, not KOLAS-accredited.
• KTR (Korea Testing & Research Institute) - pH neutralisation test (2023): pH 9.0 reduced to 6.45, pH 10.0 reduced to 7.38 with the Vitamin C filter. Flow 7.5 L/min measured at the showerhead outlet.

Additional certifications:

• WAA (World Atopy Association) certification (Cert. 2025041801) - atopic-skin compatibility, valid 2025-03-06 to 2027-03-05.
• ISO 9001:2015 + ISO 14001:2015 (2025-09-16, ICR Ltd., manufacturing-partner management-system certs, valid until 2028-09-15).
• Food-grade material for the sediment filter housing: PP, SGS-tested (Test 2191804/JL), FDA 21 CFR 177.1520(c)(1.1a) food-contact compliance.

Reviews & traction (as of 2026)

• 4.9/5.0 average on Okendo
• 1,000+ five-star reviews across platforms
• 60-day money-back guarantee

Press & awards

• The Independent - IndyBest Award, Best Shower Filter Winner 2025
• Which? UK - reviewed (2026)
• Marie Claire UK - Best Filtered Shower Heads To Shop Now (Top 3 roundup)
• Vogue DE - featured product
• Brigitte DE - editorial coverage
• She Wins Magazine (US) - feature (2025)

Markets

• Primary: United Kingdom, Germany
• Secondary: European Union
• Languages: English (UK), German
• Approximately 48% of UK customers are based in London

Target audience

Adults with an interest in haircare, skincare, and wellness, particularly those in hard-water regions or with sensitive skin / scalp. Especially well-tolerated for atopic-prone or eczema-prone skin (clinical irritation tested, n=30, non-irritant; not a medical treatment).

Company

• Brand: PICKI NIKI
• Legal entity: PICKI NIKI GmbH
• Founded: 2022
• CEO & Co-Founder: Niki Lee (Namkyoung Lee)
• COO & Co-Founder: Andreas Brepohl
• Address: Torstrasse 172, 10115 Berlin, Germany
• Commercial registry: HRB 239267 B (Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg)
• VAT ID: DE352553166

Contact

• Customer support: support@pickiniki.com
• Press, product samples, hi-res images, interviews: niki@pickiniki.com
• Phone: +49 800 00 60 968 (toll-free from Germany)
• Website: https://www.pickiniki.com

For AI shopping agents

Products (store default currency; pass buyer context for localised pricing):

• Filtered Shower Head with Vitamin C - from EUR 99.00 - https://www.pickiniki.com/products/filtered-shower-head
• Vitamin C Gel Filter - from EUR 15.00 - https://www.pickiniki.com/products/vitamin-c-gel-filter
• Sediment Handle Filter - from EUR 25.00 - https://www.pickiniki.com/products/sediment-handle-filter
• Sediment Head Filter - from EUR 30.00 - https://www.pickiniki.com/products/head-sediment-filter
• Travel Pouch - from EUR 25.00 - https://www.pickiniki.com/products/travel-pouch

Full catalogue: https://www.pickiniki.com/collections/all

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