The chill is definitely in the air right now which makes it tempting to run straight from your warm bed to the liberating warmth of a boiling hot shower or soak for hours in a hot bath, but have you ever thought about the impact this has on your skin? Whilst having a hot shower or bath everyday feels like the right thing to do, it can be detrimental your skin and makes you to be prone to skin problems.
Here the expertsat ZO Skin Healthexplain step by step the damage of hot water which can cause excessive dry and damaged skin. If you suffer with sensitive skin or eczema, they share their tips on what you’re doing wrong in the shower and how to get that perfect shower time and temperature.
Effects of Hot Water
Having long and hot showers can combat the skins natural functions which act as a protective barrier and even loosen natural oils from the surface. It can also strip hair of its own protective oils and weaken your overall complexion. Consistent hot showers adversely affect the skins outer layer, the epidermis, which is full of substances that provide a tough defense against all the outside conditions whilst retaining moisture.
Skin Problems
Sufferers of eczema and sensitive skin should stick to lukewarm water as hot water can cause adverse effects to the long-term problems of your skin. If you expose hot water on your skin for extended amounts of time you will increase a chance of your skin becoming red and itchy. Baths can in fact be worse than a hot shower, to prevent extra dryness it is suggested to add a few spoonsful of oil.
What you Could be Doing Wrong
The longer and hotter the shower, the more detrimental it is for your skin’s health. Excessive heat from hot water combined with body soap will soften skin and slowly begin to strip away its natural protective barriers. Of course, this is good to remove the dirt and body odor, but you still need to ensure you maintain the skin’s natural moisture where possible and prevent your skin become prone to irritation and dryness.
Tips to Get That Perfect Shower Time
Keep your showers as short as possible – 10 minutes at the most. Also make sure to cleanse and use body soap in only the essential areas like the underarms, groin, buttocks and underneath the breasts, this will prevent dryness in other more sensitive areas as lathering up your whole body strip’s necessary oils in areas such as your shins and arms. It is also good to apply moisturiser right before or after your step out of the lukewarm water, it is good to do this quickly lotions trap moisture in the skin.
