As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Don’t we all love stepping into the shower, after a long day of work, and feel the hot water falling into our faces… It feels good, so it must be good for you… Right?
Well, not necessarily.
If you like to shower with extremely hot water, then I have bad news for you, as this may be the reason why you are constantly fighting to have nicer skin, and no matter how many times you exfoliate or rehydrate your face it always feels wrong.
Hot water is damaging your skin in general in the following aspects:
- It washes away the natural oils of your skin.
- It irritates the skin.
- And finally, it can also produce an acceleration of the condition called Melasma, which are brown spots that appear on your face. They are similar to sunspots.
Now, remember that the skin of your face is much more fragile than the skin of, for example, your hands or your elbows, and you soon realize why this is an issue for some.
Things you should keep in mind
- Washing your face with warm water in the sink is much more favorable.
It will not only reduce the amount of water in general that you use while showering, but also save on gas or electricity that you use to heat it up.
- You should shower heading away from the water.
You are probably not going to change the temperature mid-shower so after some days to get used to it you will have much less water hitting your face and removing the natural oils of your face on every shower. Do wash it anyway, briefly, and with warm water. We are not saying that you shouldn’t.
- Wash your face only twice per day if possible.
One time early in the morning and before going to sleep should be enough to keep your skin healthy and clean as well. A lot of women use creams or anti-aging products that MUST be well cleaned in the morning.
Also, try to use products that are not that drying. Aloe Vera is a natural plant with most of the properties you can find on anti-aging pharmaceutical creams and it’s not only cheaper but also gives your skin a lot of hydration.
Washing your face with cold water has some additional benefits
- It soothes your eyes, giving you a less tired look.
- Even though it’s debated if the cold water closes or not your skin pores, it’s certain that washing your face with colder water maintains more adequately the properties of your skin.
- The cold water makes the skin look fresh, acting kind of like an anti-age-natural cream.
- It also reduces the frequency in which wrinkles appear.
- Your makeup will stay more in place if you apply them on a colder surface.
- And finally, it helps a little bit of caring for the skin after getting exposed to the sun’s damaging UV rays.
But, and this is quite of an important but, dermatologist recommends to was your face with just warm water instead of a cold one. What they do recommend is that you splash cold water early in the morning to give you a hand waking up and doing the above-cited things, but for a proper wash you should use warm water on the temperature of your liking.
Other important points you must remember
- You should use a soap or a cleanser that is adequate for your skin, as they are not all made equal some are drier, some are harsher and some are more hydrating than others, for example. If you think that your skin is particularly dry, then you should avoid the cleaners which state to specifically remove the natural oils of your skin because it will only make the problem worse.
- As a general rule, cleansers with a lower level of PH are better overall. They create an unfavorable system so that bacteria can’t spread, and as well it’s one of the main things that make acne such a problem. Washing your face with neutral or lower-PH soap is the perfect way to easily fight against acne breakouts from home.
- Similarly, liquid and more “gentle” types of soap will be better if you have a very fragile and sensitive skin, be sure to wash your face using only the palms of your hands and with circular motions.
- Do not underestimate the power of properly moisturizing your face for a proper skincare routine. It does not just hydrate back your skin, but the main thing that people tend to miss out on is that it brings nutrients back to it. And this is without even mentioning the other properties that specifically designed creams have, like reducing face lines, help to treat acne, promoting blood flow throughout the face, and a lot more things. And now if you already took the time to use moisturizing on your face, Why not go a little further?
- Using an adequate sunscreen is key to a lot of things. Not just only to avoid the burnt color after a long day out or helping to prevent cancer as some sources quote, but it has almost the same properties of your moisturizing cream on a lower level, as the main focus is still to protect you from the UV rays, but when going out is an amazing choice that does not take that long to apply.
As the closing note, we have to say that you are not going to develop any health problem if you continue washing your face on the shower, we just exposed what we find that may be useful for you to consider. You can try to leave your face to the final part of your shower, after facing away from the showerhead the entire duration, and lowering the temperature a little bit for the end part. This is even going to improve blood flow all over your body if you do this by itself!