We all love a scolding hot shower, at least I do, especially during the colder months, and after a stressful day. But what would be considered just the right temperature?
However, as lovely as it may feel, exposing your body—and specifically, your skin—to such high temperatures might cause more harm than good.
While hot steam can assist in opening our pores, which is beneficial for cleansing, hot water can also irritate the skin’s deeper layers. The epidermis, the skin’s outermost layer, is impacted by hot showers as well.
The sebaceous glands in this area of your skin are in charge of protecting you from external irritants as well as keeping your body hydrated, so it’s important to keep it healthy and intact.
Your skin will become softer from the hot water and soap and gradually lose its natural oily protective layers, which can result in dry, irritated, and itchy skin. In the end, the longer and hotter the shower, the more of an effect it has on the condition of your skin.
But how hot is too hot, exactly?
A good way to look at it is, water that turns your skin red is probably too hot.
The best results will be obtained with lukewarm water. The water doesn’t even need to be that cold—just around 110 degrees Fahrenheit—to awaken your body and improve mental attentiveness.
Showers that are cooler are also excellent for your skin, hair, and general hydration.
Your blood circulates more efficiently when you take a shower in cooler water, which results in healthier skin. Your skin will appear more radiant and luminous when it is properly moisturized and gets enough oxygen.
The length of your shower, in addition to the water’s temperature, also affects how your skin feels and looks.
Long shower sessions can severely dry up your skin, despite how soothing and pleasant they may feel. You lose more moisture during longer showers. Be as efficient as you can the next time you take a bath or a shower; stay in there for no more than an extra five minutes.
If you do prefer to stay in the shower or bath for longer periods of time, then try countering that by adding the lost moisture back into your skin while you’re still in the shower. You can do this by using body conditioners as well as in shower oils which you’d have to follow up with a good lotion right afterward.
This will allow for the best moisture retention.
Leave a Reply