HOW TO REDUCE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF WATER ON YOUR SKIN?
What water is bad for your skin?
In winter, you want to warm up so much... And a hot shower or bath often seems just the right time to treat yourself. It seems - why not? If this ritual can make the cold days more enjoyable, why deny yourself? But how often do we think about how our skin feels about it? Because not everything we find pleasant is good for our skin .
Our skin is in contact with water very often - especially in winter, when we also wash our hands more to avoid viruses. Here, quite intuitively, we use hot water more often to warm up. The same goes for hot showers, baths, face washing, where we unconsciously turn the tap towards warm water. This doesn't mean that you should give up hot baths forever or warm your hands in pleasantly warm water, just try to do it as little as possible.
At the same time, as water comes into contact with the skin more often, you may notice that your skin is drier than usual. Significant changes can be observed in the skin of the face and hands. Pores may enlarge on the face, skin diseases such as acne or eczema may become worse. Hands, on the other hand, may remain very dry, and the skin may peel and split. In both cases, the protective layer of natural oils is most likely damaged. Of course, there are indications that would make it worth seeing a dermatologist or a beautician, but it is possible that water that is too hard could also be to blame.
3 reasons why hot water will harm your skin
In a conversation with Inta Rozenbergs, a certified beauty specialist in cosmetology, we found out that frequent contact with hot water can significantly worsen the condition of the skin. Why else should you change your daily habits, how can you reduce the negative effects of water on your skin, or prefer cool or even cold water in winter?
- Prolonged, hot showers can dry out the skin and break down the skin's natural oil layer. The epidermis, which helps maintain the skin's natural moisture level, is damaged when exposed to water. To avoid this, it is better to have a 5-10 minute treatment in moderate water temperatures.
- Hot water damages the hair follicles and sebaceous glands of the head. In the long term, inadequate water temperature can affect the appearance of hair and even contribute to hair loss or thinning.
- From what I've read, given that hot water makes the skin drier, it is likely to reduce acne and pores. In fact, the opposite is true. Warm water intensifies the damage to the skin's lipid layer and breaks down the natural membrane, as well as promoting the evaporation of natural defences, which creates a favourable environment for acne and pores.
The skin on the face will be particularly affected by hot water, as it is the most exposed to the external environment. If you want to improve your complexion, try changing your habits. Try washing your face only with cool water, or even better, freeze some chamomile tea in an ice cube tray the night before. The next morning, pass the ice cube over your face. This will be a wonderful way to wake up your complexion in an extremely invigorating and healthy way. What's more, chamomile tea will also soothe, balance and benefit the health of your skin.
Caring for your skin when you have hard or limey water at home
Hard water, like hot water, can also cause a lot of problems with your skin. How do you know if you have hard water in your home? After washing your hands, you may have soap residue on your hands. You're likely to notice white stains on your dishes, shower or tap. Similarly, if you drink tap water, you may taste lime.
How might your skin feel about that? Soap or detergent residue on the skin clogs pores, which can aggravate various skin conditions, including acne and eczema. Mineral build-up in water can block moisture from penetrating the skin. As a result, already dry, irritated and possibly itchy skin cannot absorb much-needed moisturisers. Also, hard water can contribute to wrinkles.
It will probably only be possible to fully remedy the problems that have occurred in the past if the root cause can be eliminated by improving the quality of the tap water. However, if this is not possible, the complexion should be further toned with toner or micellar water after washing. This will help the skin absorb the face cream better, so it will be exposed to fewer risks. On the other hand, it would not hurt to use a cleansing and nourishing scrub on the body every now and then in gentle, massaging (not rubbing) movements to rid the skin of dead skin cells.
Good luck!
In love,
Maija Rieksta-Riekstiņa
Vegan Fox creator and manager