How To Stop The World’s Greatest Moisturizer From Drying Out Your Skin
Posted Apr 10 2011 2:01am
Daisy’s in hot water… I’m 18 years old and I usually spend about 25 minutes taking a long, hot shower. Can all that hot water be bad for my skin?
The Right Brain responds:
Yes, Daisy, it’s true that long, hot showers are not particularly good for your skin. In fact, according to University of Wisconsin’s Health Center , poor bathing habits may be the most common cause of dry skin! At your age your skin is less prone to dryness, but if you`re concerned here are some tips that should help:
Over exposure to water can remove natural oils from your skin, leaving it drier than it should be. The experts say you should only soak between 5 and 15 minutes if you want avoid drying out your skin.
Hot water removes more oil from your skin that cool water because the heat can help dissolve oil. Also, if the water is too hot it can burn you. That sounds foolishly obvious when I put it that way, so let me say it again in science-speak: The transient heat transfer behavior in multi-layer tissues subjected to hot water can be predicted by the Pennes’ Bio-heat Equation. That sounds a little more credible, doesn’t it? (Seriously though, a water heater set over 120 degrees can be hot enough to burn you.)
Gently pat skin dry with a towel immediately after you get out of the tub. Don’t towel off vigorously because that can abrade your skin and increase the rate of moisture loss.
Moisturize after you bathe to lock out dryness. Use a body oil or a skin lotion containing a high oil concentration and apply it as soon as possible since the water left in your skin from the shower evaporates in about 15 minutes.
What do YOU think? Do you have any tips for moisturizing your skin after showering? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
Daisy’s in hot water… I’m 18 years old and I usually spend about 25 minutes taking a long, hot shower. Can all that hot water be bad for my skin?
The Right Brain responds:
Yes, Daisy, it’s true that long, hot showers are not particularly good for your skin. In fact, according to University of Wisconsin’s Health Center , poor bathing habits may be the most common cause of dry skin! At your age your skin is less prone to dryness, but if you`re concerned here are some tips that should help:
Over exposure to water can remove natural oils from your skin, leaving it drier than it should be. The experts say you should only soak between 5 and 15 minutes if you want avoid drying out your skin.
Hot water removes more oil from your skin that cool water because the heat can help dissolve oil. Also, if the water is too hot it can burn you. That sounds foolishly obvious when I put it that way, so let me say it again in science-speak: The transient heat transfer behavior in multi-layer tissues subjected to hot water can be predicted by the Pennes’ Bio-heat Equation. That sounds a little more credible, doesn’t it? (Seriously though, a water heater set over 120 degrees can be hot enough to burn you.)
Gently pat skin dry with a towel immediately after you get out of the tub. Don’t towel off vigorously because that can abrade your skin and increase the rate of moisture loss.
Moisturize after you bathe to lock out dryness. Use a body oil or a skin lotion containing a high oil concentration and apply it as soon as possible since the water left in your skin from the shower evaporates in about 15 minutes.
What do YOU think? Do you have any tips for moisturizing your skin after showering? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.