Why Hot Showers Are Bad For Your Skin
by Alexander Börve | Mar 27, 2020 | Blog, skincare
Why Hot Showers Are Bad For Our Skin
As always, were hoping to give you some niche advice that you can apply to your daily life. Today comes as no exception. We all take showers and although there is nothing better than a hot and steamy shower we suggest you take it easy from time to time
What Is The Soak And Seal Method
The soak and seal method involves getting your skin wet via a bath or shower followed by sealing the water in with a moisturizer, explains Wulkan. Explaining this to patients allows them to understand that showering and bathing can actually hurt the skin unless you moisturize and seal in the water, he says. For the record, the NEA, too, recommends this post-bathing approach for people with eczema.
Ready to give your bathing routine an overhaul, and try the soak and seal method? Heres a guide to getting your shower time right.
Hot Showers Dry Out Your Skin
Cleansing your skin is crucial for everyday hygiene. However, hot showers dont just clean the dirt and dead skin cells off your skin.
Hot showers strip your skin of oils that are essential to keep it well moisturized. The top layer of your skin is full of healthy fats. Without this layer, your skin barriers impaired and dries out. As a result, it will become prone to flaking and cracking.
Overall, dry skin increases signs of aging and the risk of infection: two great reasons to keep your skin well-moisturized with an amazing hydrating moisturizer.
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How To Deal With Itchy Skin After A Shower
Take shorter, cooler showers: Taking short, cool showers is the first thing Dr. Axe says you can try to ease the post-shower. Think warm, not scalding.
Use a gentle cleanser: If you have an inkling that perhaps its your cleanser thats making your skin itchy, Sonia Batra, MD, board-certified dermatologist and co-host of The Doctors recommends switching to a gentle cleanser made for dry, sensitive skin, which tends to use kinder surfactants. Harsh soaps with bright colors, strong lathers, and fancy fragrances will only dry out your skin, even more, she says. Live by these words: The simpler the cleanser, the better.
Apply moisturizer while youre still damp: Although your first instinct might be to grab your towel to dry off as soon as you get out of the shower, Dr. Lee says to pat dry and slather your body in moisturizer while youre skin is damp to help lock in the moisture. You can also reapply moisturizer throughout the day as needed.
Be sure to stay away from moisturizers with fragrances as they can create irritant reactions with already-itchy skin. Instead, Dr. Axe recommends natural skin moisturizers that are rich in jojoba oil, coconut oil, aloe vera, cocoa butter, and shea butter. If you need something more heavy-duty for those extremely dry patches, Dr. Lee suggests trying a thick, occlusive ointment to spot treat.
Dont Just Fix Itches Externally Because Its Always Temporary
You cant get away with your itches forever with these 11 tips. Because if you itch, your body is telling you something is wrong inside your body and you need to fix it.
Dont ignore the signal !
So in order to fix the root cause of your itches, it comes a long way. Because there are many different possible factors that are simultaneously causing your itches. It could be your sleep quality, stress, your exercising schedules and most importantly your dietary choices.
Where should you start? What should you first do? And how?
Dont worry, I know its frustrating so Ive organized this information in another article I wrote a few weeks ago. This article is emphasized on stopping itches externally . To fix your itches internally , please read The First Step in Fixing Eczema: Where to Begin?
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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Eczema
The symptoms of eczema:
- are mainly dry, itchy skin
- also include redness, scales, and fluid-filled bumps that become moist and then crust over
- can vary quite a bit from person to person
- can be on any part of the body. But in teens, the itchy patches usually happen where the elbow bends on the backs of the knees on the inner wrists and ankles and on the face, neck, and upper chest.
- tend to come and go. When they get worse, it is called a flare-up.
Some people who have eczema scratch their skin so much it becomes thick, darker, and almost leathery in texture .
What Are The Causes Of Itchy Skin After A Shower
Your skin is dry: According to Josh Axe, DNM, CNS, DC, founder of Ancient Nutrition and DrAxe.com, dry skin is one of the most common reasons people get itchy skin after a shower. The dryness can be due to several things, including very cold or dry temperatures, indoor heating that reduces moisture in the air or washing your skin a little too often.
Your showers might be too hot: In this world, there are two types of showerers. You have those who prefer comfortable, lukewarm showers, and those who live for their super hot showers. If you fall into the latter category, chances are its the hot shower itself that might be causing your skin to itch. When you finish your shower or bath, the water that is left on your skin evaporates, and as it does, it sucks moisture from your skin, says Sandra Lee, MD, dermatologist and founder of SLMD Skincare, also known as Dr. Pimple Popper. This dryness is exacerbated by taking hot showers because heat causes more evaporation.
Your cleanser may be the culprit: If youre a self-professed cleanser queen, itchy skin might be a sign that you need to simplify. Heavy use of soaps and cleansers strip the natural oils that moisturize our skin from our bodies, Dr. Lee says. This leads to more dryness, and dryness leads to itchiness, which can lead to redness and scaling.
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Ultraviolet Radiation Therapy For Eczema
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation can help reduce the symptoms of chronic eczema. Exposure under medical supervision can be carefully monitored with the use of specially designed cabinets the person stands naked in the cabinet and fluorescent tubes emit ultraviolet radiation.A person with stubborn eczema may need up to 30 sessions. The risks of unsupervised ultraviolet radiation therapy can be the same as for sunbathing faster ageing of the skin and greater risk of skin cancer.
Why Is My Eczema Worse After A Shower
Eczema may feel even more itchy and uncomfortable after bathing or showering, when the skin lacks its natural oils. Scented body washes, soaps, and the hot water from the shower may also trigger itching. People with eczema may need to use hypoallergenic products and apply moisturizers throughout the day.
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Eczema Coping Tips Reducing Skin Irritation
People with eczema have sensitive skin. Irritants such as heat or detergents can easily trigger a bout of eczema.Suggestions for reducing skin irritation include:
- Avoid overheating your skin. Wear several layers of clothing that you can remove, as required, instead of one heavy layer. Dont put too many blankets on your bed and avoid doonas.
- Dont use perfumed bubble bath or bath products labelled medicated.
- Wear soft, smooth materials next to your skin, preferably 100% cotton. Avoid scratchy materials, such as pure wool, polyester or acrylic. You could try a cotton and synthetic mix material this is fine for some people with eczema. Remove labels from clothing.
- Always wear protective gloves when using any type of chemical or detergent. You may want to wear cotton gloves inside rubber or PVC gloves.
- Avoid chlorinated pools. If you have to swim in a chlorinated pool, moisturise your skin well when you get out.
Is A Hot Bath Good Or Bad For Eczema
17/06/2013 by Ruth Holroyd
Are hot baths good or bad for people with eczema? All the advice points to avoiding hot baths at all costs and instead having cold or luke warm baths.
However in my experience a luke warm bath is a very poor consolation for a lovely hot one.
And on the contrary, I find a really hot bath, almost as hot as I can bear to get into, is actually much better for my skin that a colder one. Why?
Im not sure.
Perhaps because my eczema is very much triggered by foods, so perhaps the heat of the bath makes my body sweat out the toxins its trying to rid itself of faster.
Maybe the sores that get infected heal quicker Or does the hot water kill off bacteria on my skin that otherwise might take hold and leave nasty yellow infected bits which can then spread if youre not careful.
Maybe its the tea tree oil I add to the bath that also helps. I add a few drops to aid healing.
Epsom salts or any salt in the bath can also help with healing and I find this really does work.
What I wanted to know was, do you avoid hot baths or find they really help your eczema skin?
Please, please be careful though, I would hate to make anyones skin worse for trying this and finding their skin was painful and they got really itchy. Im just interested and intrigued to find out whether its just me.
I dont find the hot bath makes me more itchy at all, maybe the pain of the hot water helps who knows. Maybe Im just weird.
Also Check: Natural Ways To Treat Eczema In Toddlers
Can Hot Showers Cause Eczema
Hot showers are the worst option for people with eczema and if you like long showers it can mean double-trouble. Hot showers heat up the skin, making it easy to wash away the skins natural oils .
Natural oils on your skin fill the small gaps between skin cells and help protect the body from bacteria, dirt, and allergens. Once these are washed away skin looses some of its elasticity and looses its glowing appearance.
Hot Showers Are Terrible For Your Skin
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After a stressful day, it feels like theres nothing more indulgent than a long, hot shower. But how hot is too hot?
The ideal shower temp for your skin doesnt stray above lukewarm, says Sejal Shah, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. As soon as your shower starts scalding, you risk harming your skins health. Theres no absolute rule for how hot a shower should be, but most doctors advise keeping water below 110 degrees. If it feels at all uncomfortable or it your skin is turning red, its probably too hot.
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Hot water strips the skin of its natural oils leading to dry, itchy skin and eventually eczema, says Shah, who also warns that even super-long showers at lower temps can dry out your skin. Similarly, hot water can strip the hair of its natural oils, causing it to be drier, and if you color your hair, it can cause the color to fade faster.
Besides the obvious topical effects of heat, very hot water can cause issues beneath the skin. Since it increases circulation, this can cause inflammatory cells to further exacerbate any dry or itchy skin that youre already battling, says Shah.
RELATED: How To Spot Eczema
Hot water can help open up your pores, though, so if you want to take advantage of that, Shah advises keeping the hot water localized to just your face. Instead, you can brew yourself a facial steam to save the rest of your bod from the too-hot temps.
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How Long Should Showers Be
Apart from how hot your shower is, keeping in mind the length of time you spend under the showerhead is also important. The longer your shower is, the more oils you wash off your skin, leading to further dryness.
Ideally, showers should be between 5 and 15 minutes long. This is enough time for hygiene, but not too long to damage your skin. But, when it comes to showers, the shorter the better.
Shorter showers are better for the environment. If youre not willing to give up long showers for the health of your skin, consider it for the health of the planet.
Showering Mistakes That Can Actually Hurt You
SPECIAL FROMGrandparents.com
Showering. You do it several times a week, if not every day, but all that soaping, lathering, rinsing, and luxuriating may be doing your skin a serious disservice.
The biggest problem we see for older patients is dry skin and itching, and that progresses to eczema, says Patricia Farris, M.D., a dermatologist in New Orleans and Clinical Associate Professor at Tulane University. As you grow older, your oil glands poop out on you, so youre much more prone to dry skin. You have to adjust your bathing habits accordingly.
Read on for the most common showering mistakes you might not be aware of:
Mistake #1. Blasting the hot water You may think a steaming hot shower is doing therapeutic good by relaxing your muscles, but a dermatologist would tell you to stick to the heating pads and save the scalding hot water for your tea. Hot water is bad for two reasons, says Cynthia Bailey, M.D., a dermatologist in Northern California and founder of DrBaileySkinCare.com. First, it removes too much of your natural oils . Second, hot water brings blood circulation to your skin which is why your skin turns red like a lobster. With the circulation comes inflammatory building blocks to create more itch and even a rash. Dr. Bailey advises that water temperature should be tepid, meaning skin temperature or just a little warmerespecially if you have fragile skin thats prone to dryness.
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Is A Bath Or Shower Better For My Eczema
Water is an effective way to put moisture back into the skin, but only if you use lukewarm water, avoid scrubbing and apply a moisturizer within three minutes after bathing or showering. As long as you follow these rules, both bathing and showering are equally effective in keeping the skin barrier healthy and flexible, so that it can better lock in moisture and keep irritants out.
However, too much contact with water or improper bathing can actually cause irritation. Especially if you repeatedly get your skin wet without moisturizing it immediately afterward. This causes your skin to lose its moisture content and become dry and irritated.
Apply Less Skincare Products
Apply less lotion or creams, even if its completely natural.
Why? Because anything applied externally become residue and traps the skin cell pores which irritates it and causes more itching.
Im not saying dont apply at all, just apply thinner.
And when you do scratch the applied area, youll notice black/grey-colored residue coming off your skin which is good but dont scratch too much when light-colored residue coming off, thats your skin cells!
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How Weather Affects Your Skin
Healthy skin acts as a barrier to protect you — the way a good coat of paint guards your house from the summer heat and winter snow.
But when you have eczema, that barrier just doesnât work as well. It leaks moisture, so your skin can get dried out and gets more irritated by heat, cold, humidity, wind, and more.
Weather also can affect your eczema indirectly. For example, a warm, windy day can blow pollen into the air and onto your skin. If youâre allergic, that means an itchy flare-up. The weather can change your own behavior as well. If youâre outside more in the warmer months and huddled under a blanket in the winter, youâll be exposed to different eczema triggers in different seasons.
The key is to notice the types of weather that stir up your eczema — and scratching.
How Can I Ease An Eczema Flare
According to Ms Brown, regular “oat baths” can help to ease symptoms.
She recounted how this dramatically improved her sons eczema.
She said: “Fill a sock with rolled outs, soak in the bathwater and squeeze out the milk.
“After bathing, gently pat skin dry and apply body cream immediately, ideally followed by a natural balm to seal in moisture.”
Other ways to ease symptoms include:
- Moisturising skin at least twice a day – your doctor may prescribe a specific moisturiser for you to use.
- Apply topical creams to ease itching and repair the skin – again, these may be prescribed by your GP or dermatologist.
- Taking anti-itching medications.
- Use natural moisturisers such as coconut oil.
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Eczema In Hot Humid Weather
For some people with eczema, warm, sunny, and humid weather brings relief. Others find that the hot weather triggers prickly heat and a frenzy of scratching. To ease symptoms, try these tips:
Donât get too sweaty. Sweating dries out your skin, and the salt in sweat can sting and irritate it. So try to stay cool. Take it easy on hot days and stick to indoor activities. Use air conditioning or a fan if you need one.
Wear soft, breathable clothing. Keep your skin cool by staying away from nylon, wool, rough linen, or any fabric thatâs stiff or itchy. Generally, cotton is best.
Know how the sun affects you. Sunlight can be a salve for eczema. In fact, people with severe cases can benefit from ultraviolet ray treatments. But others find that sunlight is a trigger. If youâre one of them, shield yourself with clothes and a hat.
Prepare before you swim. Chlorine in pools or the salt in seawater can be irritating for some people with eczema. Apply a layer of lotion before you dive in to see if it helps.
Rinse off possible triggers. Take a quick, cool shower to soothe your skin and wash away sweat, chlorine, salt water, pollen, or other triggers. Gently pat yourself dry and apply lotion right away.
Watch the sprays and lotions. Sunscreens and bug sprays can have chemicals that trigger symptoms. Opt for sunscreens that physically block the ultraviolet rays with the minerals zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Test a sample on your arm before you slather it all over your body.