Try warm water when you wash your face.
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Try warm water for your next shower. At the time of writing this blog, we must be experiencing the coldest Autumn/Winter that I have ever encountered. Accordingly, people are tempted the have hotter than usual showers/baths. This is understandable. “Hot showers and baths can inflame the skin, causing redness, itching, and even peeling — similar to a sunburn. They also can disrupt the skin’s natural balance of moisture, robbing you of the natural oils, fats, and proteins that keep skin healthy.” https://www.google.com/search?q=Effects+of+hot+water+on+your+skin&rlz=1C1ONGR_en-GBAU943AU943&oq=Effects+of+hot+water+on+your+skin&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l3j0i15i22i30j0i390l4.10767j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Using hot water on the face only leads to broken blood vessels and dry/itchy skin. My suspicions were confirmed by medical sites “(hot water) damages skin’s protective barrier and causes engorgement of tiny blood vessels, which may lead to permanently dilated skin blood vessels over time and result in skin ruddiness and uneven tone” according to Stylecaster.com.
Try a warm shower. They’re not that bad. “If a hot shower is what your body craves in the morning, you’re not alone. The majority of people crank the handle all the way up in order to feel the warm water all over their body. But did you know that cold showers should also have a place in your daily routine? That’s right — cold showers. The ones you dread to take when you’re the last person to get up in the morning. But if you give them a fair chance, you might find that you actually like how you feel after taking one.
Regardless of how you feel about either type of shower, research shows that both hot and cold showers have health benefits you should be aware of. What’s so great about cold showers?
Benefits of taking a cold shower include:
- calming itchy skin
- waking you up
- increasing circulation
- reducing muscle soreness post-workout
- potentially boosting weight loss
- glowing hair and skin
Cold showers calm itchy skin
Adam Friedman, MD, says if you have itchy skin or skin conditions that cause you to itch, cold showers can help you overcome the sensation to scratch.
Cold showers help you wake up in the morning
When that cold spray hits your body, there’s a bit of shock. This shock increases:
- oxygen intake
- heart rate
- alertness
Cold showers increase your circulation
Increased circulation is one of the top reasons experts recommend cold showers.
As cold water hits your body and external limbs, it constricts circulation on the surface of your body. This causes blood in your deeper tissues to circulate at faster rates to maintain ideal body temperature.
In that sense, a cold shower has the opposite effect of a hot shower for someone with hypertension or cardiovascular disease, since exposure to cold temperatures triggers the circulatory system to reduce inflammation and can help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Cold showers help reduce muscle soreness after intense workouts
Since cold water has regenerative properties, your muscles will relax and repair after a tough workout.
Cold showers may help boost weight loss
Some fat cells, such as brown fat, can generate heat by burning fat. They do this when your body is exposed to cold conditions like in a shower.
Gerrit Keferstein, MD, says these cells are mostly situated around the neck and shoulder area. So, perfect for showers!
Cold showers give your skin and hair a healthy glow
Though scientific research is limited regarding the effect cold water has on your skin and hair, anecdotal evidence points to positive effects.
Wellness expert Dr. Jacqueline Schaffer, MD, says that cold water tightens and constricts the blood flow which gives your skin a healthier glow.
According to an article published on the website NaturallyCurly.com, cold water closes and strengthens your hair cuticles.
Also, cold water, unlike hot water, doesn’t dry out the sebum layer, a naturally lubricated barrier that provides protection for your skin and hair.
As a result of the effects of cold water, your hair may be more likely to become stronger and healthier over time.
If you’re convinced a cold shower is totally out of the question, you might want to rethink your philosophy. Unlike the long list of benefits that come with taking a cold shower, the list of cons is surprisingly quite short.
The cons of cold showers:
- Cold showers might not be a good idea if you’re already cold, since the cooler temperature isn’t going to help warm you up by any means. It could actually make you even colder and increase the amount of time it will take for your body to warm back up.
- They may not be a good idea if you’re sick, either. Initially, the cold temperature might be too hard on your immune system, so it’s best to ease into the cooler temperatures.” https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-shower-vs-hot-shower#Why-do-we-like-hot-showers?
Given that it may be very hard for you to avoid. Particularly if don’t have a shower nozzle that you can redirect to cover you below the neckline. Try warm water. As much as you can, avoid hot water hitting your face. Hot water apparently “damages skin’s protective barrier and causes engorgement of tiny blood vessels, which may lead to permanently dilated skin blood vessels over time and result in skin ruddiness and uneven tone” according to Stylecaster.com.
I have found that the best option is to wash your face first in tepid water. Somehow avoid the main steam from your face. Then turn the heat up, as you do, to wash the rest of your body.
You can try sleeping with socks on. I’m sure you’ll find a way!