Every one of us is a creature of habit. Time is of the essence when we’re up in the morning, and we want to get done as much as possible in the limited time we have on our hands. So what do we do? Pee + brush teeth + bathe in the shower. All at the same time. Hey! No judgement, I do it too!
Then comes the face washing. But science says that you shouldn’t wash your face while in the shower. Why, you may ask? Read on.
You can never set a perfect temperature for your shower.
Arctic Blast or Satan’s Piss. Our showers deal in absolutes and there is no middle ground. In the times of such hardships, experts say that constantly changing temperature variations can harm the sensitive skin on your body. Leading dermatologists suggest splashing cold water for washing your face, and to do it at the sink, since you wouldn’t like cold water for the entire body shower.
Hot water for body = Good! Hot water for face = Bad!
Studies have shown that since the skin on our faces is different and more sensitive than that on our bodies, it may not take to hot water well. Hot water on your face might give you comfort and open up your pores for better cleansing, but it leaves your face dehydrated and dry for the rest of the day. Also, if you suffer from redness, hot water also dilates your blood vessels and capillaries, which might lead to your facial skin to appear patchy.
Body soap is for the body, literally. Not for the face.
Bar soap, or the ones which we usually use to clean our bodies, is too drying and our facial skin cannot handle it. It screws up the pH balance of the skin and can lead to breakouts, dehydration, and constant irritation during the day. The delicate skin of your face is designed to handle more gentler products and chemicals, hence the advent of face washes.
Mixing of different products may also spell disaster for your skin.
When you are washing your hair with shampoo and/or conditioner, the products slide down your face and often mix with your facial cleanser. Nothing can be worse than different kinds of soap and chemicals and residue of your dirty hair attacking your face all at once. Excess soap can rob your skin of its natural oils and can either lead to a reaction or dry skin for a long time. Keep your face washing to the sink, seriously.
That towel you use for your entire body, don’t use it for your face.
If you used hot water to clean your face with your shower, then do your face a favour and don’t use your body towel for your face too. Chances are, the bacteria might spread to your face and settle in the pores, and well, that won’t go well for your face. Use a paper towel instead and dab your face with it for cleaning. Any kind of scrubbing or violent cleaning is bad for your facial skin. Don’t do it.
Too much water + extra pressure of the shower = Dehydrated skin.
Washing your face in the shower means that the water will be coming at your face first, and the most. This means that the force will be borne by your face and also that your face will have water on it throughout the shower. Ironically, the more the water on your face, the more dehydrated your face will become, according to leading dermatologists. Hence, just a few splashes of handfuls of cold water for your face is all you need.
1 in every 32 people in the world suffer from dry skin and studies say that the number is increasing because of bad facial health practices. So care for your face and use the right products and employ the perfect routines for cleansing.