Do your skin get drier the more you take showers in winter? Save this "skin care strategy"!

In winter, the temperature is low and the weather is dry, which makes it more difficult to take a bath. How can we take a bath and take care of our skin to ensure that it is moisturized and healthy?

Do you feel drier the more you take a shower?

Water temperature and duration

Some people may ask, if you have dry or sensitive skin, will it get drier the more you take a shower? In fact, a proper shower will not dry out your skin! Have you fallen into the following two misconceptions?

One is that the bathing time is long. In winter, the weather is cold, and it is so comfortable to soak in hot water! It is hard to leave easily... Some children like to play in the bathtub, and some adults fall in love with saunas and hot springs in winter... They never get tired of it. This is not a good habit!

Taking a bath for too long will cause the skin surface to lose its oil protection, which will easily lead to symptoms such as dryness and itching, and will also cause skin wrinkling and dehydration. Especially for the elderly, taking a bath for a long time will not only cause skin itching, but also easily lead to fatigue, which will induce serious consequences.

The second is high bath water temperature. In order to fight the cold, many people like to turn up the water temperature of the water heater, and even think that the hotter the water, the more it can increase body heat and eliminate fatigue. However, bathing with water temperature that is too high will make the skin miserable and aggravate the degree of skin dryness. At the same time, too high water temperature will also increase the burden on the heart.

In short, as long as you don’t take a high-temperature bath or soak in the bath for a long time, taking a bath every day will not dry out your skin. On the contrary, it can clean the skin and make the skin’s stratum corneum better hydrated.

Experts say: The water temperature for bathing is recommended to be around 37℃ with slight fluctuations in skin temperature; the bathing time should be about 10 minutes in a tub and 3 to 5 minutes in a shower.

Moisturizing without taking a shower?

Can your skin bear it?

Every winter, many children come to the hospital for treatment with small red spots and pus spots on their skin. What's even more exaggerated is that they still get prickly heat and boils in the winter! The reason is that the concept of moisturizing in winter has been deeply rooted in people's minds, regardless of the north or south. But the problem is, although moisturizing is done, if you moisturize without taking a bath every day, can your skin bear it?

Moisturizing without taking a shower? It doesn't make sense! The skin produces metabolites from time to time, so washing it every day can remove dirt and sweat stains from the body. It can also clean the various bacteria that colonize on the skin, including Staphylococcus aureus.

Fluffy warm clothes and furry coats make the appearance bright, but the skin is constantly exposed to the fibers of chemical fiber wool fabrics. Children in particular like plush toys, and many parents hold their children in sweaters indoors, regardless of whether these clothing fibers are friendly to the delicate skin of children.

The most Chinese characteristic of dressing is "Mom thinks you are cold", and with the help of heating and air conditioning, most children are over-warmed and sweat from time to time in the winter. Bathing is a step that cannot be skipped!

Experts say: metabolites, contact materials, residues... plus bacteria and viruses are everywhere, so taking a bath is more reassuring. Applying lotion without taking a bath will only make things worse and make your skin unable to breathe.

A bathing “artifact” to assist?

Please be gentle with yourself

Do you need to use soap and shower gel when taking a bath? Do you really need a bath towel and a foam ball? It's very simple. Just don't forget the original purpose of taking a bath.

The original intention is to clean the skin, so the dirtier the area, the more it needs to be cleaned. For example, the area around the mouth where saliva and food residues are found, the neck, armpits, and upper torso of all people who sweat a lot, and the private parts that are easily exposed to urine and feces are all recommended to be cleaned with shower gel. Those who try to solve all skin cleaning problems with a piece of soap should pay attention! Here are some knowledge points you need to know:

Shower gel can emulsify the oil, dirt and microorganisms on the skin surface, making them easier to remove, and the cleaning effect is better than washing with water alone. In contrast, bathing with water alone can only remove about 65% of the dirt on the skin. When purchasing shower gel products, try to choose weakly acidic and non-irritating ones. Ordinary soap is more likely to damage the skin barrier.

Some places have a tradition of scrubbing the baby's body. This may be because there were fewer opportunities to take a bath in the winter. When you take a bath, you must scrub your baby's body thoroughly. As a result, people are very harsh on themselves! Little do they know that this can easily damage the skin barrier, and boils and viral warts may appear on the baby's delicate skin.

Some people are fond of bath products with rich foam, and they apply them all over their body and then rinse, which is very refreshing! However, this may over-clean the oil on the surface of the skin, which is an important cause of dry skin and itching.

Experts say: Be gentle with your skin! Avoid using bath towels, foam balls, and brushes if you can. Apply moisturizer right after a bath before your body starts to feel dry, which can achieve twice the result with half the effort.

After bathing, moisturize your skin like this

Make sure to use enough moisturizer and apply more often if you wash frequently.

1. It is recommended that infants under 1 year old use 250g to 500g of moisturizer every month to prevent the occurrence of infant eczema.

2. Although there is no clear dosage recommendation for adults, it is recommended that you use thicker creams in the autumn and winter seasons and apply them thicker to help relieve dry skin.

3. Pay special attention to covering areas with fewer sebaceous glands and more prone to dryness, such as elbows, knees, ankles, and buttocks.

Tip: Don’t take a shower when you are particularly tired

Taking a bath can make you feel refreshed and comfortable. However, there are a few situations where you should never take a bath.

Do not take a shower after long periods of physical or mental activity. After long periods of physical activity, blood circulation is active. Taking a shower immediately will increase the burden on the heart and blood vessels, and it may even be fatal for people with poor physical fitness. During long periods of mental activity, the brain has a very high demand for blood. If you take a shower immediately, the blood will be transferred to the skin, which may cause a rapid decrease in blood supply to the brain, leading to fainting.

Do not take a bath when you are full or empty-stomach. After a full meal, the blood in the body is concentrated in the digestive system. If you take a bath at this time, the surrounding blood vessels will dilate, resulting in a relative decrease in blood circulation in the digestive system, which can easily lead to indigestion. When you are empty-stomach, the blood sugar level in the body is lower. Taking a bath will increase the blood flow to the skin tissue and reduce the blood supply to the brain, which can cause accidents such as fainting.

Don't take a bath after drinking. Alcohol inhibits liver function and hinders glycogen release. When taking a bath, the body's glucose consumption increases, and blood sugar cannot be replenished in time, which can easily cause dizziness, blurred vision, general weakness and other symptoms. In severe cases, hypoglycemia and coma may occur. Taking a bath after drinking also has the risk of drowning after falling asleep.