How to Draw a Winter Bath

Dermatologists say hot baths are bad for your skin, but that won't stop us when it's 10 degrees outside. Here's how to make a bath a skin-safe ritual.

By Grace Gold |

Few things feel as cozy and comforting as a warm soak in the tub. The deep relaxation helps ease muscle tension, headaches and cramps, whether you’ve been sitting at a desk all day or standing on your feet. And on a psychological level, the experience transports us to a safe place. “Taking a bath brings you back to a time when you were in the womb, creating a relaxing environment that’s ideal for relieving stress,” says Josie Feria, director of spa operation at Lapis, The Spa at Fontainebleau in Miami.

And while experts often scold against hot water submersion during the wintry months of dry skin, we can’t help but luxuriate in this soothing mind and body ritual. So we’ve sought out a dermatologist who loves a good soak herself, for tips on how to transform bath time into a hydrating salve for skin and spirit.

Use bath oil.
Most importantly, the base of your bath should infuse hydration. “Don’t soak in soap product like bubble bath or shower gel that can add to the drying effect of hot water and provoke itchiness by triggering histamine release,” advises Washington, D.C., dermatologist Noëlle S. Sherber, M.D. Use bath oil, or if you love bubbles, counter it by adding bath oil to the water, too.

Rinse with plain water.
Bathing oils and soap products are generally not designed to remain on your skin, and can cause irritation if left on, says Dr. Sherber. Simply do a rinse before stepping out of the tub to prevent related dryness, or do a quick once-over in the shower.

Moisturize ASAP.
Keep rich moisturizer nearby so that you can apply a generous layer within a minute or two of leaving the tub. “A good rule of thumb is that if the product is thin enough to dispense through a pump, it has too much water to be sufficiently moisturizing—look for products that are thick enough to have to be dispensed in a jar or tube, or use body oil,” says Sherber.

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Hand Washing

Ask a Scientist: Does Washing My Hands in Hot Water Cause Dry Skin?

The Scientist: Susan Stuart, M.D., a dermatologist in La Jolla, California

The Answer: Though it may seem like a more effective way to wash your hands, scrubbing up with hot water doesn’t do your skin any favors, especially during the brutal winter months. Because cold air doesn’t hold humidity well, it's very dry and leaches moisture out of your skin—especially those parts that are most often exposed to the elements, namely your face and hands. Your skin has natural oils that help create a barrier to keep moisture in. This is its main line of defense against the drying cold air outside, not to mention the just-as-dry hot air pumping in through the heating system at home and at work. When you wash your hands, you can wash away protective oils along with the dirt and germs you’re actually trying to get rid of. This leaves the moisture in your skin unguarded, allowing water to evaporate away and leaving your skin parched and susceptible to cracking.

Hot water is the most effective at stripping oils from your hands, so—good as it feels when you’ve just come in from outside—doctors recommend that you not crank up the heat when you wash your hands. Stick to lukewarm water instead. Not only does a hot hand washing damage the lipid barrier on your skin, it also dilates the blood vessels just below the surface. When these capillaries open, more blood flows to the area, exacerbating fluid loss. On the flipside of the faucet, cold water constricts blood vessels, shunting blood and moisture away from the skin surface. Whether it’s by wearing gloves outside or settling for tepid water when you come back in, shielding your skin from extreme temperature changes is the best way to keep hands hydrated and soft

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Cold Weather Skin Therapy: How to Treat Dryness

Keep your skin soft and hydrated throughout the cold, windy months with this expert advice.

Thirsty. Parched. Dehydrated. There are a lot of different words for dry skin—and just as many undesirable symptoms that come with it. No matter what you call this common skin condition, it all means the same thing: Your skin needs more moisture.

What causes dryness?
Like most skin conditions, we often inherit dry skin from our family tree. (Thanks, Mom!) But rough, flaky and tight skin can also be caused by outside factors—one of which is weather. (Thanks, Mother Nature!) Cold, windy conditions can suck moisture out of your skin and leave it feeling chapped. Another dryness culprit is diet. If you don’t eat foods rich enough in fatty acids, it unfortunately shows on your skin.

All of these causes affect your lipid barrier, resulting in trans epidermal water loss. That’s when the natural water inside our skin creeps out through cracks and crevices, causing dryness.

How to treat dryness:

Just add water (aka moisturize). Products rich with moisturizing ingredients add a layer of moisture on top of skin, therefore reinforcing the skin’s lipid barrier and keeping water from evaporating. These ingredients include petroleum, natural oils, mineral oil, natural butters and vitamin E, and they offer instant relief.

In addition to moisturizing, you can also hydrate, which is more from the inside out. “Hydration is the act of bringing water to the skin either by stimulating components within the skin that hold onto water—or adding humectants on the surface of the skin to draw in water,” explains cosmetic chemist Ni’Kita Wilson. The most popular hydrating ingredient is hyaluronic acid, which is also the moisturizing substance found in our skin.

When picking out products to quench your skin, think thick and creamy. “Thicker creams are best, because they tend to contain more waxy or emollient ingredients that coat the skin and prevent moisture from escaping,” says Wilson. “Creamy face washes add emollients back to the skin, too, reducing the level of dryness typically associated with cleansers.”

Choose the right products packed with the right ingredients, and you’ll hang your dry-skin woes out to dry.

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Article source: yourbeauty.com