For bath lovers, there is nothing better than soaking in a steaming bath when it is cold and blustery outside. But do you notice itchy or dry skin after? And do you worry about breakouts?
Broadly speaking, choosing a shower over a bath will be kinder to skin, particularly for those who have sensitive or irritable skin and conditions such as eczema. However, when done right, taking a bath can also offer great benefits to particularly to dry skins.
How does a bath cause itchy and dry skin?
Often, when we think of taking a bath, it will involve a long soak in steamy water, surrounded by lots of bubbles. But it is these very criteria; lengthy, hot and soap; that can weaken our skin barriers and inflame skin.
Heat itself is inflammatory, this can trigger itch in even normal skin types and can lead to urticaria and worsening of conditions such as eczema and acne.
A long soak also ends up being drying and irritating as we are exposed to soap and fragrances as a well as any microorganisms that may be lurking on the bath surface before we filled it. Soap and bubbles equals more loss of natural oils, and skin dehydrated from what naturally stabilises it is weaker and more angry. Fragrances in bath oils and bubble baths are directly inflammatory to skin, especially to those whose is sensitive and dermatitis prone. And don’t forget, for women the soap and fragrances alter the natural pH of the vagina, which changes the natural microbiome and can lead to issues such as BV.
Whilst the microorganisms that live naturally on our skin are not directly harmful to sit amongst, and indeed, maintaining a healthy balance is key to strong skin, those that easily make their homes in any soap skim or the pink tinge that heralds a biofilm around the plug hole can be. If there is any weakness or crack in the skin barrier from dehydrated skin, other skin conditions or even shaving your legs these can get past the skins natural protection and trigger infections, folliculitis and breakouts.
Practically, how we wash in a bath vs a shower also causes issues. A shower means we can cleanse away more dirt and rinse away residue of products such as shampoo and soaps better. If skin is not cleaned of dirt, irritants or excess oils and product residue is allowed to linger on the skin flares of conditions such as seborhoic dermatitis and acne can occur.
How a bath can help skin
A well structured bath can offer benefits particularly for very dehydrated or eczema prone skin.
Spending a short time; 5-10 mins, soaking in a Luke warm bath
Ensure you gently PAT skin dry with a clean towel when you get out with
Within a couple of minutes liberally applying good moisturiser all over the body can actually help seal in hydration and be very soothing to skin.
Adding a few drops of hypochlorus, if directed to by a skin specialist, can also help rebalance skin microbiome. A dysbiosis, or imbalance of skin flora is well known to be a cause of conditions such as eczema, acne and seborhoic dermatitis.
For more easy at-home-tips follow m @Dr.anatalia.moore on instagram or shedule your consultation to talk in detail about how lifestyle, skincare and more can help you get your skin where you want it to be.
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