When a heat wave sets in, the temptation is great to run in the shower to refresh yourself instantly. But can this feet attack the skin over the days? And how often you really need to give in to temptation when it is very hot? Here are the advice of the experts.
Too many showers: a false good idea?
In an interview with Glamor UKDoctor Sophie Shotter, member of the British College of Aesthetic Medicine, warns:
“You do not necessarily need to take a shower or wash your whole body daily. If we wash too much, hot water can dry our skin and too many aggressive soap products can irritate the skin, which compromises the skin barrier.”
This natural barrier is essential: it protects our organism against external aggressions and participates in thermal regulation. By dint of soliciting it with repeated showers, hot water and stripping products, it is likely to weaken it – which can cause drought, irritation, even a feeling of permanent discomfort. Yes, but does that change when it’s too hot to resist?
For Dr Gérald Kierzek: priority to thermal comfort
Dr. Gérald Kierzek, medical director of True Medical, recalls that hygiene should not make us forget the main objective during periods of heat wave: preserving thermal comfort of the body.
“During a heat wave, one to two showers per day make it possible to maintain good hygiene and help to regulate the body temperature. Admittedly, too many or too hot showers can dry the skin … But the lens in the event of a heat wave is different!”.
It is therefore a question of finding a compromise: refresh without harming your skin.
When to shower? The right pace when it’s hot
According to the specialist, two key moments during the day allow you to fully enjoy the benefits of a shower in summer:
- In the morning, a lukewarm shower helps start the day well, get rid of the night’s sweat residues and awaken the body gently. It can also give a little boost to face the ambient heat;
- In the evening, a short shower eliminates the perspiration accumulated during the day, purify the skin and relax the body. It also promotes better sleep, especially if it precedes the sunset.
The frequency also depends on your skin profile
Not all bodies react in the same way to heat and water. The intensity of the showers can therefore also be adjusted as required. Elderly or fragile people can be satisfied with one shower a day, generally in the evening, in order to avoid skin drying linked to already thinner and often less hydrated skin.
Sportsmen or workers exposed to hot weather will naturally need an additional shower after effort, for hygiene and comfort reasons.
Finally, sensitive or atopic skins will gain the showers, or at least minimize the use of soap, if irritations appear.
How to shower during a heat wave?
It’s not just the frequency of showers that matter, but also the way to shower. So it is not enough to open the tap so that the shower is beneficial. Some reflexes are to be adopted according to Dr. Kierzek. ::
- Opt for lukewarm water, rather than cold. Contrary to what one might think, an icy shower is not the ideal ally: it causes vasoconstriction (tightening of blood vessels), followed by a rebound with vasodilation, which can ultimately accentuate the feeling of warmth;
- Limit the duration to 5 to 10 minutes. This time is enough to refresh yourself without attacking the skin. An express, but effective shower;
- Use a soft, not fragrant and formulated soap for sensitive skin. Exit foaming or decapants products that alter the hydrolipidic film and make the skin even more vulnerable to heat.
Other alternatives to refresh yourself without attacking your skin
Finally, when the heat becomes unbearable (like these next few days), other solutions that the shower can also bring you a touch of freshness. Simple gestures, less invasive for the skin, which make it possible to effectively lower the body temperature:
- Regularly fog your face and arms with thermal water or tap;
- Soak your feet in a basin of fresh water, for ten minutes, helps refresh the whole body thanks to blood circulation.
- Apply damp compresses on key areas such as neck, wrists, elbows or forehead provides immediate relief.
“These alternatives are particularly useful for people with fragile skin, or simply to avoid multiplying showers during the day”.