Why Shouldn’t You Wash Your Face in the Shower?
Washing your face is step one to great facial skincare! You should wash your face about twice per day, once in the morning and again in the evening. But folks who want to streamline their morning routines might opt to wash their faces in the shower. According to many dermatologists, this could be unwise.
But why shouldn’t you wash your face in the shower if it’s efficient and it theoretically allows you to open up your skin’s pores more effectively? Let’s take a closer look at what happens when you wash your face in the shower, examine the risks of doing so, and determine whether it’s a good idea for your skincare needs.
Hot Water Risk
Many people think that washing your face in the shower is good since it opens up the skin's pores with hot water.
But is this really the case?
While it’s true that heat does open up the pores of your skin, it may also introduce another risk: heat damage. Specifically, when you expose your skin to scalding hot water, which many people enjoy when taking a shower, you could:
- Irritate your skin cells. This may ironically cause your skin’s pores to close up, making any washing efforts less successful.
- Break or burst sensitive skin-level blood vessels. These could cause splotchiness, irritation, or skin discoloration.
Note that these effects are not guaranteed for everyone.
Certain people, such as those with sensitive skin, may be more likely to experience negative effects when washing their faces under hot water. That’s why it’s always better to wash your face with warm water rather than scalding hot water, even if hot water feels nice.
The skin around your face is more sensitive than the skin on your back or chest, so it requires extra caution. Plus, warm, not hot, water can still calm you down and help you relax – particularly when combined with organic calm gummies!
Bacterial Risk
Some research suggests that washing your face during a hot shower can introduce bacteria to your skin cells. When you take a hot shower, you cause steam to spread through the bathroom. Even if you clean your bathroom regularly, it’s still a very dirty place!
That steam could carry bacteria into the air — and into your skin’s pores if they open up when you wash your face during a shower. This bacteria could lead to infections or even plain irritation.
It might be best to avoid washing your face in the shower, thanks to the potential harm you might cause to your facial skin cells.
Should You Wash Your Face in the Shower?
In truth, there’s no 100% guarantee that washing your face in the shower will lead to negative side effects.
Some people have relatively tough facial skin, so they don’t need to worry too much about damaging blood vessels. Others may have very clean bathrooms, so the risk of introducing bacteria is also low.
That said, there’s no reason to wash your face in the shower overall. Why?
A good, well-rounded facial skincare routine will include:
- Washing your face
- Applying a cleanser or toner
- Applying a face serum and a moisturizer
Each of these steps can easily be completed at your bathroom sink instead of during a shower. While it might be tempting to get the washing part of your routine done ASAP, you may be causing more harm than not.
So, while you can wash your face in the shower, there are more effective times and places to do so. We recommend not washing your face in your shower unless you absolutely have to.
What Is the Optimal Time and Place To Wash Your Face?
It's better to wash your face at the bathroom sink after your shower. Open the bathroom door to let steam exit to ensure that bacteria aren't being carried onto your skin.
This also gives you time to dry off and wash your hands if you haven’t already. At your bathroom sink, you can apply warm water to your face’s pores. This will soothe them and cause them to open up without making them feel irritated or inflamed. You also won’t risk bursting any blood vessels when you apply warm water instead of scalding water.
Then you can apply a cleanser, toner, face serum, and moisturizer in the proper order. All told, a complete morning or evening facial skincare routine after your shower (depending on when you like to take your shower) should only take a handful of minutes.
If you only take one shower per day (which is recommended), you already know how effective washing your face at your bathroom sink is.
Is Washing Your Face in the Shower Better than Not Washing At All?
Yes. Even though washing your face in the shower under really hot water could lead to some side effects or health risks, it’s still better than never washing your face whatsoever.
Our facial skin cells gradually accumulate dirt, debris, and dead skin cells. It’s important to scrape this layer of gunk away frequently. When you clean your face:
- You clear the way for new, young skin cells to be pushed to the surface. This, in turn, can make your skin look and feel younger.
- You remove dead skin cells and debris, which prevents them from piling up in your skin’s pores. Over time, this may minimize your outbreaks or make them less likely.
- You stimulate blood vessels near your facial skin, bringing nutrient-rich blood to those cells.
If you have to wash your face in the shower in a pinch, like while camping or are sharing a bathroom with someone, go ahead. Just don’t make washing your face in the shower a core part of your routine. It’s far better to simply wash your face in a more controlled manner with warm water in front of your bathroom mirror.
Summary
Overall, washing your face in the shower isn’t the best route to long-term skincare, especially since you can easily wash it once you pop out. Washing your face in the shower could lead to skin irritation or inflammation, too.
If you’re already having difficulty with skin and hair health, consider Hope Health’s Hair, Skin, & Nails Gummies. These helpful gummies are packed with important ingredients like zinc, vitamin B12, and biotin to revitalize your skin cells and help them recover from heat, bacterial damage, or both! Plus, we’ve got a whole host of other quality, organic supplements for you to try – visit our online store today!
Sources:
Impact of water exposure and temperature changes on skin barrier function | NCBI