Temp Check: Are Your Showers Too Hot?

CLEVELAND - There’s nothing better than taking a hot shower on a cold winter day. 

While it may feel good, it’s not so great for your skin.  

“That hot water feels really good, but it's actually pulling all that moisture out of our skin. In the wintertime, when it's cold and dry and low humidity, when our skin needs hydration the most, that's when people tend to want to take hot showers. So, we try and say limit the time you're in it,” said Shilpi Khetarpal, MD, dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Khetarpal said the ideal temperature for a shower is lukewarm to warm, or around 100 degrees. 

Anything hotter than that can cause your skin to get dry or irritated. 

She notes it’s not just the temperature of the water that matters, but the products we use. 

It’s best to avoid any soaps that are fragranced and instead pick something that’s gentle on the skin.  

Dr. Khetarpal also recommends being mindful of how you dry yourself off when you’re done. 

“We typically say pat dry, don’t scrub because the rubbing from a towel can remove more moisturizer. And then, within three minutes, we want to apply a moisturizer and really trap that water into our skin,” she said. “When you look for a moisturizer, look for things like cholesterol, ceramide, fragrance-free. The National Eczema Association has a seal too. Even if you don't have eczema, those are usually moisturizers that are good for helping with dryness.”

Dr. Khetarpal said the same advice applies to taking baths. 

Make sure they’re not too hot and avoid using fragranced products – bubbles and bath bombs included.