Lukewarm water is advisable to wash your face with, but cold water has its benefits, too. Cold water tightens the appearance of your skin, so it may make you look renewed and refreshed. It also helps boost your circulation, which can help give your skin a healthier appearance, albeit temporarily.
“Warm water is always best as hot can strip the skin of its natural oils and cold does not allow the pores to open to remove dirt,” says Dr. Del Campo.
Use cold water regularly to wash your face as it will slow down the aging process and helps to fill out the wrinkles on your face. - It also helps you get rid of the harmful effects of sun's rays, as cold water tightens and protects the pores that gets opened up when the skin is exposed to sun's harmful rays.
* Besides taking care of the night-time oiliness that accumulates on the skin, cold water can also reduce the morning-time puffiness. Puffiness happens when the skin cells regenerate at night and the pores expand.
Cold water can be especially beneficial for dry or acne-prone skin, says Knapp. “If you have chronically dry skin, hot water can strip your sebum levels (oils) and exacerbate the issue, so cold water is a good alternative.”
While a cold compress can minimize inflammation and make pimples less noticeable or painful, it will not remove the contents inside a pimple.
Cold water closes pores, which tightens the skin. It is also gentler on your hair and prevents hair fall.
All you have to is take a bowl filled with icy water and dip your face in it for a good 30 seconds and with a soft cloth, mildly dab your face. Do it twice or maximum thrice, once in the morning and evening.
Furthermore, the myth of cold water being able to shrink the size of pores has been proven false, since pore size is decided completely by genetics. However, cold -but not too cold- water does still have its benefits for the skin. Cold water causes blood vessels to contract, creating a tightened feeling.
Wet your face with lukewarm water and use your fingertips to apply cleanser. Resist the temptation to scrub your skin because scrubbing irritates the skin. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry with a soft towel. Apply moisturizer if your skin is dry or itchy.
Lukewarm water is best for the skin as it is the gentlest on your skin. Whether for a shower or for post-shower skincare products, using lukewarm water is ideal. Water with a pH balance ranging from 6.5-8.5 is the healthiest to drink. Common bottled water has a pH level of 6.5-7.5.
Wash With Lukewarm Water: Dermatologists agree that lukewarm water is best for washing your face. But a splash of cold water can be nice first thing in the morning or after washing your face with lukewarm water, dermatologists say.
Those with very dry skin or eczema will find that water-cleansing helps to retain the skin's natural moisture. However, persons with oily, acne-prone, or combination skin might need soap or liquid cleanser to dissolve excess oil which often clogs pores and causes breakouts.
On the other hand, if you have oily skin, constricting the pores with cold water may help to control excess oil so that your complexion doesn't get quite so shiny so quickly.
Washing your face throughout the day can irritate your skin and cause acne breakouts.
Even a simple splash of cold water after cleansing can give you brighter skin”, says Kay Greveson, Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner at Regents Park Aesthetics. “In addition to this, to lock in our core temperature our skin's pores shrink, which can help improve the overall texture and appearance of the skin”, says Dr.
Increases endorphins
Taking a cold shower for up to 5 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week, was shown to help relieve symptoms of depression in a clinical trial. For people with depression, cold showers can work as a kind of gentle electroshock therapy. The cold water sends many electrical impulses to your brain.
A youthful-looking complexion is only possible with proper blood circulation. Poor skin blood flow results in dry, dull, and aged complexion. Given that cold water improves blood flow, you're essentially helping your skin prevent premature skin aging every time you shower using cold water.
Cold water will initially help constrict blood vessels in your skin to temporarily tighten pores and decrease redness and puffiness, she adds. What's more, cold temperatures boost circulation (it's your body's way of keeping warm). For your face, that might mean a healthy glow.
Similarly, hot water can sometimes be inflammatory, especially if you're dealing with conditions like acne or eczema. So a hot shower can leave you with a face that looks redder than when you got in. Cool water on the other hand can help to relieve inflammation, giving your skin the chance to calm down.
“Hot water strips the skin of its natural oils and healthy bacteria,” Grous explains, “which plays a major role in keeping moisture in—and the bad stuff out. And because dryness triggers the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, hot water can worsen preexisting acne or cause a breakout.”
If the outermost layer of the epidermis doesn't contain enough water, skin will lose elasticity and feel rough. Despite this connection, however, there's a lack of research showing that drinking extra water has any impact on skin hydration or appearance.