Should you wash your face with cold or hot water?

Washing your face when you wake up in the morning and before going to bed may already be a reflex for you, but have you ever wondered if it makes a difference to wash in hot or cold water? In today’s edit, we explore the extreme ends of the tap, and how it affects your skin. 

Hot water

It may be extremely relaxing to hop into a steaming hot shower after a long day, but for the sake of your skin health, you might want to think twice before jumping in. 

By using water that is too hot, it can strip natural hydrators and moisturisers from the surface of your skin, which dries out and causes your skin to become more inflamed overtime due to increased redness. Piping hot water can also increase skin sensitivity, especially if you already have dry skin to begin with. For individuals with oily skin types, the hot water could be stripping your skin of more oil, which in turn, stimulates more sebum production and results in a greasy sheen or pesky breakouts. However, no matter your skin type, you should be staying away from hot water! 

Cold water

Washing your face with cold water comes with its benefits. For example, it can help to relieve acne-related irritation and sensitivity by calming redness and inflammation. It can also help to reduce skin and eye-puffiness, if that is something that you are experiencing, as it works just like an ice-pack. For a temporary less-inflamed appearance, cold water can also narrow blood vessels that can give a brighter complexion that is not long-lasting. 

However, water that is too cold might not be effective in cleansing your face of bacteria and pollutants. Remember that hot air causes expansion and cold air results in constriction? It applies the same way to your skin too. When washing your face with cold water, it causes your pores to contract and constrict, bringing the bacteria together with them and trapping grime, sebum and impurities that can make your cleansing process counter productive. 

What should you do? 

Find the balance. Experts have advised that washing your face with lukewarm water is the best way to effectively cleanse without stripping the natural oils without it being too hot or too cold! At this ideal temperature, the lukewarm water helps to improve overall skin health by ensuring facial cleanser lathers properly and removes dirt effectively from the surface of your skin. Lukewarm water also helps balance your skin oils naturally, without bringing in along with them and stripping your face of moisture. 

We recommend opting for a gentle facial cleanser like Kaleanser, which works wonders in removing stubborn, waterproof makeup and sunscreen while detoxifying the skin and pores! Kaleanser Face Wash also helps soften the skin, plumping it up and prevent dry and dull complexions.