Bathing is incredibly relaxing, no question about it. But if you do it wrong (and most do), it can damage your skin and even be unhealthy. We reveal what you should look out for when bathing in the future.
You’d think there are things that everyone can do. But unfortunately, this is not the case. You can go wrong even while bathing. You think you are doing something good for your body and mind, but you have to realize that you have itchy and flaky skin afterwards (yes, that can happen).
To save you from making mistakes like this, here are the six biggest mistakes you can make while bathing:
Too Hot Water
There is probably nothing more relaxing than a hot bath after a long day – especially when it’s cold outside. Unfortunately, that’s not good for our skin at all. Water that is too warm or too hot can rid our skin of its natural oils. The result is dry and irritated skin. Some even complain about itchy spots.
By the way, a good indicator that the water is too hot is when the skin turns pink. Then it’s time to run in cold water quickly or get out of the tub and apply lotion to limit the damage.
Too Long Baths
Yes, it’s calm and warm and relaxing, and probably the water smells nice. If in doubt, it is the only moment of the day that you have to yourself – but you should still spend a maximum of 20 minutes in the bathtub and no more.
In warm water, our vessels expand, blood circulation improves, and we sweat out toxins. However, to achieve these positive effects of a bath, 20 minutes are entirely sufficient. After that, an effect similar to that of hot water happens: our skin loses moisture and becomes irritated.
Dirty Bathtubs
Just because a bathtub looks clean doesn’t mean it is. After bathing or showering, many bacteria can collect on the porcelain surface – and theoretically romp around and multiply there until the next bath.
The best preventive measure is if you spray and rinse the tub with a cleaning spray after each bath in addition to regular cleaning.
Too Much Foam
Sitting in a bathtub full of water permanently removes some moisture from our skin. Therefore, we must use bath additives to restore moisture to the skin. However, many of the pretty lathering soaps do the exact opposite and weaken the protective layer of our skin even more.
Therefore, neutral bath additives without fragrances, preservatives, or bath oils are the best alternative for caring for our skin while bathing.
Too Much Perfume
Almost all cosmetic products contain perfume unless it is clearly stated that they do not. Unfortunately, bath additives are not excluded.
The problem with this is that many of these fragrances are highly allergenic and irritate our skin. Especially when we bathe in it for a long time, this can lead to redness and itching.
To prevent this from happening, we unfortunately only can avoid fragrances. Some products do not use perfume. However, if you want to be on the safe side, you can use natural bath additives such as fresh herbs.
Rosemary is known to be invigorating after a busy day, while lavender is known to be relaxing for a good night’s sleep.
Too Many Products
Bath products not only smell wonderful, but they also look pretty. It can also be entertaining to pop various bath balls, bombs and salts in the water.
The only problem is that our skin doesn’t find the product cocktail funny at all. In the worst case, we even risk a rash this way.
So the following applies: limit yourself to one product and only use the recommended amount according to the packaging. This way, you can benefit from the products for a more extended time.
ALSO READ: FROM OILY TO DRY: WHAT SKIN TYPES ARE THERE?
