For your skin, warm beats hot. Hot water pulls natural oils out of your skin and can leave it dry, red and itchy, especially if you stay in a long time. Cool or cold water is gentler on your skin's oils, but most of the big claims about cold showers (shrinking pores, a "glow") rest on very little research. The sweet spot for most people is a short, lukewarm shower, around body temperature, then moisturizer on damp skin. If you love a cold blast at the end, go for it. Your skin won't mind.
Around here, the first cold mornings of the year are when everybody's showers get a little longer and a lot hotter. I understand the pull. But if your skin starts feeling tight and itchy right about the time the heater kicks on, the water temperature may be part of the reason. Here's what dermatologists say about hot and cold showers, and where the hype gets ahead of the evidence.
Are hot showers bad for your skin?
An occasional hot shower isn't going to ruin anything. The trouble is a long, hot shower every single day.
Your skin has a thin outer layer, often called the skin barrier, that holds moisture in and keeps irritants out. Hot water strips away the natural oils that help that barrier do its job. San Francisco dermatologist Dr. Caren Campbell told NBC News Select that when the barrier is weakened, you can end up with dry skin, rashes and irritation. And the longer you stand under hot water, the more it adds up.
UPMC's dermatology team says frequent hot showers and baths can lead to dry, itchy skin or rashes, and that very hot water can leave skin red, itchy and even peeling, a bit like a mild sunburn. Dermatologist Dr. Adam Friedman explained to Healthline that heat can also trigger cells in the skin to release histamine, which is one reason a hot shower can leave you itching afterward.
Signs your water is too hot:
- Your skin looks pink or red when you step out
- It stings or burns a little while you're in there
- You feel tight or itchy within an hour of drying off
Are cold showers better for your skin?
Gentler, yes. Magic, no.
Cool water doesn't strip your skin's oils the way hot water does, so in that sense it's easier on your skin. Some people also find cool water calms itchy skin. Dr. Friedman mentions that, too.
Beyond that, the popular claims run ahead of the evidence. You'll hear that cold water "closes your pores," tightens your skin or gives you a glow. Healthline notes that the research on cold water and skin is limited and much of the support is anecdotal.
What about the health buzz? There is one large study worth knowing about. In a 2016 trial from the Netherlands, published in PLOS ONE, more than 3,000 adults finished their regular hot shower with 30 to 90 seconds of cold water every day for a month. That group called in sick to work about 29% less often than the group that didn't. Interestingly, they didn't report fewer days of actually feeling sick. It's an interesting finding, but it's about energy and work, not skin.
A quick caution: a sudden blast of cold water is a real shock to the body. If you have a heart or blood pressure condition, check with your doctor before you start cold showers. Very hot showers aren't ideal for blood pressure either.
So what temperature should your shower be?
Most dermatologists land in the middle: warm, not hot. NBC News Select reports that most suggest keeping water close to body temperature, about 98 to 105°F. You don't need a thermometer. If the water feels pleasantly warm on the inside of your wrist and your skin isn't pink when you get out, you're in a good range.
Dr. Friedman's version of the ideal shower is simple: lukewarm water, then moisturizer while your skin is still damp.
How to shower kindly in winter
- Turn it down a notch. Warm enough to be comfortable, not steaming.
- Keep it short. About 5 to 10 minutes is the usual advice. Get out before your fingertips wrinkle.
- Soap where it counts. Dr. Campbell suggests focusing soap on your face, underarms and groin, unless the rest of you is actually dirty, and using something gentle.
- Go easy on scrubbing. Rough loofahs and hard rubbing can irritate skin that's already dry.
- Pat dry, then moisturize. Blot with a towel and put on your cream or lotion within a few minutes, while your skin is still a little damp. That helps hold in the water your skin just picked up.
- Want the cold? Save it for the end. If you like the wake-up, finish a warm shower with 30 seconds of cool water. That's the same idea used in the Dutch study, and it's easy on your skin.
I covered how often to shower in how often should you shower, and that tight, squeaky feeling in why skin feels tight after a shower. If your skin is already itchy this time of year, these winter itch tips may help too.
The bottom line
Hot showers feel wonderful and are fine once in a while, but a daily long, hot one is hard on your skin. Cold showers are gentler, and some people love them, but they aren't a skin-care secret. For most of us, a short, warm shower and a good moisturizer afterward do the most good.
If your skin stays dry, cracked or itchy no matter what you change, or you get a rash that won't clear up, it's worth seeing a dermatologist.
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