(NewsNation) — A long hot shower after a tiring day may be good for your mental health, but it could be harmful to your skin health, dermatologists warn.
Scalding showers can lead to the removal of skin layers and essential oils from your body, which can be damaging, and regularly exposing your hair and skin to too much hot water can be detrimental to both, research shows.
“A hot bath or shower should be a treat, not a daily occurrence,” said Dr. Victoria Barbosa, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Chicago, to The New York Times.
Research on how water temperature affects skin and hair is limited, but it is known that extremely hot showers can strip away oils your skin needs.
Lukewarm showers and baths are best, according to experts, and should last five to 10 minutes.
“There are benefits to warmer showers or baths, so I don’t want to discount that,” Barbosa said to the NYT. “None of those benefits are for your skin.”
