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    This is why you shouldn't be washing your face in the shower

    20 Oct 2020 4:14 PM | Posted by
    bh's Samantha McMeekin's picture
    bh's Samantha McMeekin
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    We're all for beauty shortcuts. And actually, now that we think about it, if we're able to knock off a beauty step in the shower it's way more likely to get done.

    Shout out to in-shower body moisturisers and gradual tans, you guys are great.

    But recently, we discovered an in shower no-no they've we've been doing since, well, forever. As it turns out, cleansing your face while under the steamy hot comfort of running water is less than ideal.

    At least that's what scientist and skin care lover, Hannah English, revealed in a recent 'Ask Me Anything' segment on Instagram.  She explained that the water we use to wash ourselves in the shower is most likely too hot of a temperature for our delicate faces and that cool to lukewarm water is best (and more easily controlled by the sink).

    And after a bit of further research, it seems most dermatologists agree with Hannah too... 

    Why shouldn't we be washing our faces in the shower?

    Essentially, the hotter your water is, the more drying it is.

    "If you’re heating oils in the skin it’s likely you’re emulsifying, dissolving and literally washing them away,"  consultant dermatologist, Dr. Justine Hextall, told Women's Health.  "These oils play an important role in protecting your face against external aggressors via the skin barrier."

    She also mentions that by washing your face in the shower, you could unknowingly be subjecting it to harsher ingredients as well as a hot temp, and that's not an ideal combo. Think: the residue from your shampoo causing irritation, redness and flaking.

    @ms_hannah_e

    How should we be washing our faces?

    Instead of the shower, Hannah prefers to use a lukewarm muslin cloth to cleanse her face. In fact, you can catch her entire routine via our Sunday Skin Diaries. 

    However, if you don't want to give up your in-shower face cleanse, consciously turning down the temperature when you get to this step will help. Dr. Hextell also recommends facing away from the shower head (to save your complexion from the harsh water pressure) and letting the water run gently over your face from behind instead. 

    Is it better to wash your face before or after your shower?

    If you are considering making the switch to the sink, it's a good idea to shower first and then complete your face cleanse. This way the steam from your shower will open your pores and prepare it for the following skin care.

    One last tip: Regardless of whether you wash your face at the shower or sink, it's a good idea to store your cleanser outside of the shower to preserve the quality of the ingredients. "Anything containing active ingredients will degrade under the bright lights and warm, damp conditions in the shower," says Dr. Hextall. So if you're a big fan of AHAs and BHAs in your face wash, get it outta there.

    5 face washes we're loving right now:

    1. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo Cleanser
    2. La Mav® Hydra-Calm Cleansing Crème
    3. Billie Goat Soap Gentle Cream Face Cleanser
    4. em&mary Coastal Naturals Facial Cleanser
    5. Amarānté Cleanse

    Do you cleanse your face in the shower or at the sink? 

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    56 Member Comments

    lgauci 5 Dec 2020 3:19 PM

    I too wont be using the shower as a place where we wash our face .Good info BH

    Ness904 21 Nov 2020 12:39 AM

    Oops I've only ever washed my face in the shower... I won't any more .. good article.

    Jacinta89 20 Nov 2020 7:58 PM

    Nighttime routine is such a rush that if I didnt wash my face in the shower, it wouldn't happen. i do always wash my face in the sink in the morning.

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    philippa495 12 Nov 2020 9:50 AM

    I always wash my face in the shower in the morning and at the basin at night, I was taught years ago not to remove your makeup in the shower as the steam opens your pores and pushes the makeup in further

    MoniqueBeauty 11 Nov 2020 8:15 AM

    I'll probably still wash my face in the shower though - it's just so easy!

    Berylr 6 Nov 2020 4:23 PM

    I always wash my face after a shower at the sink when I clean my teeth. Interesting to hear that I have been doing it in a good way.

    Arty Girl 6 Nov 2020 1:41 PM

    I wash my face at the sink using luke warm water and a cream or foaming face cleanser in the morning. But I do wash my face in the shower at night and before I go to bed. However, I don't like very hot showers and instead of lifting my face up to the shower head, I let the water run down over my face. So my shower water isn't so hot as to cause broken capillaries. I will now remove my face cleansers from the shower cubicle so thank you for this article :).

    MaryJane 5 Nov 2020 7:27 PM

    too many broken capillaries from washing the face in the shower,,, now i turn it down, rinse with cool water and then was face outside in the sink.

    Miramarmari 3 Nov 2020 11:01 PM

    Always cleansed my face at the sink.

    Beautybabe140194 3 Nov 2020 4:02 PM

    Ooops I mostly cleanse my face in the shower.

    Sydneyswans910 3 Nov 2020 3:43 PM

    I wash my face in the shower in the evening, but always splash the water from my hands, as I once read that if you stand directly under a running shower, it can cause burst capillaries (which explains why you sometimes see people with a reddish circle on their face!)

    Beautyguru101 3 Nov 2020 2:37 PM

    I’ve always told friends not to wash there face in the shower now I can send them this article! Haha.

    Bartsky 1 Nov 2020 7:29 PM

    Good to know. If I'm lazy, I do wash my face in the shower

    BeautySwan88 1 Nov 2020 2:45 PM

    Interesting. I learned something new.

    RalucaP 27 Oct 2020 1:57 PM

    Oh dear there is always someone telling us what we do is wrong.......

    Chrystalage 25 Oct 2020 11:55 PM

    I wash at basin sink becasue that's where my cleanser is and I'm very prone to broken capillaries, so hot water is a no go on my face.

    cityglenda 25 Oct 2020 10:30 AM

    OMG you're saying I've been cleansing my face wrong for decades? Dr. Justine Hextall has only been practicing as a Dermatologist for 16 years.

    I use the cold water then warm water that comes through the pipes of the shower before it comes through warm enough to shower.

    My face even gets warm water over my face (not intentionally) when I wash or dye my hair. All of this has been working for me.

    Sally10 24 Oct 2020 4:53 PM

    I always wash my face under the shower in the morning (not too hot, and I always finish with cold water to wake me up haha), but use the handbasin at night.

    Shop A Everyday 24 Oct 2020 3:22 PM

    I like to use a flannel

    Rudyuth 3 Nov 2020 5:21 PM

    I use a flannel too and at the end of my shower I turn the hot water of, wet the flannel with cold water and then put it over my face to close my pores. I've always done it this way.

    Shop A Everyday 4 Nov 2020 10:16 AM

    Yes they are nice and gentle too

    Angage 24 Oct 2020 3:14 PM

    I do wash my face after shower.

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