Water for washing at home. What water to wash in the morning: advice from a beautician

New Year
by Notes of the Wild Mistress

It would seem, what could be easier than ordinary washing? However, there are many nuances here. Different skin is affected differently by the temperature of the water, the frequency of washing, the use of various means for cleaning the skin.

Cold water hardens the body and our entire body, but if you constantly wash your face with it, it can even harm it. Low water temperature causes temporary vasoconstriction and reduces blood supply. Constant washing with cold water leads to poor skin nutrition. If you systematically wash yourself with cold water only, the skin becomes pale first of all, then its dryness, lethargy, and finally the skin ages and becomes wrinkled.

Washing with low temperature water is not advisable, especially in the cold season. The air outside already not only cools, but also dries the skin. Washing your face with cold water in winter and spring only increases the hypothermia of the skin of the face, provokes all kinds of irritations and even frostbite. To refresh your face in the morning, it is better to use water at room temperature. Rinse your face and neck an hour before going outside and apply a rich cream on your wet face. After a while, the face should be blotted with a tissue to remove excess cream.

The use of cold water, even without soap, prevents sebum secretion. Within reasonable limits, it is even useful for people with oily skin. If your skin is dry or prone to dryness, the result of regular and prolonged washing with cold water will inevitably be peeling. Regular washing before going outside also contributes to dry skin.

The use of cold water in the morning, even with ice, will refresh and strengthen any skin in the warm season. In summer and autumn, morning washing is accompanied by the influence of warm air, resulting in increased blood flow and improved skin nutrition.

Washing with cold water or applying ice at night is undesirable - this can cause arousal and disrupt sleep. In this regard, it is better to leave contrasting washes in the morning.

If you prefer cold water to hot, then you need to know the following. Hot water not only washes away dirt. It expands the pores, lowers the skin's resistance. Long-term washing with hot water causes a persistent expansion of the superficial vessels of the skin, weakens their walls. The high temperature of the water promotes first relaxation, and then the weakening of the superficial skin muscles; the skin becomes flabby, loses its elasticity, wrinkles appear.

When washing the face with hot water and soap, the skin is strongly degreased and dehydrated. Such washing, repeated from day to day, leads to stagnation of blood in the skin, unpleasant redness of the nose and cheeks. Washing with hot water is enough once a week, in the evening, after which you must certainly rinse your face with cool water.

Sometimes it is useful to wash with warm water alternately with cool, causing contrast irritation. A quick change in temperature has a beneficial effect on blood circulation, on the nerve endings of the skin. Contrasting washing serves as a kind of gymnastics for blood vessels, provides good skin nutrition. The denser the skin and the deeper the blood vessels are located in it, the more often contrast washing can be used. At the same time, the procedure should always be completed with cool or cold water.

If your skin is very oily, rough, with large pores, then you can prolong the contrast wash by using cool water. But it is better to do it gradually, so that the extension of the procedure is pleasant and desirable for the skin.

Contrast washing can be used not only for effective skin cleansing. By changing the temperature frequently, the skin can be treated. For this, it is necessary to repeat the contrast washing every morning or one and a half to two hours before bedtime for 10-15 days.

"Washing with hot water and the use of sharp contrast washes is categorically contraindicated for those who have dilated capillaries on their faces (rosacea)."

The most reasonable thing is to wash your face with water at room temperature, soft (rain, snow) or softened.

To make the water soft, boil it or add a small amount of borax or salt to it. Washing with soft water at room temperature causes a short-term constriction of blood vessels, followed by their prolonged expansion. This contributes to a rush of blood to the skin, improving its nutrition. In addition, washing with warm water (not higher than 35°C) calms the nervous system, relieves skin muscle tension, and prepares the body well for sleep. Everyone can wash their face with room temperature water, regardless of age, properties and skin type.

Thus, the systematic use of both cold and hot water causes all kinds of skin irritations and is generally harmful to the skin.

It is also important to remember that when washing, it is better not to use coarse washcloths, brushes, and laundry soap is not the kind of product that will please and suit your face. The use of a rough towel after washing will also not give your face and you pleasant minutes.

In some cases, if there are comedones on the skin of the face, washing with a brush is, of course, permissible. It can be carried out in order to strengthen and deeper cleanse the skin. The neck can also be washed with a brush.

In order to really tighten the neck muscles, this procedure must be performed systematically and it is desirable to start it before you are 25 years old.

Washing is just one of the ways to cleanse the skin of the face and neck, but far from the only one. In the evening, in addition to washing, you need to carry out a more thorough cleaning of the face. And you need to do this daily.

It's no secret that water is a universal means of cleanliness. She is simply irreplaceable. However, the condition of the skin of the face is influenced not only by the temperature level of water, but also by its chemical composition.

The skin itself also plays a huge role in this interaction. As practice shows, ordinary water can irritate the skin. This is especially true for hard water, which adversely affects even the skin of the hands. If a person has dry and thin skin, then it is worth considering which water is better to wash, as hard water will lead to unpleasant peeling, loss of smoothness or inflammation. Hard water must be softened. The most affordable way to soften water is to boil it.

Water will become much softer if you add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda, half a teaspoon of boric acid or one spoon of glycerin (only for oily skin) to one liter of water. The best option is to wash with rainwater. It does not contain substances harmful to the skin of the face. After washing with such water, the skin becomes velvety and soft. With a strong sensitivity of the skin to water, washing should be done with a mixture of water and milk with a temperature of 24-25 degrees.

In the question of what water to wash with, it should be noted that the temperature level of water also has a huge impact on the condition of the skin. When washing in winter with cold water, vasoconstriction occurs and skin nutrition is disturbed. It is also harmful to wash your face with hot water, as in this case the vessels expand, losing their elasticity, which will lead to early aging. It is best if the water for washing your face is at a temperature of 19-21 degrees.

Of course, you can sometimes allow yourself a contrast wash, that is, alternate washing with cold and hot water. This type of washing produces stimulation of nerve endings, improves blood circulation and activates cell saturation. Contrasting washing is especially useful for dense skin, with deeply located vessels. Contrasting washing should be finished only with cold water.

So what effect does cold water have on the skin? Cold water, first of all, provokes the outflow of blood from the vessels, as a result of which bleeding of the skin occurs. As a result, there is a delay in the activity of the sweat and sebaceous glands, the secretion of fat decreases, the skin loses its elasticity, dryness and flabbiness appear. If the skin of the face is dry and has a lack of sebum, then cold water interferes with the proper functioning of the sebaceous glands. As a result, the skin begins to peel off even more.

It is worth noting that in the warm season, washing with cold water, on the contrary, refreshes the skin and strengthens it. This is due to the fact that due to the contrast of warm air and cold water, a rush of blood occurs. Washing with cold water before going to bed is very harmful, as cold water overexcites the body and causes sleep disturbance.

Now you should understand how hot water affects the skin. As mentioned earlier, water dries out and degreases the skin. And if you constantly use hot water for washing, the skin will dry out even more. Many people think that hot water perfectly cleanses oily skin and removes dust from it. In fact, hot water provokes vasodilation and poor blood circulation, which leads to redness of the nose and cheeks.

In addition, hot water relaxes the skin muscles, which adversely affects the smoothness and elasticity of the skin. Therefore, regardless of skin type, you should limit the use of hot water for washing to once a week. But even after that, it will be necessary to rinse your face with cool water. And if there are dilated capillaries on the face, then washing with hot water is strictly prohibited.

For oily and rough skin, with enlarged pores, long-term contrast washing is useful. But it is better to accustom the skin to such procedures gradually.

Warm water is ideal for all skin types. It soothes the skin of the face, making it smooth and beautiful. Therefore, if there is any doubt about what type of face, then it is better to resort to washing with warm water.

By answering this question, we will thereby answer one of the main questions related to facial skin care.

Everyone knows that the most common means to maintain cleanliness of the skin is water. However, not everyone knows that the effect of water on the skin depends both on the temperature and chemical composition of the water, and on the condition of the skin itself.

The skin of the face is continuously exposed to various environmental stimuli. The different degree of perception of external stimuli by normal skin depends on the general condition of the organism, its nervous system, etc. This explains, for example, that sometimes the skin may temporarily not tolerate water, soap, and other hygiene products. Therefore, individual methods of facial skin care should change in accordance with its state at the moment.

As practice shows, water cannot be considered a non-irritating agent for the skin. Water containing a significant amount of calcium, magnesium and other minerals, the so-called hard water, is harmful not only to the face, but also to the hands. With prolonged use, it dries out the skin, especially dry, thin and sensitive facial skin, makes it rough, flaky and often causes inflammation. To eliminate the irritating effect of hard water, it must be softened. This is achieved primarily by its prolonged boiling.

You can also soften hard water by adding one of the following three products to 1 liter of water: 1) 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda; 2) 1/2 teaspoon of borax; 3) 1 tbsp. a spoonful of glycerin (for oily skin). It is best to use rain or snow water, which does not contain irritating substances - the so-called soft water, after which the skin feels especially velvety.

With increased skin sensitivity to water, boiled water should be used in half with milk (temperature 24-25 ° C).

Skin that is irritated, inflamed, or flaky very often cannot tolerate water at all. In this case, it is necessary to completely abandon washing with water for the duration of the disease, especially in the morning, before going outside, and in the evening apply warm vegetable oil, removing it with a solution of tea, or a special lotion.

In the morning, 30-40 minutes before going outside, it is recommended to refresh the skin with a liquid emulsion or oily cream applied to a cotton swab. This method of healing sensitive skin quickly restores its elasticity.

Of course, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the skin.

The temperature of the water plays an extremely important role when washing your face. This question is so important that, in addition to the general provisions given in this section, the next two sections are devoted to the effect of cold and hot water on the skin of the face.

The constant use of cold water worsens the nutrition of the skin, causing temporary vasoconstriction and reducing blood supply, just as hot water, with prolonged use, causes a persistent expansion of the surface vessels of the skin and weakens their walls, which leads to loss of skin elasticity.

You should wash your face not with hot or cold water, but with water at room temperature (24-25 ° C). (If you measure the temperature of the water 2-3 times with a thermometer, then in the future the skin of the face itself will accurately tell you the desired temperature.)

Every woman can wash her face with water at room temperature, regardless of age, skin properties and season. Such water is very pleasant for the skin, and even abundant washing with it does not cause an unpleasant feeling of deep cooling, which occurs when washing with cold water.

Water at room temperature causes a short-term constriction of blood vessels, followed by a prolonged expansion of them. This promotes a rush of blood to the skin, which is exactly what is needed to improve its nutrition.

It is useful sometimes to wash with warm water alternately with cool, causing contrast irritation. A rapid change in temperature has a beneficial effect on blood circulation, on the nerve endings of the skin and is a kind of gymnastics for the blood vessels, providing good nutrition to the skin.

The denser the skin and the deeper the blood vessels are located in it, the more often washing with contrast temperature water can be used. In this case, the procedure should be ended with water at room temperature, cool or cold.

So, the most reasonable thing is to wash your face with water at room temperature, soft (rain, snow) or softened by boiling or adding borax, soda.

The effect of cold water on the skin of the face. Here is what he writes about the effect produced on the skin by constant washing with cold water, prof. M. A. Rozentul: “Cold water, when exposed to the skin, causes an outflow of blood from the superficial vessels and leads to exsanguination of the skin, to a narrowing of its vessels. The latter, in turn, causes a delay in the activity of the sebaceous and sweat glands and a decrease in the release of fat and sweat on the surface of the skin, contributes to this loss of skin elasticity, causing dryness and flabbiness of the skin.

This opinion of a prominent dermatologist is confirmed by practical observations. If you constantly wash the skin of the face with cold water, it develops first of all its pallor, then dryness, lethargy and, finally, wrinkling. Women often notice this too late.

The desire to harden the skin of the face and equate it in all respects with the skin of the body is unjustified. After all, the face is already constantly under the influence of the external environment and its contrasts. Cold water hardens the body and our entire body, however, with constant use, it often causes damage to the skin of the face, contributing to its premature aging.

With dry skin, when the secretion of fat by the glands is already limited, the use of cold water, even without soap, further inhibits sebum secretion. Skin that is prone to dryness also cannot withstand prolonged washing with cold water and begins to peel off, even in young people.

From the foregoing, it is clear why in winter and spring it is not advisable to wash your face in the morning with cold water. This applies not only to dry or sensitive skin, but also to normal. Low air temperature outside cools and dries the skin, so you should not increase its hypothermia, which leads to irritation or frostbite.

By the way, a slight frostbite of the face, especially the cheeks and the tip of the nose, at - 15-20 ° C, women rarely notice, but it turns out later, in a beauty parlor. As a result, recommendations on this issue by many Western European experts are not always acceptable for our climate.

In the cold season, you can use water at room temperature to refresh your face in the morning. This rinsing of the face and neck, followed by the application of a greasy cream to a wet face, should be done 40 minutes before going outside (from the moment moisture and excess cream are removed from the face).

Thanks to proper care, which helps to increase the elasticity of the skin of the face, its resistance to any meteorological factors increases; With such care, peeling of the skin is completely eliminated and dryness of the skin is significantly reduced.

In the warm season or in areas with a warm climate, the use of cold water in the morning (you can even add a piece of ice to it) refreshes and strengthens any skin, since after washing under the influence of warm air, blood flow increases.

Washing with cold water or applying ice in the evening before going to bed is not recommended, as this can cause unwanted arousal and disrupt sleep. For the same reason, it is better to transfer to the morning and contrast washing.

The effect of hot water on the skin of the face. It is known that water somewhat degreases and dries the skin. This effect is enhanced by washing the face with hot water and soap.

It would seem that in this case, with oily skin, hot water should be used for washing, because it cleanses the face well, washing away fatty layers from its surface along with particles of dust that have fallen on them.

However, daily washing with hot water leads to the expansion of superficial blood vessels, to stagnation of blood in the skin, which, in turn, can cause unpleasant redness of the skin of the nose, cheeks, etc. In addition, hot water helps to relax the superficial skin muscles, which in turn further causes flabbiness of the skin and contributes to the appearance of wrinkles.

Hot water not only mechanically washes away dirt, but at the same time expands the pores, lowers the skin's resistance. Therefore, it is quite enough to wash your face with hot water once a week, in the evening, after which you must certainly rinse it with cool water.

Practice shows that special evening washing has a good effect on oily skin. In this case, boiled warm water (not higher than 30 ° C) and neutral soap should be used. The most suitable in this case is a soapy shaving cream.

After washing, the face is rinsed with acidified or slightly salted cold water or water at room temperature. You can also carry out contrast washing, i.e., alternate warm water with cool water several times, starting and ending this procedure always with cool water.

If the skin is very oily, rough, with large pores, then the duration of the contrast wash can be increased by applying cool water, but this should be done gradually so that it is pleasant for the skin. This procedure can be used not only as a means of cleansing the skin, but also for treatment. In the latter case, such washing is performed within 10-15 days, preferably in the morning or one and a half to two hours before bedtime.

Note : Washing with hot water is contraindicated for those who have dilated capillaries on their skin; this also applies to sharp contrast washes.

From the foregoing, it is clear that the systematic use of hot water, as well as cold water, is harmful to the skin. So, oily skin can be washed with hot water only once a week for no more than 1-2 months. Then, instead of hot water, warm water (temperature not higher than 35 ° C) is recommended, followed by washing with cool water. For any face wash, softened or, even better, soft water at room temperature is used.

Washing with warm water (35°C) calms the nervous system, relieves skin muscle tension, prepares the body well for sleep, but we must not forget that abuse, prolonged use of warm water is not recommended for anyone. Its use must be driven by necessity.

We all know that water is a universal means of cleanliness and an indispensable substance for washing the face. But the condition of the skin is affected not only by a certain temperature of water and its chemical composition. The skin itself plays an important role in this interaction.

Practice shows that water will irritate the skin to a greater or lesser extent. This is especially true of hard water, which negatively affects even the condition of the skin of the hands. If you have dry and thin skin, washing with hard water will cause flaking, loss of smoothness, or even inflammation. Hard water for washing needs to be softened. The easiest way is to boil it. Hard water will also become softer if 1 liter. water add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of boric acid or one tablespoon of glycerin (for oily skin type). The best option is to wash yourself with rain or melt water, which does not contain harmful substances. After such washing, the skin will become velvety and soft. If your skin is very sensitive to water, wash your face with boiled water half diluted with milk. The optimum temperature for such a solution is 23-24°C.

The temperature of the water for washing also affects the condition of the skin. If you constantly wash your face with cold water in cold weather, the blood supply and nutrition of the vessels may be disrupted due to their narrowing. Washing with hot water is also considered harmful. In this case, the walls of the vessels expand and lose their elasticity, which, in the end, can lead to a loss of elasticity.

The temperature of the water for washing should ideally be between 18-20°C. Sometimes you can afford a contrast wash, alternating exposure to the skin of warm and cool water. This stimulates the work of nerve endings, improving blood circulation in the vessels and activating the nutrition of skin cells. Skin contrast stimulation should be applied frequently if your skin is tight and your blood vessels are deep. Complete the washing process with cold water.

How does cold water affect the skin?

A well-known dermatologist, Professor M. A. Rozentul wrote: “Cold water, when exposed to the skin, causes an outflow of blood from the superficial vessels and leads to exsanguination of the skin, to a narrowing of its vessels. The latter, in turn, causes a delay in the activity of the sebaceous and sweat glands and a decrease in the release of fat and sweat on the surface of the skin, thereby contributing to the loss of skin elasticity, causing dryness and flabbiness of the skin. These words are confirmed in practice. Regularly washing your face in the morning with cold water, you doom your skin to a pale color, and then to dryness, flabbiness and wrinkles. Unfortunately, many women realize too late that it is not necessary to harden the skin of the face in the same way as the whole body. We already expose the skin of the face to the influence of many negative factors, and cold water, despite its beneficial effect on the body, provokes its rapid aging. If the skin is dry and lacks sebum, under the influence of cold water, which interferes with the normal functioning of the sebaceous glands, it will peel off even more.

However, washing with cold water during warm seasons or in warm climates can have a refreshing, firming effect on the skin. This is due to the rush of blood, which is caused by the contrast of cold water and warm air.

Do not wash your face with cold water before going to bed. Such washing can overexcite the body and cause sleep disturbance.

How does hot water affect the skin?

We have already mentioned that water not only degreases, but also dries out the skin. If you wash your face with hot water, overdrying will appear more intensely. At first glance, it may seem that hot water is a good cleanser for oily skin, which removes oil and dust that has settled on the skin. But in fact, regular exposure to hot water leads to vasodilation and poor blood circulation, which can lead to redness in the cheeks and nose. Also, hot water has a relaxing effect on the skin muscles, and this adversely affects the elasticity and smoothness of the skin. Hot water removes dirt well, but it helps to reduce the resistance of the skin due to the expansion of the pores. Regardless of skin type, it's best to limit washing your face with hot water to once a week before bed. Moreover, after such washing, it is better to rinse your face with cool water. If you have dilated capillaries on your face, you should not wash your face with hot water at all.

For very oily and rough skin, the pores of which are enlarged, a long contrast wash will be useful. But it is better to accustom the skin of the face to such procedures gradually, so that such temperature changes are pleasant to the skin. Contrast washing can also be used to treat problem skin. In this case, the procedure should be done every morning or evening one and a half to two hours before bedtime for 10-15 days.

Warm water and contrast washing have a calming effect on the nervous system, and help to relax the muscles of the face. But if you want to achieve a normal skin condition, it is better to alternate the effect of warm water with cold and hot, not forgetting also about contrast washing. It is best to use rain or snow water at room temperature for washing, as well as soft boiled water or water with the addition of glycerin, soda or boric acid.

The easiest and oldest way to wake up in the morning, relieve stress during the day and fatigue in the evening is to wash yourself with water. Not to mention that water is an important part of hygiene procedures. What do we know about this process, familiar from childhood, about washing?

Many of us, to a greater or lesser extent, have accepted the information that drinking tap water is somehow not comme il faut. In addition to the fact that we need purified water for drinking and cooking, it is also necessary to purify water for domestic needs. This means that high-quality and clean water should be in the shower, and for washing as well. By itself, it irritates the skin to varying degrees. This is especially true for hard water. It is easy to notice that the water in your apartment is hard by finding white lime deposits on the kettle spirals, on plumbing fixtures in the bathroom, etc. The increased content of dissolved calcium and magnesium salts in water can lead to dry hair and skin irritation (the ions of these salts form insoluble compounds with shampoo and soap and settle on the skin and hair).

To soften water, most often it is boiled. Salts precipitate, but organochlorine compounds are actively formed - an option much worse than hard salts. Water hardness is also reduced by adding baking soda or glycerin (add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda or one tablespoon of glycerin to 1 liter of water). I've tried it myself and yes it works. Of course, they also advise using melted water for washing (as for me, it’s very confusing) or rain water (I can’t imagine how to get it in urban conditions, moreover, without harmful impurities). Saves additional water filtration. At least a jug filter, but a stationary filter is optimal. If you do not have such an opportunity, then - glycerin and soda are still better than nothing.

Second question, What should be the temperature of the water for washing? With the constant use of cold water in cold weather, blood supply and vascular nutrition may be disrupted. If the skin is dry, under the influence of cold water, which interferes with the normal functioning of the sebaceous glands, it will peel off even more. However, washing with cold water during the warm season can be refreshing on the skin. Frequent washing with hot water is also harmful. It is good at removing dirt, but reduces skin resistance by expanding pores and can lead to loss of skin elasticity. If you have rosacea, washing with hot water is generally not recommended.

The water temperature should ideally be between 18-21°C. The work of nerve endings is stimulated by contrast washing, improving blood circulation in the vessels and activating the nutrition of skin cells. The procedure should be done in the morning and evening for 10-15 days. Complete the washing process with cold water.

For very sensitive skin, it's generally best to avoid washing with water. In this case, a good alternative would be micellar water. This simple solution does not contain surfactants and alkali, but it does an excellent job of cleansing the skin and does not damage the epidermis. Specially prepared water contains a large number of fatty acid particles. You don't need to wash your face after this cleansing, but I usually rinse my face with softened water to remove the sticky feeling. You can, again, instead of softened water, take a light cleansing lotion for this. Micellar water not only cleanses, but also remineralizes the skin. It is also a good make-up remover on the road or in a place where you can not use the usual hygienic amenities.