Cold Water vs. Hot Water: What's the Best for Your Skin?

If you’re skin care obsessed like us, you may already have your skin care routine down pat. But if you’re following a daily regimen and still not seeing the results you’re looking for, chances are you may be using the wrong water temperature. When cleansing your face, the water temperature you use and how often you wash your face are essential factors you must take into consideration. Now, that doesn’t mean you need to use bottled water—your skin isn’t that picky. But the water you wash your skin with does have to be just the right temperature. Keep reading to learn about how water temperature can affect your complexion, plus learn about the best facial cleansers you can incorporate into your skin care routine. 

What Can Hot Water Do To Your Skin?

While a steaming hot shower or face washing session can feel quite relaxing in the moment, it’s not the best option for your skin. Piping hot water can cause a heightened level of skin sensitivity and dry out your skin, stripping it of necessary natural oils. This can be incredibly unpleasant if you already have dry skin or oily skin. Oily skin could respond to having its natural oils stripped by creating even more oil—leaving you looking excessively shiny, or worse, causing an unwanted breakout.

What Can Cold Water Do To Your Skin?

Dr. Rocio Rivera, Vice President of scientific communications for L’Oréal Paris, notes that when you use cold water, it can act like an astringent, which tones the skin and helps it look more youthful. Splashing cold water on your face will not only wake you up in the mornings but also bring down puffiness and leave your skin feeling refreshed. That being said, you should try to avoid cleansing your skin with too much cold water because it does not effectively clean out the skin. Cold water tightens up your pores, which can trap bacteria and dirt into the skin. 

What Water Temperature Is Best For Your Skin?

Turn up (or down) the temperature so that it’s somewhere in between hot and cold—lukewarm is ideal. Recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology, moderately warm water will make for the best face washing experience and overall skin health. According to Rivera, most skin care products were tested or created with this ideal temperature in mind. Rivera also points out that lukewarm water can help ensure that your facial cleanser gets the right amount of foaming action, removes enough dirt from the surface of your skin, and balances your natural skin oils appropriately. 

The Best Facial Cleansers You Can Use

Now that you know the best temperature to use, it’s time to choose the best facial cleanser for your skin type! We recommend choosing from one of the following options: 

L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Cleanser 

After using this clay facial cleanser, the skin is purified of dirt, oil and left with a clean, clear look. It’s formulated with charcoal to help draw out impurities and leave skin looking bright and refreshed. It’s also suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

Editor’s Tip: Stick to cleansing your skin just twice a day in the morning and evenings. And after any intense workouts. Overwashing your skin can leave it irritated and dry. 

L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Bright Reveal Brightening Daily Scrub Cleanser 

If you have mature skin or are primarily concerned with signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles, this is the face wash for you. Formulated with glycolic acid, this scrub-cleanser gently exfoliates and stimulates the skin’s natural ability to shed dead cells that linger on the surface. The result is a brighter, more radiant-looking, and even skin tone.

Editor’s Tip: Glycolic acid can increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun. So to be sure to moisturize right after cleansing. Reach for the L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Day Lotion SPF 30 to help protect your skin from the sun. 

L'Oréal Paris Micellar Cleansing Water Complete Cleanser Waterproof - All Skin Types 

Your skin’s surface becomes covered with dirt, excess oils, and impurities throughout the day. Use this no-rinse, gentle facial cleanser that will help mattify oily T-zones (excellent for combination skin types) without over-drying your cheeks and under-eye area.

Taking care of your skin is an essential part of keeping it healthy and radiant-looking year-round. Make sure to incorporate these tips during your next skin care session.

Photo Credit: Chaunte Vaughn

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