Pure water is good for the skin and the body

Munich

A good shower: after a night or a hot day, nothing is more refreshing. Especially when using a shower gel that smells like mint or lime. The problem is this: even though we yearn for water in the summer, our skin is not so excited.

"The skin dries several times a day," warns Prof. Bernadette Eberlein, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Dermatology. and allergology at the Biederstein of the TU Munich. "In the worst case, even eczema develops."

How much does it cost exactly and how much is too much – it also depends on the type of skin, says Erhard Hackler of the German Skin and Allergy Aid. "If someone already suffers from dry skin, it can be too much once a day." For most people, however, the daily shower is a routine, especially in the summer. Renouncing it is not only unusual. Some do not feel good either.

In this case, you should at least look carefully at the choice of detergent. Even water alone causes damage to the skin barrier, says Eberlein. The shower gel or soap enhances the effect, however, because the protective lipids are released from the skin. For this reason, Hackler recommends to dispense with shower gel during showers and to use a fragrance-free deodorant thereafter.

Those who are still afraid of the hot season calm Yael Adler, Berlin dermatologist: "We are not dirty Dander or dust are also eliminated with pure water. "Soaking the whole body is useless." Just use a gentle cleansing substance for the murky areas, where one feels stronger in the summer. Say: for the armpits, Pofalte, groin, feet and in women sometimes under the breasts. "

Unfortunately, even when showering: What's fun, it's unhealthy." Wash gels should be free of perfumes, dyes and preservatives, preferably contain coconut oils or sugar surfactants, "said Adler." That does not foam then – but it dries the skin less and receives acid protection. "

If you do not want to deprive yourself of the daily shower, then you can balance "Rehabilitation measures after the shower reduce the desiccant effect again," says Eberlein. Adler advises taking care of dry skin with light lotions of lipo. But she pleads for the principle: the less it is. So, do not apply cream all over the body, just apply the affected areas.

A cold shower in the summer is tempting, but it does not really help. "The cold shower is like an icy blanket and cools the body," says Yael Adler. It's refreshing, but not sustainable. When taking a hot shower, however, the vessels of the skin are spread apart: the body can release heat. A mean warm medium is the best according to the experts.

The ideal temperature for the shower also depends on the situation. "If you want to get tired in the evening, you have to reduce the temperature of your body," says Adler. It helps to take a hot shower and thus release heat. However, if the skin vessels are already dilated due to heat, this effect can not be exacerbated – but more likely to cause circulatory problems.