Be careful if you have the habit of bathing in hot water during winter

Why do you take a bath in warm water in winter?

In winter, most people have a habit of bathing in hot water. However, experts believe that it is harmful for the body. This is believed to be because the keratin present in hot water damages the skin cells. This causes skin itching, dryness and rashes.

Just as bathing with hot water causes damage, wearing hot clothes also causes harm. This makes your body a victim of overheating.

Actually, our immune system produces white blood cells (WBC) when it gets cold, which protects us from infections and diseases. However, due to overheating of the body, it does not work.

At the same time, over eating during winter should also be avoided. In winter, our digestion process is slow than in summer, so vegetables and fruits with maximum fiber should be eaten. In winter, the idea of keeping the body warm with tea and coffee is good. But perhaps you are forgetting that too much caffeine is harmful for the body.

It affects fertility: One of the papers presented by scientists’ state that having a hot water bath for more than 30 minutes can affect one’s ability to procreate. So, those who have fertility issues are advised by doctors to have cold water bath. Soaking in a tub of hot water is definitely not advisable.

It can make you lazy: A hot water bath makes you so relaxed that you will want to take a nap as soon as you come out of the bathroom. In the other words, your morning bath will do nothing to heighten your senses to tackle a brand new day, instead it is most likely to make you lethargic.

It can cause skin to wrinkle faster: Everyone wishes for younger-looking skin, but regular hot water baths can make your skin look wrinkled and haggard way

too early. Moreover, bathing in hot water can turn into an addiction and your body might demand hot water even during summer.

5 Essential Bathing Rules to Follow Every Winter

If there’s any morning ritual that can freshen you up and get you ready to go about your day, it’s bathing. Bathing is an essential personal hygiene ritual that’s performed daily in most parts of the world. Studies suggest that bathing has many health benefits to impart apart from the obvious cleanliness it promotes.

According to a 2018 study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, people who bathe with hot water every day tend to have good health status, are more likely to be stress-free, get more rest, sleep better and are happier. Many studies also show that bathing with hot water can help you control body weight, body mass index and waist circumference better.

But while bathing has so many benefits, many people tend not to bathe as often during the winter season. This practice can be both unhygienic and harmful for your health, so it’s best to stick with healthy bathing practices even during the colder months. The following are some essential bathing tips you absolutely need during winters.

1. Bathe every day

Even if it’s too cold or you feel lazy, bathe every day with hot water. Bathing with hot water has a hyperthermic effect on your body, which means it heats up your body. Isn’t that just what you need during winters? Studies suggest that this hyperthermic effect is especially important for heart health during winters because cold weather can slow down your heart rate. But simply because you must bathe every day during winters doesn’t mean you should overbathe, as that can make your skin dry and cause a cold too. Take 10 minutes to bathe at max.

2. The right temperature

There’s hot water and then there’s scalding hot water and the difference between the two matters a lot. Your skin has a natural microbiota and pH levels maintained by healthy microbes. Bathing in scalding hot water can destroy these healthy microbes, dry your skin, cause itching and rashes and even crack your skin. So, bathe with lukewarm water or slightly warm water only.

3. Be gentle

Your skin is likely to be dry and sensitive anyways during winters, so don’t make it worse by scrubbing too hard with a loofah while bathing. Even drying your skin with too much force can hurt it or cause excessive dryness. Winter is when your skin needs all the tender love and care it can get, so be gentle.

4. Moisturize

Nothing is perhaps as important during winters as moisturizing. Get a good moisturizer and make sure you apply it generously all over your body as soon as you dry off. Many people choose to apply glycerine during winters, which can also help lock the moisture in your skin. You can also apply herbal or natural moisturizers like ghee, olive oil, coconut oil, etc on your skin to moisturize it.

5. Clean up

No matter what the weather, cleaning the things that help you stay clean is very important to avoid infections. Cleaning your bathroom, especially the showerheads, taps and drains regularly is vital. What’s more, you should also keep your soap cases and bathroom shelves clean too. Most important of all is to keep the things that come in regular and direct contact with your skin clean. This means cleaning or replacing your loofah and regularly washing your towels and drying them out properly to avoid any fungus growth.