Showering helps us keep our skin clean, and washes away all the dirt and grim that accumulates throughout the day. It also keeps us smelling fresh, and helps prevent any skin problems. But in some cases, a person’s shower habits might be doing the opposite.
Instead of preventing breakouts and skin infections, showering might actually be causing more problems. Why does this happen? And what shower habits should people avoid?
Shower habits that can cause back acne
Everyone’s skin is different. Some people tend to have more sensitive skin which are prone to breakouts, while others have more resilient skin, and don’t even have any problems with back acne or blemishes.
However, it’s still important to know which shower habits can potentially cause problems for your skin. That way, you can avoid any skin problems that can be caused by showering.
1. You’re not rinsing off your conditioner
Back acne is mainly caused by a buildup of oil in the skin. This oil can then change how a type of bacteria called P. acnes behaves, which can cause infection and breakouts.
One way of making sure that any oil buildup in the skin is prevented is by making sure that you rinse well after you use your conditioner. That’s because the conditioner that washes off from your hair goes all over your back. And the oily residue can cause a buildup of oil if you don’t rinse it well.
A good way to go about it would be to wash your hair first, and then wash your body last so that you can wash off any oily residue.
2. Your soap might be too harsh
Having sensitive skin can mean that you’re more prone to breakouts compared to other people. That’s why it’s important to be careful when it comes to the soap that you use.
If you have back acne, it might be a good idea to switch to a milder soap, or one that has organic ingredients. This means that they won’t have any of the harsh chemicals that are potentially causing you to have back acne.
3. You shower too much
Showering is great since it helps cool you down, and it makes you feel refreshed. It’s also very relaxing to take a shower after a long day.
However, did you know that too much showering can actually cause problems? When it comes to your shower habits, it’s best to take a shower as few times as possible in a day.
That’s because showering too much can irritate your skin, causing skin problems such as back acne. Ideally, you only need to shower once a day.
If you tend to get sweaty a lot or if you’re worried about BO, there are a lot of other things that you can do to prevent yourself from getting stinky.
4. You scrub too much
Just like showering too much, scrubbing your skin too much can also cause it to become irritated. When you want to scrub your body, do it gently, and be sure to moisturize your skin after taking a shower.
Moisturizers help in keeping your skin fresh and hydrated, and is a good way to prevent back acne.
5. You’re using hard water to shower
Hard water, or water that has high mineral content can also cause problems for your skin.
That’s because hard water can make it hard for you to rinse off any soap or shampoo that you use. If you don’t rinse properly, then it can cause you to have a breakout of back acne.
Since showering with distilled water can be expensive, a good way to avoid hard water would be to use filters which can significantly reduce the amount of minerals in your water.
6. The water is too hot, or too cold
The water’s temperature can also have an effect on your skin.
Warm water can cause your pores to open, which can let bacteria get inside. On the other hand, cold water causes your pores to tighten, which makes it hard for you to wash off any dirt and grime that might be stuck in your pores.
It’s best to use lukewarm water when showering in order to avoid any problems.
