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Health

26th Nov 2016

Here’s why you should always moisturise after showering

Megan Roantree

Oops.

We all know at this stage that moisturising your skin is obviously a good idea.

But in winter time when you hop out of the shower it can be extremely cold which means you’re probably not in the mood to stand around lathering up your skin. So instead you get dressed ASAP or you lie under your covers in your towel waiting to dry off a bit (or is that just me?).

Anyway, if you’re skipping moisturiser, you really shouldn’t be according to the experts.

Avoiding moisturiser means that you will end up with dry skin which leads to other problems.

“Dry skin doesn’t function optimally because the barrier function is compromised, leaving the skin sensitive and unbalanced,” dermatologist Dendy Engelman told Refinery29.

The dermatologist adds that the timing of the lotion application is also important.

“In biology class, we were taught that water moves from higher concentration to a lower concentration, and that’s exactly what happens post-shower. When you emerge from the shower, you have a higher concentration of moisture compared to the air — especially in the drier months with heaters. So water evaporates off the skin quickly, leaving the skin dry.” Engelman added.

If you moisturise, some of the moisture from the shower gets trapped on your skin, which is  a good thing, as it helps to keep skin moist. But in order to trap that moisture, you need to moisturise immediately after you shower.

So if you wan’t to avoid dry skin, moisturise and do it as soon as you hop out of the shower.

Topics:

shower