Should You Be Washing Your Face With Cold Water?

There is so much advice coming from the beauty industry these days that it’s sometimes hard to know what to follow for the best results for your skin. One of those pieces of advice is whether or not you should wash your face with cold water? It’s true that there are some benefits to washing your face with cold water, but it’s not necessarily ideal for everyone, or at every time of day.

Let’s look at the benefits of washing your face with cold water, when you should do it, and if it’s the optimal temperature for your skin during your daily cleansing routine. At Cosmedica Skincare, we make a variety of vegan, cruelty-free skincare products that will help improve your skin in many ways, including our superstar cleanser. Proper cleansing is one of the most important parts of your daily skincare routine, along with the right water temperature.  

Cold Water Pros and Cons

There are several benefits of using cold water when you wash your face, especially at different times of the day. Morning is the best time to wash with cold water. For one thing, your skin isn’t that dirty, especially if you washed it properly the night before. Plus, cold water is refreshing and will have the physical effect of waking up your skin with its stimulating coldness. Here are several other benefits.

1. Tightens your skin: This is a temporary effect that can make your skin look tighter, refreshed, and renewed. 
2. Boosts circulation: Since cold water acts as a stimulant for the skin by boosting circulation, you’ll find that your skin has a rosy glow when using colder water during cleansing. 
3. Helps with puffiness: A great trick in the morning if you wake up with a congested and puffy face. The cold temperature of the water can help de-puff the skin, especially around the eye area. 
4. Less drying for the skin: Water that is cold is less dehydrating to the skin. You’ll find that for people with dry skin, washing with colder water will help maintain its hydration levels better. 
5. Reduces the look of pores: Using cold water, since it tightens up the skin, will help to reduce the appearance of large pores. While this is only temporary, it can make the skin look smoother.  

The Biggest Reasons to Not Wash With Cold Water

The cons of washing only with cold water are that, for one thing, it doesn’t feel very good. This is especially true at night when you’re trying to relax and fall asleep before bed. Washing with cold water will act as an external stimulant, waking you up more. You don’t want to interfere with your sleep quality right before bed. Plus, the cold water just doesn’t feel as good as warmer and soothing water temperatures.  

Over-washing your face in any extreme water temperature isn’t beneficial. Exposing your skin to a variety of temperatures is better for it.  

Hot Water Pros and Cons

Here’s the deal, it’s never a good idea to wash with very hot water. There are definitely more cons than pros when it comes to cleansing with extremely hot water. The skin on your face is very delicate and needs to be treated gently. Here are some of the disadvantages to washing with hot, hot water. 

1. It irritates the skin: There are so many sensitive blood vessels or tiny capillaries under the surface of the skin. Using hot water will dilate those vessels, causing inflammation and redness in the form of blotches. It’s certainly not a great way to start out your day by damaging your skin. 
2. Can dehydrate the surface texture: The fact is that extremely hot water will strip the skin of its natural oils, drying it out. If you often use very hot water on your skin, you’ll notice a more dehydrated barrier, with a rough surface texture that feels dry and uncomfortable. 
3. Leads to premature aging: If all the other reasons don’t give you pause, this one should. Using very hot water can cause premature aging, meaning more fine lines and wrinkles will show up faster on the skin. That’s due to the fact that you are damaging collagen and elastin production with excessively hot water. 
4. Causes redness and peeling: This will be the result of basically scalding your skin on a daily basis. Think of it like a mild sunburn that the hot water is causing to your skin, which may lead to excessive redness and peeling, just like overexposure to the sun without a proper SPF.  

What Water Temperature Is Best?

So, you may be thinking right now, what’s the absolute best temperature to wash with? The simple answer is lukewarm water. That’s what the American Academy of Dermatology recommends that everyone, for the most part, washes their face with. Generally speaking, the temperature range of lukewarm water is 98 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t worry, you won’t need a water thermometer to tell. Just get used to running the water until it’s pleasantly warm, but not hot in any way.  

How Often Should You Wash Your Face?

This question truly depends on your skin type. For those with normal to dry skin, once a day at night is the best time to wash your face. You’ll want to wash off any makeup you wear each day, but you’ll also be getting rid of the accumulation of dirt, oil, and bacteria that gets on your face throughout the day. 

The last thing anyone wants to do is go to bed with a dirty face. The reason being is that the skin goes through a significant renewal process at night. If it’s dirty from the day, that process has a harder time renewing itself in a healthy manner. Plus, you’ll want to use your skincare products at night for the best results. 

For those people with normal to dry skin, all you need in the morning is a quick splash of lukewarm water before you apply your daily skincare routine. Your skin isn’t getting dirty at night, so you don’t have to worry about using a cleanser in the morning, if your skin still feels clean. 

Now for those people with oily skin, you’ll definitely want to wash at night and may also feel like your skin needs that extra cleansing in the morning. With oily skin, while you are sleeping it  accumulates more oil which might feel unpleasant and greasy in the morning. So, using a mild facial cleanser in the morning will help to prep your skin for the skincare products you want to use before the day. And if you have acne problems, it’s especially important to cleanse twice a day to deliver beneficial salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to the skin. Those are two common acne-fighting ingredients. That will help to prevent and treat breakouts that you are experiencing with acne-prone skin. 

A Cleanser for All Skin Types

At Cosmedica Skincare, we make an exceptional and gentle cleanser that will work well for all skin types. It’s our Vitamin C Facial Cleanser. This antioxidant-packed cleanser is full of vitamin C that will help to brighten the skin, leaving it radiant and glowing. 

 

In looking at the list of ingredients, it’s ideal for those with oily skin. The good news is that for those with normal to dry skin, it won’t strip the skin of its moisture levels and natural oils either, especially if you follow the advice of washing daily with lukewarm water. All skin types can use this cleanser, our true rockstar of facial cleansers.

As with all our products, it’s paraben-free, vegan, and cruelty-free. This cleanser does it all, suitable for use both morning and night. You can even practice double cleansing with it to get off that extra makeup. Always pat, don’t rub, your skin dry with a clean towel after. 

A Winning Serum Everyone Needs After Cleansing

One of the best products to use right after cleansing and toning is a serum. The Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum will bind beneficial moisture to the skin, plumping it up to make it look more youthful and firmer.  

 

The Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum will also balance oil and water levels for better oil production in oily skin. When those with dry skin use it, it’s going to help to reduce rough patches, smoothing out the skin to make it feel silky smooth. As a powerhouse skincare product that everyone can use, you’ll discover skin that feels improved in so many ways. Since it’s dermatologist-tested and hypoallergenic, even those with sensitive skin and acne problems will benefit from using this exceptional hyaluronic acid serum, both morning and night.  

Make Time for Moisturizer After Cleansing

Now that you know the best water temperature to use when cleansing, here’s a tip about moisturizers. Any time you cleanse, the next step is to use the right moisturizer for your skin type after your treatment serums. That’s due to the fact that when you cleanse, you need to protect your bare skin and treat it with a dose of moisture. If you routinely skip this step, you’ll notice that your skin may become dehydrated, be more susceptible to experiencing fine lines and wrinkles, and in general won’t have a silky soft texture. The right moisturizer can give your skin a suppleness that feels comfortable and looks radiant. Plus, it replaces moisture lost during cleansing.  

Lock in hydration with the right moisturizers, from Cosmedica Skincare, for more dewy and perfect-looking skin. Don’t forget the night cream as well, if you have normal to dry skin. Our Multi-Active Hydrating Night Cream is a powerhouse with high-performing ingredients that will renew your skin overnight. You’ll wake up with softer skin that is more fortified to withstand aging. It has alpha-hydroxy acids for renewing the skin and get rid of dead skin cells for brighter, more youthful-looking skin. Your skin will be more toned, refined and flawless. 

 

Let us help you start your skin on a new journey of looking better with products that work wonders each day at Cosmedica Skincare.