You Should Never Wash Your Face In The Shower. Here's Why

It seems only natural to wash your face while you're in the shower. After all, it's the kind of place you accomplish numerous goals, from shaving your legs to washing your hair. However, according to dermatologists, washing your face in the shower is something you need to stop doing for a whole handful of reasons.

First of all, when it comes to our skin, there is such a thing as too much water, and showering can actually result in major moisture loss. "Facial skin, like all skin, can become too dry if there is too much contact with water," board-certified dermatologist Dr. Hadley King told Marie Claire. 

Dr. Justine Hextall, a consultant dermatologist, agrees, telling Women's Health that the longer you spend in the shower, the higher the chance that doing so is drying your skin out. "Natural moisture factors like ceramides, fatty acids, and oils help retain moisture levels in the skin," Dr. Hextall explained. "The problem is that they're water soluble — so if you run your face under the shower for 10 minutes you could literally rinse them away."

Secondly, shower water is often too hot, not only for your facial skin but for your entire body. "We may love hot showers, but our skin does not," Dr. Joshua Zeichner, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist, told Well+Good. "Hot water can strip the skin of oils, leading to dryness, irritation, and inflammation," he explained. According to Dr. King, showering with hot water can even result in broken capillaries. "A general rule of thumb for showering is to make it not too long, not too hot, and not too frequent," she advised Marie Claire.

Washing your face in the shower is basically like kicking it while it's down. Instead, simply wash your face in the sink as this where you have more control over things. As dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi told The Gloss (via Her), if you can't quite handle splashing your wash with cold water, opt for lukewarm water, which is "better for delicate faces."