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Ask LaMont: Too much showering might be drying skin
Monday, August 25, 2008
Q: My skin has been unusually dry this summer, and I'm worried that it will only worsen, as usual, when cold weather comes. I've been to my doctor and don't have a medical issue that's causing it. I don't have food allergies, either. I'm wondering if the air conditioning in my office has anything to do with it. I use hydrating soaps when I shower each morning and then I apply lotion afterward, but I'm still dry by the middle of the day. Any suggestions?

A: Your office climate could be a factor, especially if you're sitting in a draft or some other constant flow of air such as an air conditioner. The culprit also could be the cleansing bar or body wash you use when you shower, because many have artificial ingredients that dry skin by sucking moisture out of it.

But I believe your problem is probably the daily showers. Unless you're getting dirty every day or are under a doctor's order to bathe daily, you're bathing too much. Over-showering strips your skin of the natural oils it makes to protect and heal itself, and there's only so much lotions, creams and oils can do to compensate.

Consider this regimen: Cut back showers and baths to two or three days a week, washing up on the other days. Warm water is better for skin than extreme hot or cold. Apply a rich cream or hydrating lotion at night before going to bed and again in the morning after washing.

Good vitamins, regular exercise, adequate rest and drinking lots of water also promote healthy skin. And you might also want to check the ingredients in your laundry aids, because many contain chemicals and fillers that stay in fabrics and that dry skin and aggravate conditions such as eczema and dermatitis.

E-mail questions to fashion editor LaMont Jones at fashion@post-gazette.com, fax to 412-263-1313, or mail to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Include a daytime phone number. More articles by this author
First published on August 25, 2008 at 12:00 am