Hygienic properties of water
Ideal skin is a rare phenomenon. It happens only for very young people. And even in the condition of the skin, defined as normal, there are deviations in the direction of dryness or fat content. The skin category depends not only on the natural functional properties of the skin, but also on different climatic conditions in different regions of the globe, from various production and living conditions. Often a northern woman with a perfectly normal, beautiful skin, moving, for example, to the southern regions, discovers that the skin becomes either excessively dry or too greasy. And, on the contrary, it often happens that the problem skin of southerners improves significantly if they move to the north.
What is the daily hygienic skin care?
First of all, any skin needs to be cleaned and nourished. In addition, the skin must be protected in the daytime from harmful atmospheric or environmental influences, free at night from any decorative means (powder, lipstick, carcass), eliminate its defects (blackheads, freckles, spots, excessive dryness or oiliness of the skin, etc.) ).
Water plays a major role in hygienic skin care. Since ancient times water was considered the main medical, hygienic and cosmetic means. The second place is occupied by fats. In ancient Babylon the word "doctor" literally meant "knowing the water" and "knowing the oil."
In Russia, from the earliest times, a weekly wash in a bath was distributed. If the bath was not there, washed and soared in Russian ovens. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The court nobility, largely following Western models, began to arrange in their palaces bathrooms and washrooms.
Washing in a bath, under a shower or in a bath helps to cleanse the skin, free it from harmful decomposition products, secretions of sebaceous and sweat glands, from dead skin cells, dust, dirt and a huge number of bacteria. It is estimated that from the skin of a person during bathing in a bath is washed away from 20 million to 1 billion different microorganisms.
Bathing positively affects breathing and excretory functions of the skin, soothe the nerves, promote mental equilibrium, improve blood circulation and vital activity of the body as a whole. The body hardens and becomes resistant to colds.
Unfavorable external influences (heat, cold, wind, etc.) adversely affect the skin. It is known that the skin of residents of hot countries with dry climate quickly grows old, and among the population of the regions of the globe with a climate of high humidity, the skin to old age remains fresh and young.
Which water is better for the skin? This is a very important issue, especially in our environmentally unfavorable times. Inadequate water or water of unsuitable temperature can cause great harm to the skin and bring to naught all your efforts. The most commonly used for washing tap water, which has a negative effect on the skin of organic impurities, bacteria, calcium (lime) salts, magnesium and iron, stiffening water.
Hard water is equally unfit for normal, for oily, or for dry skin. This is because the salts are able to interact with the natural fat of the skin, hair and soap and form water-insoluble calcium and magnesium soaps. As a result, viscous and sticky substances are obtained, which cover the skin and are removed with great difficulty. Rigid water degreases the surface of the skin (epidermis) and pollutes it with calcium and magnesium soaps, which in turn make it difficult to "breathe" the skin, causing it to irritate. These soaps clog the outer ducts of the sebaceous glands, which subsequently form corks - acne, at the same time they act on the sweat glands.
All this leads to disruption of the normal functioning of the skin, premature withering, and sometimes even to skin diseases. In some skin care books released in past decades, washing with rain water or snow was recommended. Now this can not be done in any case. In such water contains a huge amount of substances, harmful not only to the skin, but also to the internal organs.
How can you soften the water to make it suitable for cosmetic purposes? It is often advised to boil water, but this is ineffective. Short-term boiling gives an insignificant result. This can be explained by the fact that the dissolved carbon dioxide contained in water retains the carbon and bicarbonate salts (carbonates and bicarbonates) of calcium and magnesium in the dissolved state. With prolonged boiling (at least 45-60 minutes), carbon dioxide is removed from the water and some of the carbonates precipitate.
The following way of water softening is recommended: 15 g of finely chopped toilet soap to dissolve in 1-2 glasses of hot water. When using water of increased rigidity, this solution is diluted with water to 10 liters. After adding soapy solution, mix thoroughly and leave for 2-3 hours. Then drain the clear water, leaving a residue, and add 2-3 tsp to it. (full) of boric acid (per 10 liters). Such water can be safely used for any, even sensitive skin.
Sometimes, with dry skin, it is recommended that you generally stop washing, explaining this by saying that the water seems to dissolve the fat of the skin and dry it. This is not true: fats in the water are absolutely insoluble, so water can not "wash" the fat from the skin. It is not the water itself that is harmful, but the hardness salts contained in it or the alkalis added to soften the water, if they are present in excess, and finally the soap used for washing. Dry, easily irritable skin especially needs water saturation, particularly in washing. Deprivation of its moisture has no basis. Any water used for cosmetic and hygienic purposes should be completely free of impurities and transparent.
Of great importance is the water temperature: the purifying properties of water with washing are the stronger, the higher its temperature. However, as a rule, hot water can not be used, because, in addition to burns and irritations of any skin type, it causes a persistent expansion of the blood vessels of the face, sebaceous and sweat glands, redness of the face and hands, makes the skin flabby, lethargic, increases the chances of colds and, in general disturbs normal vital activity. This eventually leads to dry skin and hair, to premature wrinkles.
But if you had to use hot water for washing, you should afterwards lightly drizzle the skin with cool water. This procedure is called "contrast washing". Cosmetologists sometimes recommend such washing to improve skin tone, but with sensitive skin it can cause irritation.
Abuse of cold water is also harmful. It reduces the blood vessels, causes skin anemia (anemia) and worsens its nutrition. The skin becomes dry, lifeless, inelastic, rough and soon becomes covered with wrinkles. In cosmetology, depending on the temperature, water is divided into five groups: cold (14-20 0 С), cool (21-28 0 С), lukewarm (29-32 о С), warm (33-38 0 С) and hot ( 39-45 0 C). If there are no contraindications, it is best to use cool water for washing. The most pleasant is warm water. People with diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous system bathing in the water of a higher temperature is harmful. In a warm bath it is not recommended to be more than 15-20 minutes, as longer bathing relaxes and lowers vitality.
After the bath, take a shower, gradually reducing the temperature of the water from warm to cool. Very well harden the skin and the whole body cool souls and rubs. However, you should first consult a doctor, since not everyone is equally tolerant of low temperature water.
http://ksjuwa.ucoz.ru/news/gigienicheskie_svojstva_vody/2013-11-30-247