My Skin Is 100X Softer Thanks To This 5 Second Hack
I was introduced to the concept of “shower sandwiching” and my skin has never felt softer post wash. Here’s what you need to know.
AbJimroe
mbg Beauty Director
mbg Beauty Director
Alexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.
Image by Rene de Hann // Stocksy August 12, 2023 Our editors have independently chosen the products listed on this page. If you purchase something mentioned in this article, we may I have a few naughty beauty habits that I can’t seem to break—despite knowing better. (It’s my job to know how best to take care of oneself, after all!) I scrape and peel my nail polish off the moment I see the manicure start to chip, which will lead to far more damage down the line. I go way, way too long between trims, even though I know it’s allowing my split ends to get out of control. And I indulge in long showers using scorching hot water. I just can’t help myself. I love how steamy showers feel, despite knowing what that hot water is damaging to my skin barrier. 
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Yes, high water temperatures can actually strip the skin of its natural oils, breakdown lipids meant to comfort the barrier, and evaporate into air faster (which will lead to transepidermal water loss.) This all leads to dry, parched, wrinkly skin. But then I was introduced to the concept of “shower sandwiching” and my skin has never felt softer post wash. Here’s what you need to know. How shower sandwiching protects skin from dryness.
As I noted, hot showers can actually end up making your skin drier than it was before. This is why experts recommend taking lukewarm or cold showers, as they have significantly more benefits. In fact, "cold showers can soothe itchy, irritated skin, as the cold water does not dissolve away these oils," says board-certified dermatologist Ife J. Rodney, M.D., FAAD, founding director of Eternal Dermatology + Aesthetics.
Cold and lukewarm showers have a few other benefits, like reducing inflammation. "It can reduce irritation, itching, or redness, helping to calm atopic conditions," says board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban, M.D., founder of SKINFIVE.
But for folks like me, who can’t help but crank up the temperatures, celebrity esthetician and dermatological nurse Natalie Aguilar has a solution: Apply body oil before stepping into the shower. "This oil barrier prevents excessive water loss and helps with any irritation," she notes.
This habit takes all of 5 seconds and a few pumps of body oil, but makes a dramatic difference in the appearance and feeling of the skin in the long run. After the shower, I don’t feel itchy immediately and my skin doesn't feel tight.
It’s important to note that you should also follow up with your go-to moisturizer as well, whether that be a body lotion or the same body oil from the pre-shower ritual.
Personally, I love mindbodygreen’s body oil because it has the perfect light texture, is made with enriching botanical oils (like safflower seed oil, squalane, and vitamin E), and doesn’t feel to goopy pre or post shower. But you can do this trick with whatever oil you love.
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The takeaway
Bad habits can get in the way of healthy skin—including taking sizzling showers. But if you apply a protective, buffering layer of oil before hopping into the shower, you’ll be better off post.
