2 April

I’m increasingly aware of the damage hot showers and baths can do to your skin, and therefore overall health. The skin barrier is a vital thing for health, if you constantly strip it away with hot showers and baths, you’re leaving your body wide-open to a whole range of irritants. It can even lead to anxiety, because your nervous system is exposed 24 hours a day and under constant assault. Things I’ve learned. Showers and baths should be short, and lukewarm. Most soaps strip away the skin barrier, and most of you doesn’t need soap anyway, just the armpits, groin and feet. Better to use the low-irritant cleaners for those areas, not soaps. And the best time to moisturise is when you’re still dripping, after the shower or bath. Don’t rub it in, just apply it in a smooth downwards motion, over the wet skin. Then don’t rub your skin with a towel to dry (that irritates it), just pat yourself dry.