Why ‘warm’ and ‘cool’ treatments are the new stars of skincare

If you’re someone who’s willing to try out every skincare and wellness trend going, you’ll know by now that the beauty industry loves to deal in extremes – from juice cleanses to skinny brows, snail slime to vampire facials. Lately, this has applied to extreme temperatures, too, with the introduction of hot yoga and infrared saunas, as well as cryotherapy and fat-freezing on the other end of the thermometer. But while many swear by the results of these treatments, could these intense temperatures have a negative effect on our skin barriers? Think of how your skin reacts in freezing temperatures (we’re all familiar with that red, post-skiing skin) or in ultra-dry heat. It’s not great. So should we be turning down the heat and reducing the chill factor on our skincare routines instead?

According to top New York dermatologist Dr Dendy Engelman, high temperatures, for example, can offer some benefits for the skin, but should be approached with caution. “The good news is that 15 minutes in elevated temperatures (hot yoga, steam rooms etc.) can stimulate circulation, increase perspiration and eliminate toxins. When your core body is warm, blood vessels and capillaries dilate, which increases blood flow to the skin. However, moderation is key,” she explains. “There are also people who may not benefit from this. Aside from those with serious health concerns, patients who have inflammatory skin conditions like acne, rosacea and eczema should avoid high-heat environments. Last but not least, high temperatures can cause dark spots – hello, infrared radiation – as they can trigger melanin production.”

So if your skin is prone to inflammation, you know to skip the sauna. But in terms of everyday routines, cleansing is an area in which we should all be watching out for too-hot temperatures. Since hot water can break down your skin’s natural barrier, increasing dryness over time, it’s important to make sure you’re keeping water at a lukewarm temperature: warm enough to help open your pores and effectively remove grime, but cool enough to avoid stripping the skin. “Lukewarm water is always preferred because it is the most harmless,” Engelman adds.

For a lot of us, a renewed interest in ancient healing practices such as traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda means our focus is now on achieving balance, rather than looking for quick fixes and high-impact approaches. Put simply, when finding harmony is the goal, extremes of all sorts can feel too, well, extreme. For Susanne Kaufmann, whose spa and range of clean beauty products combine wellbeing and beauty for a 360-degree approach, cool and warm temperatures can actually be a great way to correct imbalances in the skin and body.

“Our philosophy is closely tied to traditional Chinese medicine; here, we avoid all extremes. We aim for balance, yin and yang, and strongly believe in harmony,” Kaufmann says. “For example, when you have cold feet, you have to warm them up – therefore we made our foot cream warming. When you have swollen legs, your system needs to cool down, so with the help of our leg and vein spray this is made possible.”

There is also something to be said for the sensorial aspect of cool and warm beauty, as opposed to the bracing shock of ice-cold water, or the way in which an infrared sauna can begin to feel like a chamber of hell after 30 minutes. If it doesn’t feel good, you’re not going to want to do it again. Whereas there’s nothing quite like the feeling of a massage using an oil warmed between the hands, or a cooling sheet mask or jade face roller fresh out of the fridge. Plus, you’ll be pleased to hear, keeping your beauty products chilled doesn’t only feel great, it actually does your skin good, too.

“The sensorial benefit of putting products in the fridge is definitely a big component, especially after an intense facial or during the summer, but there are also some skincare benefits – particularly if you want to decrease puffiness, as the cool temperature constricts blood vessels,” says Engelman. Kaufmann, meanwhile, recommends keeping eye creams in the fridge, to bring down swelling, and points to after-sun lotions as a great example of products best served fresh from the chiller. And while Kate Moss and other celebrities might extol the benefits of dunking their faces in iced water ahead of a big event to lift and tighten skin, it’s probably wise not to make this an everyday occurence. Too much ice exposure can lead to broken capillaries, so save this trick for special occasions and head to the fridge, not the freezer, for your day-to-day beauty cool-down.

In terms of warmth, perhaps the most sensorially enjoyable of all beauty rituals is, according to Kaufmann, best enjoyed warm and not hot. “The temperature of a bath shouldn’t be too high – no bath should be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). Warm temperature helps to open pores, soften the skin and relax the muscles,” she says. “The room temperature should also be adapted to avoid a rapid cool-down of the body. Hardly anything is as beneficial as taking a relaxing bath. It is a well-deserved moment of rest, as well as relief for the back, joints and muscles.”

How to protect your skin on the ski slopes

How to look less tired