Ever wondered why your skin takes a beating every time the temperature rises and falls? The culprit might not be what’s happening outside your house; it may be what happens inside when you combat the weather changes. Air conditioning is necessary for getting through the seasons so I’d never suggest getting rid of your air conditioning unit.
But it can’t be denied that air conditioning isn’t your skins best friend. It’s been proved that sitting in an air conditioned room for an extended period of time (such as a normal workday) can dry out your skin. And let’s hope your desk is far from the unit as sitting closer is more harmful to your skin. Heaters can be even more damaging as they eliminate moisture from your environment, cracking your skin even more. But heaters aren’t really the problem – the wrong heating system is!
Why is my eczema getting more eczema-ish?
Air conditioning is even worse for those with pre-existing skin conditions like eczema, rosacea or psoriasis. The crisp air ends these conditions natural moisture way out of whack. Even if you don’t have any of these conditions, air conditioning can make your skin red, dry and flaky, giving the appearance of eczema or rosacea.
Other people complain that the air from their unit is making their skin worse – not the temperature of the air. This is usually from an air conditioning unit being dirty or not properly maintained. This can be easily fixed – but more on that later!
Now for the good news
You don’t need to get rid of your air conditioning unit to give your skin some relief. You can keep snug as a bug in winter and cool as a cucumber in summer – and your skin won’t even flinch. Here are five steps so easy you could change them today:
1. Watch your humidity levels
You should keep the humidity levels between 30 – 50% at all times. A room with low humidity causes airborne germs and bacteria, which spread through your air conditioning unit. Eww! This isn’t just bad for your skin; your health will also take a beating.
A great A/C unit will automatically sort your humidity levels, so you don’t need to worry about it. Ask an expert, such as Tauranga heat pumps specialists Goldstar Heat Pumps, about what heat pumps they recommend for maintaining humidity levels for your unique environment.
2. Drink more water
Water is so so good for your health. And your skin absolutely loves it. Sometimes we can’t control our heat pumps, say if you work at a particuarlly chilly office with a particularly chilly boss. If that’s the case, make sure you’re drinking 6-8 cups of water each day. Try and concentrate most of these at work. This also means you’ll get more bathroom breaks, but you didn’t hear that from me 😉
3. Change your moisturiser
Unless you set your heat pump at insane temperatures, your skin really shouldn’t start flaking or peeling. This can actually be a sign that your moisturiser is too weak. For people with really dry skin, consider an oil based lotion.
Don’t forget to up your body lotion game as well. Even though dry skin on your face is the most noticeable, the skin all over your body still needs extra love. Give it the attention it deserves.
4. Switch off your heating at night
I know a heater running through the night is nice. But by the time you’re ready to sleep, your room and body is already at optimum temperature to sleep. You’re just burning energy and money.
Instead invest in thermal pjs. An electric blanket. Warm socks. A heat pump you can turn off from your bed. There may even be heat pump specials for a heat pump you can turn off using your iPhone!
5. Place a water-filled pan in your room
Here’s a trick my grandma passed onto me: a pan full of water helps the bills go down. As heat pumps can suck the moisture from the room, a pan full of water keeps humidity at bay. While this will save some bucks, it doesn’t function as a proper humidifier found in a heat pump.
