Another Reason To Turn Down the AC, Your Skin

Energy conservation is not the only reason to turn down the AC. It turns out that air conditioning can also be bad for your skin.

In a study published by the British Journal of Dermatology in 2002, air conditioning was cited as one of the main causes of contact dermatitis- a common skin irritation from exposure to allergens or other irritants.

Here's a link to that study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&term=12174098

This is because in its cooling function, AC also takes humidity out of the air, making it drier. Low humidity simply means there is less moisture in the air. This not only dries out your skin, but also it makes your skin more susceptible to all other allergens. When the skin is very dry its barrier function is weaker. Many people get unexplained rashes as their dry skin conditions get worse.

So, what can you do if you are in the AC a lot and your skin is worse for it?

1. Save energy and turn the AC down.
2. If the AC is absolutely needed, check the humidity in the room. If it is very low --under 30%, you may need to actually use a humidifier to help your skin.
3. Use a good moisturizer in the proper way (see my other post: "Learn to Have Healthy Skin via Proper Application of Moisturizers" here on SustainLane.
4. Stay well hydrated.

Hope this helps your skin and encourages less use of the AC. This and many other natural, self-care tips for skin can be found on my informational, non-commercial website: http://myskinbetter.com.