Every morning, the same question comes up in front of the sink: should you rinse your face with very hot water supposed to open your pores, or with an icy jet presented as the solution to tighten them? Between social media trends and hammam memories, opinions easily contradict each other. Many people still rely on temperature, without really knowing what is happening in the skin. Reality does not quite follow this scenario.
Dermatologists, however, agree on one key point: pore size does not really change with water temperature. In an article published on February 9, 2026 by the magazine, dermatologist Lidia Maroñas summarizes the situation:, explains the specialist to the magazine. It remains to be understood why our skin texture nevertheless seems to react to hot or cold water.
Myth of opening pores: what water really changes
A pore is simply the opening of a sebaceous gland or sweat gland, not a mini-door that closes on demand. Its size depends mainly on genetics, the quantity of sebum produced and skin aging, much more than the setting of your faucet.
When the skin heats up, the blood vessels dilate, the sebum thins and the redness becomes more noticeable. All this gives the impression of larger pores. Conversely, very cool water causes temporary vasoconstriction: the tissues contract slightly, the complexion appears more uniform, the pores seem more discreet… but the effect remains mainly visual and very short-lived.
Temperature, skin barrier and hydrolipidic film
The skin behaves like a wall of bricks connected by a cement of lipids, the hydrolipidic film, which protects against dehydration. As the Astuces de Grand-Mère website describes it, a context which greatly weakens this barrier.
Subjected to hot water close to 40°C and above, this barrier loses more water, the skin feels tight, reddens and the pores appear more marked. Work carried out on around fifty volunteers showed that very hot rinsing significantly increased the imperceptible loss of water compared to more temperate water. On the other hand, icy water can irritate sensitive skin. In this same article, we also read: . The whole point is there: preserving the skin barrier.
Hot water or cold water for the face: the right temperature
Concretely, most experts recommend lukewarm water close to skin temperature, around 28 to 32°C. It properly dissolves sebum and impurities without stripping the hydrolipidic film. And then, if the skin tolerates it well, finish with a brief, slightly cooler rinse to wake up the complexion and give that feeling of firmness, without causing thermal shock.
All you have to do is adapt these guidelines to your skin type and your daily routine:
- Dry or weakened skin: lukewarm water, short contact time, no burning or icy jets, drying by patting and rich cream immediately afterwards.
- Oily or combination skin: lukewarm water to emulsify the sebum, possibly a final cool spray, but there is no need to raise the temperature.
- Skin with rosacea or redness: stay warm, avoid hot/cold contrasts, ice cubes and very hot steam on the face.
Under a very hot shower, it is better to divert the jet away from the face and rinse it separately, with lukewarm then slightly cool water.
Does cold water really tighten facial pores?
Cold water doesn’t change the actual size of pores, but vasoconstriction makes skin firmer and skin tone more even. The pores then appear smaller, for an especially visual and temporary effect.
Does a steam bath open skin pores?
The steam doesn’t open the pores, but it heats the skin and thins the sebum, which helps to dislodge it. Used too hot or for too long, however, this action can irritate and dehydrate.
What water temperature should I choose if my skin is sensitive or reactive?
Better to use lukewarm, stable water, without large temperature differences. We avoid very hot showers, icy jets and we limit the rinsing time, moisturizing the skin immediately afterwards.
