2021 Volume 57 Issue 4 Pages 194-202
The heat insulation effect of soap foam layer during showering was evaluated in 14 healthy young males. The evaluations took place in a climatic chamber which the ambient temperature was set at 25℃. The participants kept a sitting rest during experiment. Soap foam （named Foam） produced from 500 ml of soap solution by using the bubble shower device and same soap water without foaming （named Control） were applied and leaved over the whole-body skin area of the subjects for 5 minutes, and then were washed away by water. The temperature of both soap were adjusted at 40℃. Tympanic and skin temperatures, skin blood flows, thermal sensations and thermal comforts were compared between Foam and Control. The chest skin temperature and the finger skin blood flow markedly decreased after applying the soap in both conditions. The decreases in Foam were significantly （p＜0.05） smaller than those in Control. Cold sensation and thermal discomfort were also less in Foam than in Control （p＜0.05）. It is considered that the soap foam layer would diminish the heat loss from skin and reduce cold sensation, which could allow to attenuate physiological and psychological stress against coldness during showering in winter.
