Air conditioning and what it does to the body

Short answer: Air conditioning cools and dries the air at the same time. The mix of cold and dry air is harder on the body than cold alone, so a light layer over your shoulders and clothes that are easy to adjust make a real difference.

It cools and dries at once

An air conditioner does two things at the same time. It lowers the temperature and removes moisture from the air. That is why a room feels fresh when you come in from the heat. After a few hours, though, many people notice the dry air and feel the cold in their shoulders. It is the combination, not just the number.

Dry air draws moisture from the skin

When the unit removes moisture from the air, the dry air draws moisture out of your skin. Skin and mucous membranes notice it, especially after many hours in one room. Drink water through the day and choose soft fabrics that do not rub. If discomfort does not go away, talk to your doctor. See bamboo t-shirts for women.

The draught cools more than the number

Moving air feels several degrees colder than still air. That is why you can feel cold at twenty two degrees in an air conditioned room, even though the same number feels pleasant in a still room. The thermometer is not wrong. The draught keeps removing the warm layer of air close to your skin.

Your shoulders take the most

Units often sit high on the wall or in the ceiling, and the air hits your shoulders and neck first. That is where most people feel cold. A light layer over the shoulders solves most of it. It does not need to be thick, just something you pull on when you sit down and take off outside.

Going in and out is the strain

From thirty degrees outside to eighteen inside and back again is hard on the body. It has to switch between shedding heat and holding it several times a day. This jump, more than the cold itself, is what tires many people out. Clothes that are easy to take on and off make the jump smaller.

Dress for both temperatures

Think of the day as two temperatures rather than one. Dress lightly for the heat outside and bring a layer for indoors. A t-shirt and a thin top in your bag cover most situations. Then you do not have to choose between sweating outside and feeling cold in the office, the shop or the hotel.

Soft clothes against the skin

When the air is dry and cool, you notice the clothes against your skin more than usual. Choose underwear that sits softly without feeling tight, so you are neither cold nor itchy during the hours you sit still. See bamboo panties, which feel soft against the skin all day.

A warm set for the evening

If the air conditioning has run all day, it is nice to change into something soft and warm in the evening. A set with long legs and long sleeves keeps you warm on the sofa in a cooled room. See bamboo joggers for women for cool evenings indoors.

Frequently asked questions

Why does air conditioning dry out your skin

Because the unit removes moisture from the air while it cools. Dry air draws moisture out of the skin, especially after many hours in the same room.

Why do you feel cold at twenty two degrees with air conditioning

Because of the draught. Moving air feels several degrees colder than the same temperature in still air, as it removes the warm layer next to the skin.

What should you bring

A light layer over your shoulders. That is where the draught hits, and a single layer solves most of it without taking up space in your bag.