Cold Showers are the New Black
This summer has been unseasonably warm here in the Carolina’s and honestly the weather all over the US for just about all of 2020 has been questionable.
Speaking as a person who “run’s hot”, (I heat up pretty quickly internally + have trouble cooling down, a not so awesome side effect of Grave’s Disease), finding ways to stay cool is literally my pastime.
So this summer with virtually nowhere to go due to all the closings, I had to get a little bit creative when it came to staying cool. *cues music* This is where Cold Showers became an every day thing in my household.
So I know what you are thinking, who on earth wants to get in a cold shower? I get it. Trust me. However a cold shower doesnt mean you are not using warm water, it just means you are not using EXTREMELY hot water. Im not sure where along the lines we all learned that water should be piping hot when you clean yourself. Im sure the reasoning must have been a way to “clean germs” or to remove toxins. But honestly if you think about it, nothing seems healthy at all about torching your skin with hot water.
If you recall a few weeks ago we talk all things skin and how the skin is the LARGEST organ of the body. So when you think about the skin as a organ, it doesn’t seem reasonable to burn it with hot water. Cold water helps the skin lock in moisture. The same as with hair folicles (cold water helps the hair shaft close), cooler water assist the pores with shrinking.
Now while you may not be ready to hop into a FULL cold shower situation, you can of course ease into it by maybe decreasing the amount of hot water you use and finishing off with a little bit of cooler water.
Benefits of Cooler Showers
- A Serotonin boost ( “happiness” chemical that our body naturally makes)
- Initiates relaxation (if you ease into it of course)
- activates sympathetic nervous system (reducing stress)
- boost endorphins + adrenaline (= boost in mood)
- Immune system boost (helps you fight off colds)
- engages and activates the metabolism (promoting weight loss)
- Improves muscle recovery
- Oxygenate body and cells activating the lungs (increases circulation)
- reduces inflammation
- Improves hair + skin
With the upcoming season change, if you were already enjoying the benefits of these cooler showers you may be tempted to stop them once it gets cold. OR if you are newer to cold showers you may think its too late to get started. (Can y’all believe its officially Fall in 8 days? ) So here is the GREAT news. You can definitely continue with cooler showers even in the colder months. During cooler months our skin tends to be a little dryer depending on where you live and the natural moisture in the air. Fall is the perfect time to preserve the skin in ALL of our routines. So do yourself a favor and turn down the heat just a tad. There are way too many benefits not to.
