This past summer, I moved into a new house. Well, not exactly new — it’s a historic house built in the 19th century, with tilted porches, chipped paint, and no central heating and air conditioning. So, new to me is a better way to put it. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE my house. It has so much character and is probably the nicest one I’ll ever live in. But, because of its age, it’s got a few funky little quirks. One of them is that the water heater is so far away from the slanted upstairs bathroom that getting a hot shower is nearly impossible. On its best day, it gets lukewarm and feels similar to getting sprayed with a hose that’s been sitting in the sun for a few hours. When it came time to take the first shower, I was disappointed with how long I waited before giving up on the boiling hot cleansing of my dreams.
But, I remembered I had read somewhere that washing curly hair with cold water would actually prevent it from getting frizzy. It was a Charleston July when this was happening, so every day was a fight against frizz. I opted to suck it up and just try to take a cold shower. Worse comes to worst, I could just turn the temperature back to the slightly warmer alternative.
When I tell you that was the most rejuvenating shower I’ve ever taken, I mean it. I couldn’t believe how amazing I felt afterward. We had been unpacking and moving heavy boxes for hours prior, and the cold water seemed to scrub off all the stress and dirt off of me. I was more energetic and overall felt so much better.
After looking into it, it turns out there’s a ton of natural benefits that come with an icy rinse. It increases your circulation, boosts your metabolism and immune system, reduces inflammation and muscle fatigue, and restores cuticles in your hair. Since taking cold showers, I’ve noticed I can focus better, I’m less exhausted throughout the day, and my skin has never been clearer. Plus, my hair has looked amazing.
It might be a small difference, but I’ve come to learn that even those small changes can have a huge impact on my overall health and well-being. Feeling just a little bit better on some days can be enough to change the course of my week. Things like cold showers, or doing a face mask, getting my nails done, or doing some morning yoga can boost my mood when I need it more than I know. Trust me, I know it’s not for everyone, but give it a shot if it’s warm outside one day. It could be the self-care hack you never expected you’d need.