Viva Challenge: shower in cold water
It’s Earth Week and I’ll like to partake by issuing a simple challenge and that is to bathe in cold water! While beauty is very much a personal affair but through some concerted effort, we can also do our part to save the earth. Maybe the challenge is not so simple especially if the weather over at your end does not permit but the idea is to reduce global warming by using less hot and warm water. So depending on where you are, you can either try to reduce the temperature of the water you usually bathe in, or to bathe in completely cold water. And you know what? Bathing in cold water has both health and beauty benefits! In fact, some people practice what is known as the cold shower therapy.
Increase blood circulation
So what are the benefits of bathing in cold water? Amongst other things, it will help bring blood to the capillaries and increase circulation throughout the body. It is also said to reduce blood pressure on internal organs, provide flushing for the organs and a new supply of blood, contract the muscles to eliminate toxins and poisonous wastes as well as strengthen the mucous membranes, which help resist hay fever, allergies, colds, coughs. (source: earth clinic)
Beauty benefits of cold water for the face and hair
I’ve also written that washing our face in cold water can help to make blood vessels constrict and may even aid to reduce swelling and appearance of undereye dark circles. But the water shouldn’t be too cold as that can cause broken capillaries instead. In addition, if you’re removing makeup, it is recommended that you use warm water to remove the oil and sebum. You may also like to know that using cold water as a final rinse for our hair can help close the scales of the cuticle, and can help constrict the openings of the sebaceous glands to help moderate sebum production.
Do you part to reduce global warming
So are you ready to take on this challenge? It is impossible to bathe in the cold during the mornings but I’ve started bathing in cold water during the evenings. It needs some getting used to but what you can do is to start out with warm water and turn off the heater midway. I will try to use cold water whenever I can but for this challenge, I ask you to try to do this during this week or at least on April 22 which is Earth Day. But do note that this challenge is not suitable for you if you’re having your menstruation as you should stick to using lukewarm water to bathe so as not to stress your reproductive system.
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When my eczema was at its worse, the tcm doctor asked me to bathe in cold water. I sustained this for a couple of weeks, and then i gave up. I hate bathing in the cold. >.< brrrrr.
C-O-L-D! But since the weather in KL is closer to that of hell, I don’t see why not….the only time we bathe in warm water is early in the morning. Will try to take up your challenge Sesame……
My brother actually says use cold water because it makes the muscles bulge, and look good for a moment! haha.
I personally can’t really do it. Have tried quite a few times in the past. But always end up turning on the heater.
However, given the current heat, I have unconsciously lowered the heater every time I bathe.
Bathing in cold water in the early evenings will be quite okay. But it’ll need some getting used to.
Bathing in cold water can be quite unbearable especially if the weather is cooling or cold. But did the cold water help with your eczema?
If the weather is hot, it’s still okay…but honestly, starting the shower cold is difficult. I usually turn off the heater only midway.
Hmm, not really actually. According to the tcm doc, it’s supposed to reduce the heat level in my body, but it wasn’t really useful though.
Sounds like a strange therapy. Cold water from external to cool the heaty elements within? Probably will need a long while to work.
So it should be a little bit colder than warm or room temp?
I have been trying to keep my showers short and not steaming hot anymore. But I am still stuck on just warm. ?
One thing to consider is alternating your shower between hot and cold. The switch of temperature amplifies the health benefits, and makes the whole experience a bit less daunting.
I start off with dry skin brushing. Then a quick hot shower, switch to cold, and go back and forth a couple of times between hot and cold. The whole thing takes 3 or 4 minutes (less time than my normal warm shower) and it is amazingly energizing. Great for the skin, too.
Cannot leh… the water is icy cold here. Will try maybe in Summer. ?
only a few people use water heaters here in the philippines, and that doesn’t include me…reading this, i feel like helping the world already! ?
I always use cold water to describe water direct from the faucet because it’s pretty cold to me. I’m more comfortable with warm water too but sometimes using cold shower can be very refreshing after a hot day.
Oh that’s interesting! I didn’t know the switching in the temperature makes a difference. I’ll also like to try dry brushing sometime…it’s something I wanted to do since last year but never got down to it.
I remember tweety bird saying, “Brrrr….it’s cold outside!”
I didn’t know that! So you’ve been doing a great part to help save the earth already! ?
Uh, excuse me, but I have to butt in. Using less hot water will NOT reduce in any terms global warming. So even though the challenge does have sense in the beauty area it does not relate at all to the well being of the planet.
Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth’s air and oceans caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases resulting from human activity such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation.
In resume; Pollution by gases and not vapor.
More general causes;
http://library.thinkquest.org/J003411/causes.htm
I used to love taking HOT showers but like kiwi, was advised by TCM doc to avoid it as it’s not beneficial at all. Have since toned down to lukewarm showers and sometimes cold.
Have also tried alternating between hot and cold as it’s suppose to improve blood circulation and help with cellulite. But ahhh … it’s so troublesome and seems like a waste of water to keep adjusting. I gave up after a few tries.
my hairstylist advised me to shower using cold water too, as the hot water makes my hair frizzy haha
gotta admit that i’m one of those who always use hot water no matter how hot it is outside. and i like my bath water HOT, it just feels sooooo gd. i tried cold showering, but honestly, brrrrr
I don’t understand why using less hot water will not reduce global warming. Water heater uses electricity and unless I’ve been misled, doesn’t electricity cause pollution and hence, global warming?
http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/global_warming.htm
Amongst the many materials I’ve come across, this is just one of the sources that state that fossil fuels are used to generate power and electricity:
“On a local level, you can help by using less energy. The electricity that operates many of the devices in our homes comes from a power plant, and most power plants burn fossil fuels to generate that power. Turn off lights when they’re not in use. Take shorter showers to use less hot water. Use a fan instead of an air conditioner on a warm day.”
http://science.howstuffworks.com/global-warming8.htm
Oh okay, so the alternating between hot and cold can improve blood circulation. Very interesting! So what I did by turning off the heater midway is actually beneficial. ?
Yup, it seems so…I like to give my hair a cold water rinse on my hair too to cut down the greasiness just that it sometimes make my hair a little flat.
Actually although I use the word ‘hot’, what I use is most probably lukewarm…I can’t stand water that is too hot.
It’s been raining these few days…quite hard to bathe in cold water really…brrrrr
I try to bathe in cold water in the evening too but if it’s the weather dips, I just turns the knob a little to make it lukewarm. Same goes to my morning shower. Especially with my fruity shower gel, I feel so refreshed!
With the humid weather like Singapore, our hygiene is very important, so whether lukewarm or cold showers, ultimately we NEED to shower twice a day.
It’s true…twice is the minimum. I like to bathe in the morning to feel refreshed and of course in the evening after returning from work.
hmmm! what a nice tip,but my question is that can cold water reduce pimple,acne and rashes from the body?
No, I don’t think so. But cold water is recommended for some people with skin problems like eczema.
I wish I could do this but it’s winter up here in Canada and it’s below zero c. So showering cold will likely be pretty painful (we don’t really use the heating system in the house much,only just enough so no one gets hypothermia,imagine getting out of a icy cold shower into a freezing room. brr.I’ll stick with lukewarm-warm for now and try cold once it warms up. Seems like a good idea Sesame.