Taking what I call a “hot/cold shower” is one of my favorite wellness rituals. Adjusting the temperature of your shower can help boost your immune system, give you shinier hair, and have clearer skin. A hot/cold shower is when you begin showering in warm water, switch to cool/cold water, back to warm water, and then again give yourself a cold rinse. This shower routine might seem a little over the top but it really does have skin, hair, and health benefits!

scrub me secret: I eased into the hot/cold shower routine by adding a cold rinse to the end of each AM shower. I did this for about a month and then transitioned into a more in-depth hot/cold shower ritual. while it was slightly uncomfortable for me at first, It feels great now.

Hot/Cold showers for clear and radiant skin:

The changing of temperatures during this shower routine helps to stimulate circulation and oxygen flow in the body. It also stimulates the lymphatic system. This results in healthier skin for us because a boost of oxygen and blood flow to our live skin cells provides anti-aging and skin firming benefits. The detoxification we receive from the lymphatic system working correctly helps with the overall clarity of our skin. Rinsing your skin with cold water also helps to constrict blood vessels which reduces redness and makes pores visibly look smaller.

Top 3 benefits a hot/cold shower routine has for your skin:

• Firmer/tighter feeling skin on your face and body.

• Less overall redness, and a more even-looking complexion.

• Glowing and radiant-looking skin on your face and body.

scrub me secret: Hot/Cold baths and showers date back thousands of years, starting in Roman and Greek civilizations. Current day, warm baths and cool pools/plunges have become popular in many spas and wellness centers. One of my favorite places to visit to treat myself to these cool plunges and warm soaks is AIRE Ancient Baths, it’s really one of my favorite places to relax.

Hot/Cold showers for shiny/healthy hair:

Our hair benefits the most from the cold water portions of this hot/cold shower routine. Cold water helps to constrict and seal our hair follicles. This is helpful for locking in natural oils, conditioning properties from hair products, and sealing in hair dye. A Cold water rinse also helps our hair lay flat and with less frizz. One of the main reasons I like to end my hot/cold shower with a 30-second cold rinse is so my hair can look shiny and have as little frizz as possible.

Top 3 benefits a hot/cold shower routine has for your hair:

• Shiny hair with less frizz.

• Any conditioning treatments or hair masks will work better because the product is sealed into your hair follicles.

• If you color your hair your hair color will stay vibrant for a longer amount of time.
  
  

Hot/Cold showers for a boosted immune system:

The contrast between hot water stimulating blood flow & cold water creating constriction increases circulation and lymph movement. This helps improve the immune system by aiding the body in ridding the body of debris, bacteria, fungi, etc. The lymphatic system’s main job is to help rid the body of waste. Lymph fluid can become stagnant, sometimes causing puffiness and/or breakouts. A hot/cold shower stimulates this lymph flow to get rid of that stagnant fluid.

scrub me secret: This shower routine is also great for muscle recovery! Hot water soothes sore muscles, while a cold rinse aids in reducing inflammation after exercise. It’s great to do after a big workout, long bike ride, long walk, or run (or whatever you do to have fun and exercise 🏃 )

Your hot/cold shower routine:

• Start your shower with warm/hot water as you usually do.

• Suds yourself with your favorite soap for a couple of minutes.

• Dial your faucet to cold water, think ice cold! Start off with a 15-second rinse and work your way up to 30+seconds.

• Turn the faucet back to warm/hot water. (sweet relief!) Shampoo your hair during this time or just enjoy the warmth for 1.5- 2 minutes.

• Time for an icy rinse again! 30-60 seconds.

• Dial your faucet to warm again and condition your hair or use a hydrating hair mask. If you wash your face in the shower this is a good time to do it. This should last about 1-2min.

• Another cool rinse! Just remember, your body is totally loving this. Try to get in 30+ seconds.

• Turn the water to warm one last time and make sure any product is fully rinsed off hair and skin.

• Always end your shower with a cold rinse to make your hair shiny and skin healthy! A short 30-second rinse.

  scrub me secret: if you don’t think you can handle this hot/cold shower routine right away I suggest starting with a 20-30 second freezing cold rinse at the end of each shower. you’ll still reap major hair, skin, and health benefits!