It’s time to warm up to the idea of “cold outs.” A cold out is when, for the last 30 or so seconds of your steamy shower experience, you dial down the heat to the coldest the water can get while still on full blast and put every inch of yourself in there. Yes, we’re serious. Yes, even in the winter. It’s not as bad as it sounds, and the benefits greatly outweigh any slight discomfort. Trust.
For those addicted to scalding showers, we know this is tough to hear, but bear with us. First of all, super hot showers aren’t good for anyone. We should be taking warm showers at best, so as not to dry out and irritate our skin. Plus, our hair and scalps love cold water. A cold rinse calms any stress the hot water may have caused to the delicate, thin skin along the scalp, which can result in flakiness or itching. It also produces a little extra shine to our locks, which is why many professional hair experts wash hair with cool water.
Cold water has a similar effect on the rest of your body. You’ll notice softer skin, especially if you suffer from winter dryness. And while pores don’t open and close like doors (pores actually don’t ever close completely), they do slightly contract with a rush of cold water, giving your skin a smoother, tighter appearance.
If shinier hair nd softer skin aren’t good enough reasons to start incorporating cold outs, here are some heavy-hitting benefits that might win you over. Cold water increases heart rate and metabolism, according to The British Journal of Sports Medicine. For that brief moment in the shower, your body becomes shocked into working harder to maintain a stable temperature, which actually burns more calories. It’s also a helluva way to wake up and gives you a rush of energy to burn even more calories throughout the rest of your day.
While the idea of a cold blast of water might make you cranky, doing it could actually boost your mood. The BJSM also suggests that because cold showers activate the sympathetic nervous system, they can increase neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and endorphins to give you that feel-good rush. When your out of the shower we recommend our Curves Comb to brush through your wet hair.
