I always loved hot showers.
The hotter the shower the better it felt on my skin. One time my husband burnt his back when he joined me for a shower (his showers though quite warm they were cold to me). Sorry babe.
It was a love hate relationship. The hotter my shower, the more body lotions and creams I needed to maintain a glowing skin.
Then 40's hit.
It got worse.
More body creams and lotions.
I am very dark skinned.
My skin was looking ashy (a white layer on my skin), flaky, painful and itchy.
After a lot of reading I found out that hot showers dries out your skin.
They also strip your skin of its natural moisturizing lipids and can cause it to become irritated and uncomfortable.
But it does make it better for when you're shaving.
So, this winter I committed myself to colder showers.
They are better for my skin, right? And, my hot water bill?
I started with my hot shower.
Here is a general outline on how I got started.
1. Get completely wet with a temperature of water that is comfortable.
2. Slowly reduce the temperature up to the point that you can barely stand it. Quickly expose all the parts of the body to this “cold” water including the top of your head and your face.
3. Now turn the water temperature down to the coldest tolerable setting. No matter how cold the water is, at its coldest, it cannot harm you in any way. The only thing stopping you from going to the coldest setting is your ability to confront the experience. Make sure all parts of your body get this “cold” water exposure.
4. Next time you take a shower turn the water to as cold as you can tolerate. But colder than your last shower. Again, get each part of your body used to this temperature setting.
5. Repeat the procedure every time you take a shower. Always begin with your warmest cold setting and end off with colder than when you started. Make the temperatures cold as you can tolerate.
6. Before long you will be enjoying colder showers just as much as a warm shower.
Tips for Success
You may be more sensitive to temperature when recovering from an injury or fighting off an illness. You're not trying to win any competition by proving how cold you can take the water. This can be done with moderate temperatures. Listen to your body, if you feel you need to stop at any time just do it.
You can use cold showers to "get into gear" in the morning or, at the end of the day.
Whatever works for you.
It took me about two weeks.
But now I enjoy much colder showers. Once in a while I take a hot shower but they are not as hot.
And my body cream is lasting longer.
Agnes
The hotter the shower the better it felt on my skin. One time my husband burnt his back when he joined me for a shower (his showers though quite warm they were cold to me). Sorry babe.
It was a love hate relationship. The hotter my shower, the more body lotions and creams I needed to maintain a glowing skin.
Then 40's hit.
It got worse.
More body creams and lotions.
I am very dark skinned.
My skin was looking ashy (a white layer on my skin), flaky, painful and itchy.
After a lot of reading I found out that hot showers dries out your skin.
They also strip your skin of its natural moisturizing lipids and can cause it to become irritated and uncomfortable.
But it does make it better for when you're shaving.
So, this winter I committed myself to colder showers.
They are better for my skin, right? And, my hot water bill?
I started with my hot shower.
Here is a general outline on how I got started.
1. Get completely wet with a temperature of water that is comfortable.
2. Slowly reduce the temperature up to the point that you can barely stand it. Quickly expose all the parts of the body to this “cold” water including the top of your head and your face.
3. Now turn the water temperature down to the coldest tolerable setting. No matter how cold the water is, at its coldest, it cannot harm you in any way. The only thing stopping you from going to the coldest setting is your ability to confront the experience. Make sure all parts of your body get this “cold” water exposure.
4. Next time you take a shower turn the water to as cold as you can tolerate. But colder than your last shower. Again, get each part of your body used to this temperature setting.
5. Repeat the procedure every time you take a shower. Always begin with your warmest cold setting and end off with colder than when you started. Make the temperatures cold as you can tolerate.
6. Before long you will be enjoying colder showers just as much as a warm shower.
Tips for Success
You may be more sensitive to temperature when recovering from an injury or fighting off an illness. You're not trying to win any competition by proving how cold you can take the water. This can be done with moderate temperatures. Listen to your body, if you feel you need to stop at any time just do it.
You can use cold showers to "get into gear" in the morning or, at the end of the day.
Whatever works for you.
It took me about two weeks.
But now I enjoy much colder showers. Once in a while I take a hot shower but they are not as hot.
And my body cream is lasting longer.
Agnes
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