Cold Showers| The Hair + Skin beauty secret you have to experience.

In case you're wondering, I'm currently on a 

rampage against shedding & tangles.  All of my mind powers have been allocated towards figuring out what I can do to minimize this situation.  Then I received an email early this week that triggered a reminder of one mistake I've been making which could have contributed to my troubles.

I hate cold weather with an intense passion.  I'm one of those people who enjoy the feeling of warmth on my skin.  I'm a summer baby so I think it's part of my makeup. Because of this, I kinda look forward to my warm showers which serve as one of the few moments that I get to experience heat.  The problem with all of this is the horrible consequence I experience as a result of those few minutes of enjoyment.

I've experimented with cold showers in the past and I know firsthand the multitude of benefits that come with it.  When cold showers were the norm, I enjoyed smooth, hydrated skin. My skin seems to naturally retain moisture with the help of cold water.  Not only that, my face & breasts benefited. 

 Let me explain..... When the cold water hits your skin, everything constricts.  Pores tighten, and blood flows in a new direction.  One of the wonderful side effects to my face was how tight everything felt.  And I don't mean dry skin tight.  I mean toned and lifted tight.  Everything seemed to firm up, including breasts.  At first, I thought I was a little crazy for noticing so I searched online and learned that dipping breasts in ice water is an age old home remedy to create firmer breasts. See, I'm not crazy.

But let's talk about the real reason why we're here.  The crazy tangles and shedding are ruining my life.  Back when I took cold showers on the regular, I developed enough courage to do cold-water rinses on wash day.  If memory serves me right, doing so made an impact on wash day shedding.  I notice that even if I detangle prior to washing.  As soon as I jump into a warm shower to rinse the conditioner, the shedding kicks up again and I pay for it during the roller set.  Since I became a wimp, I've suffered the consequences.  Not only is the shedding more than I'm comfortable with, I've also had the pleasure of having to deal with lifted cuticles thanks to the hot water. Lifted cuticles are one of the raw ingredients needed to create tangled hair.

I'm so ashamed of myself for allowing temporary comfort to come in the way of the bigger picture.  So now I'm done being a wimp.  Done.  It's time to build a little mental toughness and do what I have to do.  What motivates me is knowing that I'll experience benefits almost immediately.  Plus, I realize that the feeling of having icy cold water attacking my skin is only temporary.  The body quickly reacts to the experience and works vigorously to warm the skin.  Soon the cold water becomes tolerable and, before you know it, the experience is complete.  Then you're left with smoother skin and healthier looking + feeling hair.  Not to mention the benefits to your face and body.  Hey, if Naomi Campbell and Pharrell Williams use cold water to keep them looking ageless, maybe we can consider it too!  Let's add this to our list of beauty rituals to complete while we shower.

It's worth it.