Heatwave Saviours: 10 benefits of having a cold shower

As the summer season starts to heat up, search queries for ‘heatwave warning UK’ have spiked by +40% over the last day alone1 as Brits plan for the warm weather.

Taking a cold shower is one of the many techniques, ideal for helping Brits cool down and combat high temperatures. According to bathroom specialists, Sanctuary Bathrooms, cold showers also provide a myriad of benefits when it comes to skincare, haircare, tiredness, weight loss and even fertility. Partnering with experts from the medical profession, dermatologists, a world champion powerlifter, and even a celebrity stylist, these benefits reveal why having a frosty start to the day is worth it, for both physical and mental wellbeing.

Commenting on the benefits Mark Fullilove, Digital Marketing Manager at Sanctuary Bathrooms says: “Hot weather can leave us sweaty and sticky, and also feeling sluggish and tired.

“Our research with several experts shows that a cold shower can not only provide hygiene benefits but also numerous other physiological benefits for our bodies, as well as improving our alertness.

“A short, sharp blast with cold water could really get us ready for the day ahead or refresh us after a hot day!”

10 Benefits of Having a Cold Shower

1. Skincare

One of the most well-known benefits of a cold shower is the impact that it has on your skin. Hot water can often strip away the skins natural oils and dry it out whilst cold water helps to constrict blood vessels to temporarily tighten pores and reduce redness. Dr. Carl Thornfeldt, the founder of Epionce Skin Care, explains: “Benefits of a cold shower include strengthening the contractile fibres to improve firmness, closing pores which helps reduce the ingress of pollution in the skin at least temporarily, and strengthening the arterioles to improve the skin’s ability to respond to injury.”

2. Haircare

Cold showers also have benefits for your hair. Whilst washing your hair with warm water can help the shampoo and conditioner get into the follicles, finishing off your hair wash routine with a blast of cold water will ensure that you lock in all the moisture and will tighten the cuticles in your scalp which also reduces hair loss. Johnny Lavoy, Celebrity Hairstylist for PRO Beauty Tools, explains why: “Taking a cold shower is actually really beneficial for your hair. Sometimes it’s not the most enjoyable thing, but it will add massive shine! The cold-water aids in closing the hair cuticle, allowing the hair to reflect more light, which results in serious shine.”

3. Fighting Itchy skin conditions

A cold shower can also help fight itchy skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, which can often become even more aggravated in the heat. As warm water strips the oil from the skin, this can make these conditions worse. Sharyn A. Laughlin MD, Board Certified Dermatologist, Medical Director of Laserderm, adds: “You should avoid the effects of a hot shower or bath that can strip away the natural fats and oils from the skin surface. Heat causes increased blood flow in the dermis and this dilatation in conjunction with direct stimulation of nerve endings will increase the itch response.”

4. Alertness

Whilst having benefits to your physical body, indulging in a cold shower can actually benefit how you feel internally too. For example, they are known to be a big booster of alertness which has a variety of benefits such as work performance, creativity and energy levels. Dr. David Greuner, Cardiovascular surgeon of NYC Surgical Associates, says: “Cold showers are a great antidote for waking you up in the morning after a late night. Anything that surprises or shocks you will bring on the fight or flight response and raise your level of alertness. Similarly, taking a cold shower raises your adrenaline and increases alertness.”

5. Improving your Immune system

Cold showers can improve your immune system by increasing circulation and stimulating the production of immune cells to help fight afflictions like the flu and common cold. Ben Boudro, Personal Trainer (CSCS) and owner of Xceleration Fitness, describes why: “The cold water forces your lymph vessels to go nuts and contract aka ‘come together’ like a pump. That pump moves fluid throughout your body and that’s a good thing because you jumpstart the process to remove toxins. It’s a Kickstarter for your immune system which we all know is a great thing.”

6. Mental Health

Cold showers are also proven to help with mental health in clinical tests. According to a study by Dr. Nikolai Shevchuk in the study ‘Adapted cold shower as a potential treatment for depression’, cold showers could have some positive effects on sufferers of depression: “A cold shower is expected to send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which could result in an anti-depressive effect.”

7. Sports and exercise recovery

Cold water is known to benefit recovering muscles after sports or exercise. Robert Herbst, personal trainer and 18-time World Powerlifting Champion, 32-time National Champion, and member of the AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame, shares the benefits: “Cold showers are a great way to reduce inflammation and promote recuperation and repair of microtrauma after a hard workout if one does not have facilities for an ice bath. Three to five minutes can reduce the flow of lymph fluid to areas which would later have to be removed for healing to take place.”

“Also, if you are old school, a cold shower is said to toughen the spirit, invigorate, and improve vitality, like the northern and eastern European practices of jumping into ice water or rolling in the snow after a sauna.”

8. Fertility

In men, heat can actually have a negative impact on sperm count so a cold shower can boost fertility for those looking to start a family. Dr. Ameer Consultant and Chief Dentist at Z Dental Studio, explores the science behind this claim: “Research has shown that a warm shower may decrease the sperm count. Late in the 1950s various experiments were done which showed that hot baths are an effective contraceptive. This is because when the temperature of a man’s testes is increased the sperm count decreases.”

9. Weight loss

A study by the New England Journal of Medicine finds that adding a cold shower to your routine can burn up to 500 calories a day due to the affects it has upon your metabolism. Sharyn A. Laughlin MD, Board Certified Dermatologist, Medical Director of Laserderm, adds: “Another theory is that cold bathing or any cold stress increases brown fat activity to generate heat and the calories consumed to maintain body temperature may result in weight loss. A 2009 trial found that exposure to extreme cold temperatures increased brown fat activity 15 times in study subjects, which could translate into a 9lb. annual weight loss if the cold stress was maintained.”

10. Mental Sharpness

For those who value productivity, either in their work or day-to-day life, having a cold shower can actually improve your mental sharpness. Sharyn A. Laughlin MD explains the medical reason for this: “The effect on your physiology from a cold shower in the morning includes initial vasoconstriction then increased blood flow to organs and the skin as well, reflex deep breathing and increased oxygen intake, faster heart rate, adrenaline release, all of which may give you a boost in energy and metabolism, and a perceived mental lift.”