5 Reasons to Use Ice in Your Weekly Beauty Routine
As per Consumer Health Digest, one great natural solution for beauty is ice. Yes, you read that right: frozen water. Check out these 5 simple ways to look and feel better by using nothing but ice.
Ice Baths
Ice baths were once a well-known component of beauty routines. If you’ve watched “Mommie Dearest” or “Feud,” you know that big stars like Joan Crawford were fans. Although the ice bath has faded from mainstream consciousness, it’s still a great skincare technique.
Ice baths will tighten your pores, reduce puffiness, and wake you right up. Everyone knows that ice helps reduce inflammation. Consider the athletes who ice after a big game. This effect isn’t just limited to joint pain. An ice bath will help reduce inflamed areas of your face, including pimples and other blemishes. It can also replace expensive primers. Their job is to minimize the appearance of pores. Ice will close them up and shrink their size for next to nothing.
A full-body ice bath should be tried only with great care. This technique can help to tighten loose skin after weight loss. Do careful research before deploying this strategy, though. Doing it wrong could result in hypothermia! Often, people use toe covers made of neoprene to prevent overexposure to cold. The ice bath only needs to be 5-8 minutes long for the bather to see results. A good, less time-consuming alternative to a full-body ice bath is a cold shower.
Ice Cubes for Spot Treatment
Let’s say you don’t have time for a full ice bath or ice facial every morning. A single ice cube can be used to de-puff your undereye area, shrink a pimple down to size, or to prep your skin for other beauty routines.
One classic treatment for undereye puffiness is to use cucumber slices over the eyes. This treatment works because it’s cool and hydrating. However, an ice cube is even colder and more moist than a cucumber slice. Simply hold on the affected area with gentle pressure for a few seconds. Gently glide around the entire area. Then move on to the next eye. Results are quick and easy with this treatment.
For example, plucking your eyebrows can be painful. But giving the area to be plucked a once- or twice-over with an ice cube can help to numb it. Facial skin, and especially the area around the eyes, is full of nerve endings. Using ice can deaden the sensation of plucking and help you get through the procedure more efficiently, with fewer ouches along the way.
An ice cube is also a great addition to a massage. Try rubbing an ice cube on your lower back in a circular motion. This is a great way to relax your muscles at the end of the day. This type of massage can also be great for couples. That little step of taking care of each other can be romantic and help to deepen their bond.
Ice for Your Hair
It’s not only the skin that will benefit from treatment with ice. Actresses including Liv Tyler have been rumored to use ice to keep their hair looking perfect. Ice tightens the cuticle that encloses the hair shaft where it meets the scalp. Start by applying the ice cube to the scalp with gentle pressure. Then move it down the shaft of the hair.
Using ice has also been reported to help reverse hair loss. Some people use ice packs for 20 to 30 minutes to try and stimulate hair growth. Others use a technique similar to the one described above. Still others fill the sink with cold water, submerge the head before taking a shower, and do so again after stepping out. Finally, people who are short on time will settle for a cold rinse at the end of their showers. There is lots of anecdotal evidence that people see good results with this strategy.
The Nails
Many people know that ice will help their newly-polished nails dry more quickly. Fill a bowl with some ice cubes, and add cold water to it. Submerge your newly painted nails for up to 3 minutes. This technique will help the paint set and dry more efficiently. Air drying can take 15 minutes or more.
An icy soak is also a great way to smooth the skin and shrink pores in your hands. Often, a manicure begins with a soak in warm water, which makes it easier to push the cuticles back. Ending with the opposite will return your skin to a balanced state. Ice is also a great way to numb your fingers before removing hangnails, too.
Wrapping Up
Try adding ice to your beauty routines. Whether it’s your face, skin, hair, or nails, incorporating a little bit of ice will help you to look and feel great. The results can be truly staggering.
No one would think that ice machine home use would make a big difference when it comes to beauty, but it truly does. Ice can be a key part of your beauty routine, especially when it comes to skin care.
