I Tried Cold Face thermogenesis (SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO!)
Very simply put, cold thermogenesis is just forcing the body to heat up after exposing it to cold temperatures.
This can be (and is!) done in several ways, but I tried cold face thermogenesis, and it’s pretty awesome.
This isn’t new, and it isn’t hype. Athletes having been using cold thermogenesis for decades to aid in muscle recovery and reduce inflammation and swelling, but the benefits go deeper than that.
When you plunge your face into the ice water, your vagus nerve (which, by the way, is the longest nerve in your body) tells the rest of the body to enter into thermogenesis.
Your body will then respond by trying to warm you up.
Your vagus nerve, it’s worth noting, begins in your brain and ends in your abdomen and it’s the it’s responsible for so much more than you may realize: when you sense danger, your vagus nerve is the reason your stomach suddenly starts churning and your fight or flight is activated.
So keep that in mind, because cold face thermogenesis is suddenly stimulating that nerve, which produces the “vasovagal reflex” which slows your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure.
Before I get into the benefits, let me warn you: this isn’t for the faint of heart!
This isn’t pleasant, and it can be dangerous if done incorrectly. (Think hypothermia, amongst other dangers.)
ALWAYS consult your physician before you try ANYTHING that has potential side effects, including cold face thermogenesis.
But done correctly, this little gem of a “body hack” has seemingly unlimited goodness:
Reduce inflammation and swelling
Aid in muscle recovery
Improves energy and alertness
Helps with adrenal function
Burns fat
Speeds up healing
Lowers blood sugar
Regulates hormones
Boosts immunity
Increases circulation
Boosts metabolism
Improves mood
Reduced facial puffiness
Acne improvement
(I cannot testify to the accuracy of most of those, those are the widespread purported benefits.)
Come on, who doesn’t want a piece of that kind of awesomeness?! I was so ready!
Well…it comes with a price. Not everyone tells you the price tag for this awesomeness, so I will. Here’s my full experience.
I tried it and loved it, and I’m keeping it as a regular morning practice, but it’s not easy and it’s not fun.
Here’s my internal monologue (and my husband’s concerns) on my first try:
“Okay, I have my big bowl of ice water, a towel, let’s do this.”
Holds my breath, plunges face in
“HOLY CRAP!”
Face comes back out…FAST.
I stood there in shock, sputtering and blinking like a stunned owl. That was…not as easy as I’d thought it would be.
I thought it would be cold, but I didn’t expect my body to react so…much!
I felt as if my face was being pushed back up, it was hard to hold my breath. I tried just blocking my nose, but it didn’t seem to work.
I was determined though, so I stood over the bowl once more. This time I would exhale through my nose? Maybe that would help?
In I went, for all of maybe 2 seconds. I don’t know. Time kind of stands still, and it feels like eons are passing when your face is submerged.
I came up sputtering and semi-coughing/gagging, nose running, face burning, struggling to maintain composure.
My husband looked up from his spot on the sofa in the family room and asked (with such diplomacy and obvious concern) “are you puking?”
“No, I’m doing COLD FACE THERMOGENESIS.”
I said that with vehemence, as if it would somehow justify the fact that my face was blood red, my nose was running profusely, the little hairs around my face were plastered to the sides, and I was still a little gasp-y.
He just stared at me.
I turned back to look at the bowl of ice water, contemplating another dunk, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t force myself to do it again.
I dried my face and dumped the bowl, and I won’t lie…it was satisfying to watch the little chunks of ice circle the drain and disappear. Byeeee.
I stood there for a moment waiting…for what, I’m not sure. Maybe for the burning to stop.
And you know what? It did stop. After a few moments, the burning did stop, and my face felt tight and clean. I have super oily skin, and it didn’t feel oily at all. It felt smooth and soft, too.
What’s more, I really did feel super awake and alert.
My usual under-eye puffiness was gone.
My pores were tight.
I felt…amazing, actually. It was amazing.
I could immediately see how this would be incredibly beneficial as a grounding technique for anxiety, and honestly, you wouldn’t even have to dunk your whole face – you could totally use an ice cube.
It really is a very grounding experience, because you’re most definitely in the here and now of the moment.
There’s no doubt you’re experiencing the present moment when you have your face in a bowl of ice water!
And since we know that the vagus nerve is helping to lower blood pressure and slow your heart rate, it makes total sense that it would aid in immediately reducing panic.
Overall, I really think this is an awesome practice, and while it’s only gotten marginally easier since the first time, I’m still going to continue with it.
I even bought some nose plugs on Amazon to help with the whole “can’t hold my breath in ice water” thing, so hopefully that helps. 🤞
You got this. You can do this.
And I’m really glad you’re here.
