When it comes to waking up in the mornings, we all have our ways of easing into the day. For some, it might simply be a cup of tea and reading a few pages of a book, while a morning jog and cold shower are a non-negotiable for others. I’ve never been a morning person, and I’m definitely guilty of snoozing my alarm one too many times, meaning I’m often in a rush to get up and get going.
While some people believe that being a morning person is simply something you are, or in my case, are not, I’ve recently decided that I’m determined to become one of these people who can leap out of bed and get the day started the minute they hear their alarm going off. Avoiding screens for an hour after waking up and getting exposure to natural light are two of the habits often recommended by neuroscientists when it comes to things we should be doing in the morning, as they regulate the body’s natural clock and support brain function.
I don’t keep my phone in my room overnight, and I use the Lumie Sunrise Alarm, which mimics sunlight, and while these do make it harder to stay in bed, I could definitely be doing more to make the most out of my mornings.
So when I saw the now-viral video of fitness influencer Ashton Hall’s morning routine, which involves waking up at 3am and dunking your head in a bowl of ice-cold water, I thought it was worth trying to see if this could transform me into a morning person.
Plus, if there’s one thing I do have an affinity for, it’s anything related to skincare, and immersing your face in ice water can supposedly reduce puffiness, and calm inflammation and redness, which I struggle with.
Ashton’s routine is a little more complex, with meditating, stretching, reading, journaling, and exercising appearing to take up almost five hours of his morning.
As I usually only have around one hour in the morning before starting work, I decided to skip a few of these steps, but I tested out dunking my face in ice water.
Like Asthon, I started by brushing my teeth and giving my face a quick rinse, before heading downstairs to make the bowl, but instead of waking up at 3am to do this, I opted for a more realistic 8am.
In the video, Ashton uses a bottle of Saratoga Spring Water, a premium bottled water brand sold in the US, with a pack of 12 costing $22.99. He also adds a squeeze of lemon into the water. I couldn’t track down Saratoga water sold here, and had to use tap water instead.
Although I’d usually add lemon to a glass of water for a drink instead of applying it to my face, lemon is a well-known natural remedy used in skincare products due to its high vitamin C content, which helps to soothe and brighten skin.
Filling a bowl with a tray of ice, some water and a squeeze of half a lemon, I proceeded to dunk my face in, although it did require a few deep breaths before I went for it.
As expected, the water was freezing, and I could only keep my face submerged for a few seconds. However, after the initial shock, I felt incredibly energised and refreshed and proceeded to submerge my face in the bowl a few more times.
It didn’t only feel great for my skin, with some further reading, I also found out that ice water facials are also backed by neuroscience, regulating the nervous system by lowering your heart rate and blood pressure and helping you feel more relaxed.
A small habit that requires little preparation but is great for both the mind and body, this is definitely something I’m going to add to my morning routine.