Joan Crawford Had an Ice-Cold Secret to Keep Her Skin Youthful
“I have always known what I wanted, and that was beauty… in every form,” Joan Crawford once said. The Hollywood starlet certainly went to great lengths to achieve her goal, even if it meant being very well acquainted with cold water.
Whenever she washed her face, the legendary “scream queen” actress would also splash it with ice water 25 times, multiple sources have reported. She supposedly practiced this chilly beauty treatment to preserve her fresh skin — and youth — as she got older. While she tried a few other odd tricks to stay young (such as rubbing lemons on her elbows and regularly chewing gum), the ice water hack definitely seems like the most unforgiving (and realistic) one. Who likes getting splashed with cold water once, let alone 25 times? It remains a mystery why she picked that specific number, but perhaps that’s all she could take!
Fortunately for Joan, it seems like the ice water trick wasn’t all for nothing. According to the L’Oréal Paris Beauty Magazine, cold water can act like an astringent and tighten up skin that looks puffy, especially around the under-eye area. On top of that, cold water can also feel super refreshing on your skin and help wake you up early in the morning. However, it’s important to keep in mind that cold water is not the best temperature to use while actually cleansing your face.
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends using lukewarm water to both wet your face before using your fingertips to apply cleanser, and also to rinse it off. Experts say this temperature is best for your face-washing comfort level, as well as your overall skin health. On top of that, most skincare products were actually created with this temperature in mind. But if you decide to add colder water to your skincare regimen for tightening purposes, it’s best to wait until after you’re done washing your face to do so.
That’s what Joan did, after all!
More From FIRST
12 ‘Chicken Skin’ Treatments That’ll Leave You Baby Smooth
The One Beauty Product Elizabeth Taylor Couldn’t Live Without
7 Soothing Skincare Products That Can Reverse Years of Sun Damage
