This simple technique promises to calm anxiety in just a few seconds.

On TikTok and Instagram, videos of people plunging their faces into bowls filled with ice cubes are multiplying. Popularized by model Bella Hadid, this practice, dubbed ice facial or ice plunging, is touted for its soothing benefits on stress and anxiety. But is this really the case?

The benefits of ice water

An ice bath activates what's called the diving reflex—a natural response of the human body to cold water. This reflex causes a slowing of the heart rate, a decrease in oxygen consumption, and a constriction of blood vessels. The result is a feeling of general calm. This thermal difference forces the mind to focus on the cold sensation, diverting attention from stressful or intrusive thoughts.

Emotion regulation through cold is also a validated method in dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT). Patients are taught to use sensory tools like ice water to calm peaks of intense emotion.

How to do an ice bath

If you want to try an ice bath, simply fill a large bowl with very cold water and a handful of ice cubes, then submerge your face in it for 10 to 20 seconds. You can repeat this process once or twice, taking breaks between each immersion. Just make sure the container is wide and deep enough to submerge your entire face.

What if you don't want to submerge your entire face?

Don't want to dip your entire face in? Good news: there are milder variations.

• Massage your face with an ice cube (wrapped in a soft cloth to avoid burns)
• Apply a damp towel soaked in very cold water
• Simply splash ice water on your face
• Use a sheet mask or a cooling gel kept in the fridge

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