If you are curious about all those photos of high fashion models and elite athletes poking their heads out of smoking chambers of ice, then this story is for you! What you are seeing is a form of cold therapy called Cryotherapy, and I decided leading up to a week long fitness shoot was the perfect time to try it out and learn all about the craze. What better place to learn than the 8th Cryotherapy Spa ever to open in the United States, Chicago CryoSpa!

Here is the 411 straight from the proverbial horses mouth, Kristen at Chicago CryoSpa. Cryotherapy is a noninvasive way to reduce inflammation, pain and or athletic soreness, benefit from a more restful nights sleep, boost your metabolism, as well as a great endorphin rush. It is intended to be done regularly, 1-3 times a week, more if you are a workout junkie. And yes, it is very very cold!

In attempts to reap the most benefits possible, I went 3 time leading up to my shoot. Here is the breakdown:

Day 1: Not quite sure what to expect, Kristen and Alexis put my mind ease the minute I walked into Chicago CryoSpa. They had me fill out basic paperwork and walked me through what to expect. I was ushered into a changing space, stripped down to my skivvies, put on two pairs of thick socks, two pairs of gloves, a robe and I was ready to go. I walked into the room with what looked like a stand up tanning bed, except this ‘bed’ had smoke pouring from the top like a bucket of dry ice. I stepped in, the door closed, and I was instructed to take off my robe and hand it over the top of the chamber to Alexis. The time limit in the chamber is 3 minutes, and like the insane person I am, I stayed in the entire time. It is definitely very very cold, but Alexis talked with me the whole time keeping my mind off of the oddly refreshing freezing cold. The clock wound down, my skin made it to a chilly 44 degrees and it was on to the facial. If you take nothing else from this post, I hope to at least plant the CryoFacial seed. This was my favorite part no question! I have especially sensitive skin and am no stranger to puffy face. After just one treatment, my skin felt refreshed, tight and I was convinced looked better. Just like full body Cryo, CryoFacials are most beneficial the more you do them. A quick 20 minutes at the spa, and I felt great and slept like a log (something I don’t do)!

Day 2: The routine was the same as day 1, but for some reason the chamber seemed a little bit colder the second time around. Ann was my technician day 2, and like Alexis talked with me the whole time, mostly about puppies! The 3 minutes passed a little bit slower, but again my skin made it to a chilly 45 degrees (the goal is between 40-50 degrees) and it was time for another CryoFacial! Again amazing, refreshing and felt like I could feel my pores tighten the minute the cold air hit each spot on my face. The only down side of day two was I didn’t dress warm and had the shivers throughout the errands I ran afterward. Pro Tip: anything warm and cozy feels like heaven after a treatment, dress accordingly.

Day 3: The last day was the most telling regarding the whole body Cryo. I had boxed the previous day, for the first time in months and I was so sore when I woke up. I knew the soreness wouldn’t set in fully until the next day, so I made it a point to full body Cryo before I couldn’t move anymore. Just like the most intense ice bath of all time, instead of my muscles being unbearable the 2nd day, they were sore but lightyears better than they could have been. Also my face looked tighter by day 3, no questions! For someone who has bad skin allergies and sensitive skin, these facials might be my new favorite of all time!

Overall what did I think? I am a huge huge fan! It may not be something that I do on a daily basis, there are people out there that do that, but I will definitely add it to my full body regimen. I had nothing but amazing experiences at Chicago CryoSpa, and felt more that energized and ready for a long week of shooting! Check it out, if nothing else it is a cool new experience, and everyone is doing it!

DEAL ALERT: Mention Lauren’s blog and the amazing people at Chicago CryoSpa will give all my readers and followers a buy 1 get 2 treatments free deal!