Bathtub Bliss and Healing

Back to basics benefits of bathing and taking care of you and your body internally.

The Body Part

To bathe or to shower is question that often becomes one of those random topics of conversation, and a body cleansing method is essential to everyday hygiene, right? A pick-me-up shower to rev up energy, exfoliate, stimulate lymphatic nodes and start the day is quick and convenient. After exercise and long day at work, a downpour shower to lather away the activities to chill skin and brain cells is perfect.

And let’s face it – there appears to be far more choice of products and price points available for shower gel than bath foam and this could be evidence that worldwide, having a shower is highly favoured. An active routine and lifestyle mean that a shower fits right in, you stand upright and can reach all over the bits and bobs to beautify yourself and in a timely fashion. And as my daughter likes to say when we have a bath v shower debate – constant clean running water through the hose means there’s no water to transfer bacteria onto the skin, so what is there not to love?!

But to bathe to lay back, slide into your own floating wave and sink into a mini ocean is an ultimate prize in relaxation – to immerse yourself in water and to be still.

The natural health benefits of taking a warm and bearable hot bath for women are obvious but here are some reminders.

• Increases blood flow and causes vasodilation. Vasodilation is when the blood vessels such as capillaries and arteries widen which help blood circulate throughout the body. This assists the blood flow to soothe muscles and reduce any stiffness around the arteries which is vital for cardiovascular health.

• Increases blood flow to the heart

• Help support the Thyroid Gland that regulates the body’s metabolism including body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate.

• Helps lungs as warm to hot water increases blood flow and aids breathing, which can bring ease to discomfort that comes with cold and flu symptoms and respiratory diseases and infections.

• Alleviate mental and emotional stress and fatigue – steam from water helps to clear brain fog and release the mind from the clutches of worry, stressors and brain fog.

• Sleep can filter though the body quicker after a warm to hot bath, along with a restful routine to sleep like a baby.

• Supports pelvic health such as the uterus and womb. A bath can be one of the solutions in self-care for women who have painful fibroids and cysts to promote healing. Also be of help to detox away toxins and soothe period pain cramps and bloating before, during and after menstrual cycle.

The Beauty Part

Oils, Salts and Liquid Foam Cleansers

Oils

Ancient Greece and Egypt is an often referred to as a blueprint for the ultimate bathing experience and has culturally influenced the health, wellness and spa industry as well as bathroom interiors on a global scale. Bathing signified a level of holistic cleanliness and refinement that gave Egyptian Royalty such as Cleopatra and Nefertiti their timeless appeal. It’s thought that the Egyptians were the first civilisation to slather their skin and hair with opulent, fragrant oils bathe in mineral salts and it’s no wonder that their legacy of beauty rituals – which influenced Ancient Rome lives on.

Oils have moisturising properties that are great for dry and sensitive skin. And for oily and spot prone skin it’s always been touted by the skincare industry to avoid use oils particularly for facial skin care. This advice should be taken with an individual perspective as opposed to the applies to everyone approach, as scientific backed evidence along with technology continues to grow and get more sophisticated, which helps with research into what’s ideal to soothe and hydrate the skin.

Salts

A miraculous mineral that comes from water is salt. Pour mineral salts under the tap of flowing water and the natural properties of the salt dissolves into the water to help us relax and unwind. The three most common are Epsom Salts, Dead Sea Salts and Himalayan Salts.

Epsom Salts

Epsom Salts are a 16th century discovery, found in the waters of the Surrey countryside in Epsom, England and are sought after for their purity properties in Magnesium sulphate. Magnesium absorbs through the body by way of breathing in the steam particles and promotes better sleep, and less tension in achy joints and relieves back pain and cramps. Magnesium is also good for protecting and cleansing the epidermis layer of skin.

Dead Sea Salts

A must have choice for body scrubs, Dead Sea Salts derives the Dead Sea – a river geographically landlocked in between the borders of Jordan and Israel. The chronicles of the Dead Sea go back to biblical times, and the health and healing properties are well documented over time. Its ancient minerals have six therapeutic benefits of its kind and are Magnesium, Calcium, Sodium, Zinc, Potassium and Sulphur. All minerals possess powerful healing, antifungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties for our wellbeing.

 Himalayan Bath Salts

This natural resource is mined from Pakistan’s Khewa region in Northern Punjab and has been a sustainable muti-purpose salt since the Precambrian Era.

Not only used in culinary delights, but Himalayan Salts are also used by therapists to revive tired muscles and joints and gently calm skin from pesky skin irritation eczema, acne and psoriasis. Pouring Himalayan Bath Salts under the tap of running water will help absorb minerals that relive muscles and help nerve function, plus soaking for 10 to 15 minutes have the same mineral benefits to mind and body as Dead Sea Salt with salutary additions of copper, zinc, selenium and phosphorus.

Liquid Bath Foam Cleansers

Bath Foam Cleansers

Who doesn’t like to immerse the body in a tub of fragrant foam. It’s possibly the most cost-effective and common way to enjoy bathtime. Pour your favourite liquid foam cleanser underneath a running tap and watch the foam gradually bubble and rise, immediately gives a sense of calm and tranquil thoughts. Foam is visually a great invitation to stepping in the bath and looks lovely and feels relaxing and sensual. This builds a mental and emotional mood board for a physical and emotional re-stress and restful night’s sleep. Foam has hydrating properties and helps to balance skins natural oils rather than dry the skin out and helps to maintain the temperature of water. The nice part about liquid foam cleansers with fragrance it that not only does the foam help the scent cling to skin, but the smell also gently fills the air and leave bathroom smelling lush.

The cleaning part

The bathtub is many things to everyone. A safe environment for parents to bond with their babies and get them used to water and for small children to discover their sensory skills and learn the joy of water play with toys. In the bath, it’s easy to achieve a spiritually zen atmosphere and create your own personalised apothecary and spa. Having a clean bathtub to achieve optimum results to this is so important to protect from contagious, harmful germs E Coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus Aureus.

Top tips for a clean bath area.

• First things first - If toilet is in the bathroom, to lessen the risk of the spread of bacteria – ensure toilet is cleaned at least once a day and if time does not permit this to be possible, aim for every other day.

• Habitually after every use, pour toilet cleaner around the rim and give the inside bowl a swirl with a brush. This takes a few seconds and then use a fresh cloth to wipe the seat, keep a fresh microfibre cloth nearby so it’s handy and not forgotten.

• Remove all toiletries and products from around the bath. Spray a generous amount of chosen cleaning product on both taps and on the whole enamel surface of bath area and outside area as well – including bath panel.

• Use the scourer side of sponge and start cleaning using circular movements from the base of bath area (where we sit/lay). Include the plug and drain area and work up a lather upwards and around all the inside of bath sides and taps.

• Pay particular attention to where bath water usually measures up after you stop running the tap, as this area can leave a ring of residue. This ring of residue if left unchecked can leave an unsightly mark on the enamel over time. If bath is particularly grimy, after spraying with cleaning solution – pour a dab of washing liquid for further cleaning. Rinse thoroughly and wipe clean and dry with fresh large microfibre cloths until bath is gleaming.

• If bathroom is tiled, follow process of cleaning bath and apply to tile area. Clean tiles first before cleaning inside the bath.

It’s worthwhile to seek professional medical advice regarding recommended bath temperatures.

Please be guided if:

• Pregnant

• Low and high blood pressure

• Unstable heart conditions

• Slower pace in mobility

To conclude, a bath can fabulously improve your sense of well-being, and the added use of oils, salts, and foam cleansers also make bath times a real healthy treat and a much-needed respite at the end of a long day!