Give The Gift of a Bath

Self-care is often a trending-topic, and for good reason. Self-care can help us to decompress from everyday stress, and improve upon our physical and mental well-being. However, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is sometimes hard to stop and take time for ourselves.

Stress affects the mind and body, but it also affects your skin. It can cause acne or eczema flair ups, can create puffiness under eyes, or make skin unusually dry. Because the holidays are synonymous with stress, we encourage you to start making a conscious effort to include self-care into your routine more regularly. You can destress with a yoga class or a good book, but our favorite option is a warm bath. It affords you the time to let your mind wander, muscles to relax, and your soul to be soothed. Plus, it offers many excellect benefits for your skin.

Whether you already have weekly baths on your calendar, or are looking to incorporate baths into your evening routine, here are some tips to maximize the health benefits of a bath:

• Detox. The warm water and steam from your bath naturally opens pores, but for more detoxifying power add sea salt to your tub. It will help to draw out toxins from your body. 
• Unplug. Make the tub a gadget-free zone to let your eyes and mind enjoy a much-deserved break from checking updates, emails, and the news.
• Relax. Add a handful of bath salts, essential oils, or Epsom salts to your tub to enhance its relaxation potential. Flowers like lavender, calendula, and chamomile, naturally soothe and calm muscles and the mind.
• Choose your products carefully. If you like bubbles in your bath, pay close attention to the products’ ingredients. Bubble bath is notorious for using artificial fragrance, sulfates (cleaning agent that creates sudsy bubbles), and parabens in their product formulation. As you soak in the tub, these ingredients have more time on your skin and can potentially cause more irritation or harm to you skin and body.
• Hydrate. Warm water, steam, and any detoxifying product additions can deplete your body of needed water. It’s important to re-hydrate with plenty of water once you’re finished with your bath. This becomes even more important if you decided to indulge in a glass of wine during your ritual.  
• Take a quick shower first. If you have come from a workout, gardening, or any dirty job, rinse off the dirt, grime, and sweat off your body in the shower. The alternative is washing it off in the tub and it remaining in the water for the duration of your bath.