The Return Of The Tub
However at SheerLuxe we want to change this mindset and help you create and enjoy the ultimate bathing experience. Long before it became the scented bubble bath that is common now, bathing was first and foremost known as hydrotherapy, a therapeutic treatment for body and mind. Hydrotherapy is, as the name suggests, water therapy. Both the use of hot or cold water has proven beneficial effects on your body. Boiling water can be sourced naturally from hot springs and many countries have hot pools of mineral water - think Iceland and New Zealand which people visit specifically for a rejuvenating dip. Similarly, cryotherapy and plunging yourself in freezing cold water has become known to relieve muscle stress and shock your system in to good health. Many athletes today use this as a way of dealing with muscle strain and injury caused through exercise. So too, many beauty spas offer freezing rain showers, which claim to boost circulation and give skin a healthy glow.
Bathing in water has been practised since Egyptian times for hygiene, good health and peace of mind. Of course, baths were considered beautifying, as demonstrated by Cleopatra’s penchant for her famous skin-softening milk baths. Similarly, Roman bathhouses were ultimately fashionable hubs where the affluent went to socialise and be pampered while having a soak. Although showering or taking a bath is now a private affair, they have health benefits beyond removing dirt and germs from your skin’s surface.
Submerging yourself in water can improve heart health, help you breathe more easily, balance your hormones, help with gastrointestinal health, improve your urinary system and much more. According to Suzanne Duckett, wellness journalist and author of Bathe, “unwinding our bodies and minds in the bath is a primal ritual that today offers a readily available form of practical mindfulness that will help heal your mind and your body”. With mindfulness being the current hot topic for wellbeing, bathing is a small step that forces you to switch off from technology and the hyper-activity of modern-day life, something we all need to do, once in a while. You need to be more inclined to stay in the tub, just like children use bath time as a chance to play, splash, read bath books and blow bubbles, adults too, should see bath time as a chance to switch off, meditate and float. As writer, Henry Beard rightly says, “you can often wash your troubles away with the right kind of bath. Throw everything you have into the tub: bubble gels, bubble oils, bubble powders, bubble gum”.
These days it seems a quick blast in the shower and a blob of whatever shower gel is in reach is enough to get the job done. With our fast-paced, time-poor lives, wallowing in a bath seems more treat than necessity and so finding the time to bath slips further down our to-do list. We want to change that. Make bath time at least a weekly ritual and maximise me time in three easy steps to really reap the benefits of a good old soak. Just make sure the water isn’t too hot, scorching yourself will do your skin no benefit. The actual ideal temperature for bath water is about 2 degrees more than the normal body temperature, which is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
First Step: Bathing
Bath Oils
Our greatest indulgence is a silky bath oil. It will envelop your senses, leave a gorgeous film on skin while scenting your bathroom too. Get oiled up with these little luxuries:
- Susanne Kaufmann’s Oil Bath For The Senses
- Aromatherapy Associates Relax Bath & Body Oil
- Bloom & Blossom Indulgence Bath Oil
Bath Salts
A handful of magnesium-rich salts added to your bath has long been known to soothe the body, mind and soul. Some of the countless health benefits include: relaxing the nervous system, curing skin problems, soothing back pain and aching limbs, easing muscle strain, healing cuts, treating colds and congestion, and drawing toxins from the body. Do you need another excuse to pour in some salts?
Bubble Baths
Drift away and let nostalgia take over with a wonderfully childish bubble bath- the bigger the bubbles the better. Immerse yourself under clouds of foam and relax…
- Mio Liquid Yoga Restorative Bath Soak
- Elemis spa@Home Skin Nourishing Bath
- L’Occitane Lavender Foaming Bath
Second Step: Cleansing
Shower/Bath Gels
Keep clean and preen with uplifting shower gels that double up as a scent. Consider an exfoliating shower gel to scrub away dead skin cells and leave skin firm and supple. Just remember to wash the tub free from the residual grains afterwards.
- Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Exfoliating Shower Gel
- Aesop A Rose By Any Other Name Body Cleanser
- Ahava Mineral Shower Gel
Soaps
A far cry from your childhood days. Solid soap is making a huge comeback in the bathroom. Liberty have seen a 35% increase in bar sales while other department stores, such as Debenhams, have reported the need to boost their stocks to keep up with demand. Hailed as the move towards ‘green’ washing, it’s time to raise the bar with these formulas:
Third Step: Aftercare
Now for the final step in the bathing extravaganza - the aftercare. This is essential to keeping your skin soft, supple and smelling delicious. It’s often easy to skimp on this stage as you’re too relaxed (and too lazy) to do anything but crash out after a warm soak. Don’t. An extra dose of post-bath hydration, will lock in moisture. The trick is to apply on damp skin to maximise the benefits. Here’s our top 3 moisture-boosters:
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