Soon the weather will be warm enough to wear shorts, sleeveless tops and bathing suits, exposing all that winter-worn skin. Also, the thoughts of summer are driving us stir-crazy with cabin fever. Luckily, if you've got a bath tub, you've got an oasis right in your own home. A bath can be wonderfully restorative and adding an herbal infusion can provide some real physical and emotional benefits.
Your skin, the largest organ of your body, is highly permeable- especially when it's wet and warm. The warm and subtle pressure of the water stimulates and soothes your body inside and out. Beyond the water are herbs which nourish your skin and deliver their own health benefits. For example, rose can penetrate the skin to help it resist infection and heal and renew itself. It also helps restore the skin's moisture balance, smooths wrinkles and reduces redness. In addition, the essence of rose also stimulates receptors in the brain that can relieve depression, grief and sadness, calm the nerves, regulate the menstrual cycle and even aid digestion. Herbal baths can be custom-blended to suit a host of health and beauty needs.To prepare your skin for an herbal bath, try brushing it beforehand with a dry, nature-bristle brush or loofah. A moderate pressure in small, circular strokes will remove dead surface skin, allowing the herbal essence to penetrate your skin better. Keep the bath water between 90-95 degrees (roughly body temperature). A hot bath tends to be draining, making you feel sluggish and tired. It can also rob your skin of its natural oils, leaving it dry and tight. Always follow your bath with a dose of moisturizing lotion or oil such as jojoba or sweet almond oil, applied while your skin is still damp, to seal in the moisture your skin absorbed while soaking.
by Judy Burger
