Baths can calm, soothe pain and give you the opportunity to get lots of beauty prep done in minutes.
I have always loved baths. At home I was constantly in trouble with Dad for leaving the immersion on, one of the most grievous sins a daughter could commit. It spelled big trouble and lengthy “Do you think I’m made of money?” conversations.
Many teenage girls spend half their life in the bathroom, but in our immersion- controlled home I learned the art of maximising bath time very quickly. I had two types of bathing rituals and I even had names for them.
The first was the Working Bath. This was used in preparation for a night out. I would rush home from school or college and covertly switch on the immersion in a Mission Impossible-style operation. I slapped on a face mask and used Oilatum as a bath oil so I didn't have to moisturise afterwards.
Once in the bath I used a body scrub and swiftly shaved my legs. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I find the principal difference between scrubs is the fragrance and a DIY salt and oil mix works just as well as anything else. I love face masks. The Body Shop's Vitamin E Soak in Moisture Mask is excellent for dry skin. If your skin is oily or breaking out, calm it down quickly with Origins's Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask to Rescue Problem Skin.
The second bath type is the Pamper Bath. This involves well over an hour of splashing around, refreshing the hot water at will and reading magazines. Bath oil tipped into warm water before bed is the ultimate de-stresser. I like Aromatherapy Associates's Deep Relax, Origins's Calm To Your Senses Lavender and Vanilla Oil, and This Works Deep Sleep Bath Oil.
It’s easy to make your own calming bath with a few drops of essential oil. Lavender, camomile and ylang- ylang are good choices. Be cautious, however, if you are pregnant: make sure any essential oils you plan to use are safe.
More recently I have added a third bath type: the Therapy Bath. I use this to unknot aching muscles. I've tried lots of bath preparations to deal with pain and found Radox Muscle Soak and Weleda Arnica Muscle Soak sometimes do a better job than painkillers.
- amcdermott@irishtimes.com
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