Bathing

We all need to have a daily cleansing to rid our bodies of all the accumulated pollution that surrounds us even in smaller towns, and to ensure that our sweet smelling bodies are acceptable in society.

Yet, having a real bath is more than mere daily maintenance of the body - as that could easily be achieved in the shower.

No, having a bath, and really bathing on a grand scale achieves far more than just cleaning - it helps kick-start your day to help you conquer all, or heals the fragile ego that got bashed about during the day, soothes the painfully stressed-out muscles from keeping at the front of the pack, or it can be a wonderful interlude to a quiet and intimate evening with your loved one - or simply to have a deep relaxed sleep.

But then - the type of bath you are in need of, will determine the way, time and effort spent on getting it all together.

Underneath some ideas on having a whale of a time in your water environment, and since we sell essential oils, some ideas on what oils to use for its fragrance and therapeutic properties.

For more information on dilution ratios for bathing, please click here.

Kick-start your day.

When you get ready to conquer the world, you will not spend hours in the bath, but will have a brisk bath at about 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 27 degrees Celsius) while listening to cheery music or the early news (maybe not a good idea).

If you have some bright and sunny plants or fresh cut flowers (even a single bloom would do) around the bathroom at this time it will also add to your awakening. Since there is normally not that much time in the morning, your bathing experience would also not be that long.

When the bathwater has been drawn add a total of about 6 - 7 drops of any, or a mixture of the following oils:

• Peppermint
• Petitgrain
• Rosemary
• Fennel
• Clary sage
• Black pepper
• Jasmine

Healing the fragile ego

Here we would need to get you to relax a bit, and have some time to pamper yourself. The bathwater should be around 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 38 degrees Celsius) and you could add some bubble bath to create the sensation of being touched when getting into the water. Instead of a harsh electric light, the softer light of a couple of candles will also make the world look a lot better.

If you could surround yourself with your favorite singer it will help greatly to cheer you up, but stay away from too sentimental or sad songs. Since you need to center yourself your bath may take about twenty minutes. A good idea is to also unplug the phone.

When the bathwater has been drawn add a total of about 6 - 7 drops of any, or a mixture of the following oils: (ensure that the oils are mixed in the water, and not floating on the bubbles, since this could irritate your skin)

• Lavender
• Melissa
• Frankincense
• Cedarwood
• Neroli
• Bergamot
• Juniper

Soothe the painful muscles

To help relax the muscles try and keep the bath a bit cooler than what you would normally do at about 98 - 99 degrees Fahrenheit (around 37 degrees Celsius) but when in the bath let hot water in to make it a bit warmer, and have a good long soak.

You need not have low lights, but to prevent you from needing to get out of the bath, just when your muscles are un-knotting themselves, maybe unplug the phone.

Some people may find reading in the bath relaxing at this time, but a slightly soggy book works on my nerves.

When the bathwater has been drawn add a total of about 6 - 7 drops of any, or a mixture of the following oils:

• Basil
• Neroli
• Marjoram
• Black pepper
• Rosemary
• Ginger
• Marjoram

Interlude to an intimate evening

Depending on the day you had - decide if a cooler bath will make you relax, or increase the temperature if you feel you need a warmer bath.

To get yourself in the mood, set the stage with only a candle or two for light and soft sensuous music. If your partner can join you in the bath, and the bath is big enough, it might be an idea to have a shared bath.

When the bathwater has been drawn add a total of about 6 - 7 drops of any, or a mixture of the following oils:

• Geranium
• Ylang ylang
• Jasmine
• Petitgrain
• Sandalwood
• Carnation

To make the bath even more romantic you could scatter a couple of rose petals on the water.

Getting ready for deep sleep

When you want to do nothing else than to simply have a good bath, and crawl into bed, it might be a good idea to have a quick shower to wash and take care of the hygiene, and then get into your relaxing bath for about ten minutes.

Here you may want to get the water temperature to about 98 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (37 to 41 degrees Celsius) in which you can wallow for about 15 minutes.

When the bathwater has been drawn add a total of about 6 - 7 drops of any, or a mixture of the following oils:

• Melissa
• Lavender
• Chamomile Roman
• Clary sage
• Petitgrain
• Frankincense
• Neroli

So next time when you sit surrounded in your bath, spare a thought to the idea that it can be far more of a happening than just simply a cleansing ritual.

Should you suffer from health problems, please take note that some of these baths described above may be too hot for you, since it may increase your blood pressure. If in doubt, please consult your licensed medical practitioner.

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Holistic and alternative medicine

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