I recently had a conversation with a colleague on a Monday morning after a hot July weekend. He shared that he had spent that entire Saturday doing yard work. When he finally got to come inside, he couldn’t decide if he wanted a beer to quench his thirst or a hot shower to wipe off the dirt and sweat. He decided that he would partake in both. A conversation ensued and I suggested that a bath with a beverage was a relaxing solution.
After having this conversation, I began to think a little bit deeper. As a therapist, I wanted to dig deeper. This is why I decided to do an internet search on the benefits of baths. As a mental health professional, I often talk with my clients about self care options that are readily available to them. After doing this research, I’ve decided that I will now be adding bathing to my list of recommendations.
According to Pentucket Medical Center, bathing can help you breathe better, improve heart health, benefit your brain and nervous system, help with muscle and joint pain, and balance your hormones (1). For more about other benefits and details about these and others, follow this link:
10 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Taking a Bath | Pentucket Medical
There’s even more to this ritual. According to SCL Health, bathing can help lower blood sugar, open pores to flush out dirt and toxins, aid in sleep, and help us wake up without caffeine. For more of the benefits and details, follow this link:
From Hot to Cold: The Hidden Benefits of Bathing
After doing the research, I figured it was important for me to give my own personal feedback on the benefits of a drink and a bath. I decided to buy four different types of bath soaps while also pairing them with different beverages.
Sunrise Yoga and Green Mountain Dark Magic Coffee
The first one I tried was Bath and Body Work’s Sunrise Yoga foam bubble bath with a cup of Green Mountain Dark Magic coffee. The bath gel is made with mandarin, spearmint and juniper berry. These ingredients are supposed to inspire balance and vitality. I like the smell of citrus which seems to combine well with my morning cup of Java. I was a little disappointed that the manderin smells didn’t come at me more directly. I wished I wouldn’t have had to sniff so much. However, for those who like the smell of citrus, I might recommend this.
Energy
Next up is my Saturday late afternoon favorite. Instead of a nap which can leave me feeling groggy, I instead choose to take a foam bubble bath with a soap called Energy from Bath and Body Works. This one has scents of orange and ginger. This soap is my all time favorite scent because I love the fresh smell of orange. Thanks to my colleague’s ingenious beer and shower idea, I decided to have a beer with my bath. I like to pair this with a glass of Bent River’s Day Trotter Pale Ale which wakes up my taste buds. This sets the tone for my Saturday night.
Check out Bent River here:
https://www.bentriverbrewing.com
Mood
When I am really stressed, my favorite bath additive is American Eagle’s Mood bath salts. They’re infused with eucalyptus and cad oil. I might pair this with a nice glass of chardonnay. This gives more of a body relaxation. It doesn’t give that “high” feeling, but it definitely works well for releasing tension in the head or other muscles in the body.
Sleep
Finally, if I am feeling exhausted and just want to tuck myself into bed, I like the Aromatherapy bath bubble Sleep from Bath and Body Works. This has lavender, sage and geranium. With this bath, I usually have a glass of ice water or a cup of sleepy tea. I would not recommend this combination on a morning before work, because it made me feel a little foggy. I would more so recommend this as an evening bath due to the fact that it tends to make me feel tired. But sleep is very important for our health and I do tend to sleep better after taking a bath with this combo.
Okay, so I found that each soap had different benefits. This was generally what I expected, but I do believe that being able to use these soaps for different kinds of tension and stress is very beneficial. If one soap isn’t good for relieving a specific type of stress, there is probably another that will be. I would highly recommend some of these soaps from Bath and Body Works and American Eagle simply due to the variety that these stores provide. These soaps are also higher in quality than some of the ones we might get at a grocery store. I feel that taking the time to go to these stores was definitely beneficial, because I like to give myself any edge I can when it comes to mental health.
Thanks for reading and we will see you in 2 weeks.
-Debbie