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The great escape
Have the kids been acting more like Bart Simpson than little angels? Did your boss just move up the deadline on some already way-behind-the-eight-ball mega-project? Has the all-that-and-you-didn't-win-anyway doubles tournament left your muscles feeling like they're in a vice grip?
Or are you just ready to relax? Get away from it all -- run a bath.
A luxurious, aqueous soak can relax muscles, relieve tensions, and dejangle your tightly wound nerves. A hot bath is an at-home spa treatment that's almost as good as a massage. Drizzle in some scented bath salt or a skin-soothing mineral oil and 20 minutes in the tub becomes an extravagant interlude at a bargain-basement price. Just don't forget your rubber ducky.
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Get Yourself Into Hot Water
- Hot water soothes your mind and your muscles. That's because the body steps up the blood flow to muscular tissues, which loosen and relax. But while you might think "the hotter the better," water that is too hot will dry out your skin and can even contribute to high blood pressure. A little warmer than body temperature (around 103?F) is best.
- If it's a pepper-upper you seek, cool to body-temperature water will do the job. More complicated -- but a great and stimulating workout for your cardiovascular system -- is alternating between hot and cold water.
How Long Is Long Enough?
- Just 10 to 15 minutes is enough for muscles to relax and the skin to absorb all the water it can hold. Lounging longer than about 20 minutes will only wrinkle and dehydrate your skin.
Bath Accessories for Big Kids
- A host of potions can enhance the effect of your bath by moisturizing and softening the skin, helping the cleaning process along, and merely heightening the sybaritic sensation of a solitary soak.
- For moisture, look to bath oils and other emollient-enriched additives. If you don't add something of this sort to the water, moisturize afterwards, while the skin is still damp, to seal in the bath's hydrating effects.
- For extra cleaning power, bath salts soften the water, thus boosting soap's cleansing ability. Many additives, especially bubble baths, contain cleaning agents to lift off dirt.
- Fragrance can help relax or rejuvenate. Chamomile and lavender, for example, are thought to calm you down while citrus and peppermint stimulate.
- Both fragrances and cleaning agents may irritate sensitive skin. If you have problems, try switching to another product.
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Emollients
Emollients work by forming a protective layer over the skin, keeping moisture in. They are all oily or oil-like chemicals. Olive oil and other plant oils are very effective emollients. Mineral or silicon oils are also great emollients. Chemicals like petroleum jelly and lanolin are water-repellant and keep moisture in the skin. This softens and relieves dryness.
Silicone-based oils
Silicon-based products are actually emollients. The difference is that they are synthetic. They help condition like other emollients -- by coating and helping prevent water loss.
Humectants
Humectants are novel chemicals that are added in soaps, hair care products, and lotions, to help soften the skin and relieve dryness. Unlike emollients, which moisturize by trapping water in your skin, humectants actually attract water to your skin. However, they can be washed off very easily, and therefore do not have the lasting power of emollients. Your best bet is to get a product with both an emollient and a humectant.
Aromatic oils
Aromatic oils are very volatile and exude a fragrant aroma. They are extracted from various plants and help to enhance the relaxing effects of a bath. Aromatic oils also contain many other oils that give them their emollient properties.
Salts
Salts are soothing compounds that are often added to a nice, relaxing bath. They can be unscented or scented with perfumes and aromatic oils. Bath salts are dissolved in bath water and can help reduce skin inflammations. They also soften water by binding to dissolved minerals.
| Emollients | Ingredient | Description |
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| Fatty acids | ? | Include stearic acid, lanolin acid, plasmatic acid, and oleic acid. They help soften and soothe skin. | | Fatty alcohols | ? | Include cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and lauryl alcohol. They help soften and soothe skin. | | Lanolin | ? | Derived from sheep wool, it helps soften and soothe skin, and prevents skin dehydration. It can cause skin irritation in individuals who are allergic. | | Mineral oil | ? | Derived from crude petroleum, it helps prevents skin dehydration. It also helps soften and soothe skin. | | Plant oils | ? | Come from plants such as olives, corn, and sunflower. They help soften and soothe skin, and prevent skin dehydration. | | Silicone-Based Oils | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Cyclomethicone | ? | Lighter than natural emollients, they help protect and maintain moisture in the skin. | | Dimethicones | ? | Help protect and maintain moisture in skin. They are lighter than natural emollients. | | Humectants | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Organic acids | ? | Excellent water-binding agents at concentrations of less than 2%. They are also acid balancers, along with citric acid. At concentrations of 5% to 8%, they are effective skin exfoliants. | | Urea | ? | An excellent water-binding agent at concentrations of less than 2%. It is also an acid balancer (like citric acid). At concentrations of 5% to 8%, it is an effective skin exfoliant. | | Glycerin | ? | One of the most effective moisturizers, it attracts and holds water in skin. | | Sorbitol | ? | One of the most effective moisturizers, it attracts and holds water in skin. | | Butylene glycol | ? | Attracts and retains water in the skin. However, it is not as effective as sorbitol or glycerin. | | Polyethylene glycol (PEG) | ? | Moisturizes skin, but it's not as effective as sorbitol or glycerin. It also can cause skin irritations. | | Mucopolysaccarides | ? | Also referred to as glycosaminoglycans, these compounds are a combination of protein and polysaccharide. They are excellent humectants. | | Sodium PCA | ? | Derived from proteins, it's a natural component of the skin. It is an excellent humectant. | | Aromatic Oils | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Almond | ? | A very rich moisturizer. | | Avocado | ? | A very rich moisturizer. | | Chamomile | ? | Provides a soothing and relaxing effect on the skin. | | Eucalyptus | ? | Helps you relax in the bath. | | Lavender | ? | Helps you relax in the bath. | | Rosemary | ? | Helps you relax in the bath. | | Salts | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) | ? | Can soothe irritated skin. | | Borax | ? | Could be irritating to the skin and toxic if too much is ingested. | | Magnesium sulfate | ? | Also known as Epsom salts, it dissolves in water and helps relax and soothe the skin. | | Sea salt | ? | Obtained from evaporating sea water. | | Sodium chloride (table salt) | ? | The normal table salt that you use to season your food. It also makes an effective water softener. |
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Appropriate Uses
Bath oils
Lubricates dry skin and leaves the skin with a light, fragrant scent.
Bath beads
Cleans and softens skin.
Bubble bath
Cleans and softens skin.
Epsom salts
Helps relieve sore muscles and softens hard bath water.
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Soak Up Info First
- Do not use if you are allergic to mineral oil, perfumes, or any other ingredient in the product.
- Bath oils can make the tub and floor very slippery, creating a safety hazard. Use caution.
- Some ingredients may disrupt the normal flora of the vaginal area which could lead to "minor irritation or itching." Use caution.
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Websites, Organizations & Manufacturers
Sources & Further Reading
Books
- 1. Begoun, P. Blue Eyeshadow Should Absolutely Be Illegal. Beginning Press, Seattle, WA, 1994.
- 2. Winter, R. A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients. Random House, Ince. New York 1994.
- 3. Michalun, N. and M.V. Michalun. Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary. Milday Pub. Co. Albany, NY 1994.
Find more books on health and wellness at  barnesandnoble.com.
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