Home and Family

Some people love to take long, luxurious baths. Others can’t wake up without a shower in the morning. Whichever you prefer, hydrotherapy, in the form of a bath or shower, is something almost everyone enjoys. There’s nothing better for waking us up in the morning than a nice, hot shower. And there’s nothing better for relaxing our bodies and soothing our minds into restful sleep than a bath before we go to bed. It lowers our body temperature and prepares us for sleep, naturally.

Scented Bath Salts

When I want to relax, I take a bath with these bath salts. I’ve been making them since the 70′s when I sold them at craft fairs. Now I make them for my own enjoyment. They’re so simple to make and leave your skin soft and silky. Kids love to watch them color the bath water and they’re not irritating like commercial kids’ bath products can be.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Sea Salt, Kosher Salt or Rock Salt

20 Drops Essential Oil

Add the essential oil to the salt. Spread it out on a cookie sheet covered with tin foil or parchment paper. (Don’t use paper towels, because they’ll absorb the scented oil.) When it’s dry, which may take as long as 24 hours or as little as 3, pour it into a pretty glass jar with a cover. If you like colored bath salts, use a couple of TBSPS of beet juice, or non-toxic food coloring to the salts with the essential oil. You can find non-toxic food coloring at Health Food Stores. To use, just scoop out about a half-cup and add to running water.

Remember, scent is a very personal thing. It’s wonderful to surround yourself with it in your own home. But it’s considerate to keep it very light or just not use it in public.

Scented Shower Gel

Ingredients:

1 Cup Water

1 1/2 Cups Liquid Glycerine Soap, Scented (Dr. Bronner’s or any natural brand)

2 TBSP Finely Milled Sea Salt

Natural Food Coloring (optional)

Add liquid soap to water. Do not add water to liquid soap, because you’ll have a kitchen full of suds. Stir in salt and coloring, if you want it. If it separates, shake gently before using.

Variations: Use unscented liquid soap and add about 20 drops of essential oil to it. Or add a stick of cinnamon, a tsp of ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut or chocolate extract. Store in a shampoo bottle.

Simple Soothing Milk and Honey Bath

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Dry Milk Powder (I use organic)

2 TBSP of Dried Honey Powder (I use HoneySweet Brand)

2 Cups of Finely Processed Oats (I use my food processor)

12-20 drops of essential oil (I use half lavender and half rose)

Mix milk and honey powder in large bowl. I use a whisk. Add essential oil, mix well and put in a plastic bag or tightly covered jar. Let the powder absorb the oil for at least 24 hours. Add 1/2 cup under the tap while you’re running your bath. This is a good bath powder for children, although I omit the essential oil for children under 2, just in case it irritates them.

Bathing is an integral part of human life and it is an activity which is entangled with the very mode of human existence. It is the means by which it is possible for every individual to keep oneself clean and maintain proper hygiene. Bathrooms are separate zones available in every house or apartment which is dedicated to this ritual of bathing and at present all modern bathrooms are provided with the facility of taking a bath with the aid of showers. Showers are the commonest modes used for bathing in the contemporary world and showers are devices through which the water is ejected in the form of a spray to reach the different parts of the body. Showers may contain warm or cold water and taking a bath in a shower is usually accompanied by the usage of soaps, shampoos or shower gels which are used along with water to keep the external part of the body clean and free of infections and ailments.

It is interesting to note that there are various historical evidences that prove the usage of showers in ancient times. Prominent examples include the murals and vases belonging to the Greek civilizations. It is also necessary to point out that in the contemporary world, the act of bathing in a bathtub has been greatly replaced by the practice of showering as a form of bathing. One of the reasons that have contributed to this may be because modern day apartments always have space crunch and under such conditions the shower is a better and efficient arrangement compared to a bathtub which may occupy larger area. Showers are not only used for bathing and rinsing the body but also for leisure and wellness. Moreover, for the elderly people and also for those who suffer from physical disabilities, showering for bath is an easier option. Showering involves the pouring of water in different parts of the body. This is followed by the usage of various supplements like shower gels and shampoos to remove the dirt and then again shower the body to complete the bathing procedure.

Showers may be of various kinds. Some showers are attached to the bathtub while free standing showers are very common. Usually, each bathroom has a separate zone dedicated to showers and it is separated from the rest of the bathroom by means of a shower curtain. The shower head contains various nozzles through which the water ours out in the form of a spray in the different parts of the body.

Is tap water safe for bathing and showering is an increasingly common question as more of us realize the contamination in our supplies may not only affect us when we drink it. So just how safe is taking a shower these days?

Unfortunately not that safe anymore as we have literally thousands of toxic chemicals in the water like chlorine, weedkiller, lead and prescription drugs with samples of pesticides showing up across the country.

When you take a 20 minute shower you can absorb more toxins than by drinking 2 liters of unfiltered water as the chlorine is converted into chloroform in the vapour.

The American Journal of Public Health links chlorine to “significant increases in certain types of cancer, asthma and skin irritations…” and stated that “up to two-thirds of the harmful exposure was due to skin absorption and inhalation of chlorine in shower water”.

So in answer to the question, is tap water safe for bathing and showering, the honest answer is no.

Removing chlorine and other volatile chemicals with a quality shower filter offers great health benefits, if a whole house filter is too much. As the situation looks likely to get worse, some kind of home filter is fast becoming necessary.

The sad fact that our tap water is not safe for bathing and showering anymore shows just how bad things have become and children are especially vulnerable with studies showing that each year in the US, lead in drinking water contributes to 480,000 cases of learning disorders in children.

Some companies do make high quality shower filters as well as the regular countertop or whole house system to protect all your water. These offer the perfect solution and you will not only feel healthier but notice differences within weeks like softer hair and skin.

With the risk so great and the solution so simple, why take the chance?

Then the question of, is tap water safe for bathing and showering will not affect you as you will have the peace of mind of knowing it is safe and pure.

Visit my website today if you would like to learn more about the types of shower filtration systems that I personally recommend and use.