At Shower Journal, we get a large number of questions about bathing. Among all these questions one of the most common questions is, “Is bath good or bad for me”. Well in this article, we are trying to make our readers clear about some frequently asked questions about taking a bath.
FAQ about Are Baths Bad for You
Are Baths Unhygienic or Not?
Baths are by far one of the best ways to relax, but from a sanitary point of view, are baths bad for you? With a shower you can rinse your body of dirt, grease and soap, but with a bath you don’t have the option of rinsing your body, so in effect, you’re not really clean. Baths are not bad for you, however, if you are dirty, you should consider showering after a taking a bath to ensure that you are clean.
Are Long Baths Bad For You?
When it comes to the duration of your bath, a good rule of thumb is to keep it under thirty minutes, any longer than that is not recommended.
Taking daily baths with hot water and soap can cause issues for your skin and your general health, but if you are in the bath for longer than half an hour- it is also not good for you. When you see your skin starting to wrinkle – take it a sign, that you have been in the bath for too long and it’s time to go.
Are Baths Bad For Your Skin?
Washing your body affects your skin; we have looked at how long, daily baths in hot water strips your skin of essential oils which causes your skin to dry out and crack. For your skin’s optimum health, consider not taking a bath every day, but something you do now and again as a treat for you. You should also consider a good quality shower gel or body wash if you have a sensitive skin type.
Are Baths Good For You?
Baths are certainly good for your health in other ways, let’s look at 6 positive ways that taking baths benefit your body:
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Good for Mental Health
Nothing blocks out all the noise and eases us, after a hard day, like a good soak in the tub. The warm water helps to reduce anxiety naturally by reducing tension in our muscles, improving circulation- this helps us to boost your mood. Adding oils to your bath can also help to have a healing affect on your mental health.
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Reduces Inflammation
Adding Epsom salts to your warm bath water helps to reduce swelling of your joints. It also relieves muscles, caused mainly by arthritis.
The main ingredients of Epsom salts are magnesium and sulfate, magnesium helps the body to get rid of
toxins, which exacerbate inflammation and the sulfate facilitates the release of the toxins by strengthening the digestive tract. Epsom salts are an ideal accompaniment to your bath and a natural anti-inflammatory.
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Improves Heart Health
While hot bath water may increase your heart rate, warm water is good for cardiovascular health. The warm water helps to reduce high blood pressure in men. It also lowers the risk of stroke in both men and women.
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Regulates Core Body Temperature
Keep your body at its core by taking a hot bath on a cold day, or submerging into tepid bath water on a hot day- this is good for your immune system.
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Helps to Reduce Cold Symptoms
The steam of a warm bath helps to clear the nasal passage as it reduces swelling. It eases muscle tension
brought on by cold and flu symptoms. The warm water improves your immune system and helps to fight off infections.
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Improves Our Sleep
A warm bath before bed is a natural way to aid sleep. The warm bath water helps to regulate your body
temperature and produces melatonin (a hormone that induces sleep). Having a good sleeping pattern has range of health benefits for the body in its own right.
I hope, we have cleared most of your confusions about taking a bath regularly. Now tell me, what do you think? Are baths bad for you or not? Don’t forget to let us know.
As the resident shower expert at ShowerJournal.com, Wayne Lee loves to share the helpful tips and tricks he’s picked up over the years during his job as a handyman.
