Squeaky Clean with Bathing Scrubs

To enhance and complete your bathing experience, you must have at least a few good bath blends as well as facial and body scrubs. For the scrubs, you could either make it yourself at home or buy them from a major pharmacy or supermarket. If you prefer all things homemade, here are the recipes to make your own traditional homemade scrubs and also a few recommendations of the store-bought scrubs. Whichever options you choose, they are both great.

Do-it-yourself Traditional homemade scrubs

Homemade turmeric face scrub (Best for curing acne)

Turmeric is a natural antibacterial agent, thus works great in preventing the growth of bacteria. It also has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and soothing properties. The turmeric may come in a form of powder which can be easily found in almost all spice or herb counter.

• Prepare 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, milk and honey.
• Add all ingredients together. Make sure that it turns into a yellow paste.
• Clean your face and pat dry.
• Take a little bit of the paste and gently make circular motion on your face. Continue with the scrubbing until it covers your whole face. Don’t rub it too hard on the skin. You want to heal your face, not make it worse. Remember to be gentle.
• Leave it for 2 minutes and start rinsing your face. You may notice that your skin turns yellow but with a few more rinse, the yellow tinge will come off.

It is suggested that you do this method once a week. After rinsing off the scrub, you will feel that your skin is softer. The concoction is cheap to make and you can get the ingredients easily. If you’ve had blemishes, you will find that your face will clear up in a couple of days too.

Sweet and spicy brown sugar body scrub

This scrub is a true sensory delight for spice lovers. The stimulating aroma subtly lingers long after the sugar has been rinsed away and is wonderful for men and women alike. Especially seasonal with harvest spices including cinnamon, this is a particularly inviting scrub, providing effective exfoliation and deeply moisturising smoothness to skin. The scrub is recommended for all skin types except those with severe acne. Those with sensitive, dry or damaged skin should use this scrub with care too.

Ingredients:

– 1 cup organic brown sugar

– 1 cup white granulated sugar

– ¾ cup almond, soybeans, hazelnut, or macadamia nut base oil

– 2 teaspoons cinnamon, powdered

– 2 teaspoons ginger, powdered

– 2 teaspoons nutmeg, powdered

– 40 drops cardamom essential oil

In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients except the essential oil. Using a whisk, blend ingredients thoroughly, making sure to break up any lumps of brown sugar or spice. Add the essential oil drop by drop, blending after each addition.

Spoon into a storage container with a tight-fitting lid.

Massage approximately ¼ to ½ cup of scrub onto pre-moistened skin using circular motions and rinse.

Banana body sugar scrub

Bananas are amazing natural ingredients for body care. Their creamy pulp is luscious and soothing and works well as a carrier for other ingredients. Banana is nourishing and moisturising and can be used for gentle exfoliation and skin-tightening. In this simple formula, bananas and sugar are combined for a wonderfully aromatic and gently exfoliating body scrub.

Ingredients:

-1 ripe banana

-3 tablespoons granulated sugar

-¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or your favourite essential oil (optional)

Mash ingredients together with a fork into a chunky paste. Do not mix the ingredients too much or it will become too watery in texture. If you want a banana scrub for your face, reserve some of the banana and mash it separately without sugar.

In the bath tub, before turning the water on, slather the sugar mixture and gently massage over your body. For your face, gently massage with the plain banana mixture there, avoiding the eye area.

Rinse off with warm water.

Bathing as therapy in Ayurveda

Ancient ayurvedic texts speak of therapeutic baths featuring rose petals, milk, honey, and turmeric. Preceded by a luxurious full-body warm oil massage and followed by the application of rich sandalwood paste and floral waters on the skin, the ayurvedic bath was designed to restore balance to mind, body and spirit.

Ayurvedic texts report many benefits from the healing bath:

• It enhances physical energy levels and improves mental clarity.

• It helps remove sweat, dirt and environmental toxins from the skin.

• It helps relax the mind and balance the emotions.

Tips for enhancing the healing experience

• Do not bathe in a hurry, take your time.

• Practice deep breathing in your bath.

• Try to relax, so that both mind and body benefit from the bath.

• Gentle aromatherapy in the room is fine, but do not use harsh or artificial fragrances in the bathroom.

• Make sure your bathwater is also pure; use filters if necessary.

Bath principles in traditional chinese medicine (TCM)

• Taking baths is one of the signs of civilization. Bath cleans the skin, stimulate the blood circulation, expel fatigue and prevent disease.
• Many people who live long have the habit of taking frequent baths.
• Lukewarm or cold water is best. It’s better to have cold water in the morning or at noon than at night. Don’t take a bath when you are hungry; it sometimes produces faintness from a decrease in blood sugar.
• On the other hand, if you take a bath when you are too full, your digestion will be affected.
• Bathing time should not be too long nor the water too hot.
• Do not go into a breeze after a bath, for it is easy to catch a cold at this time.
• Those with coronary heart disease, angina pectoris or high blood pressure should be even more careful with a bath.
• Do not take a bath if you have a high temperature or have just been doing intense sports exercises. Menstruating or pregnant women should not take cold baths.

While a good warm bath can certainly do wonders in uplifting your spirits, it is important to take good care of your own well-being too. That includes eating properly and also living a healthy lifestyle.

Here are some final extra tips to boost your physical and mental health:

Eat right and well

You should include various kinds of fruit, greens, root vegetables, potatoes, salads, fish, peas, beans, lentils, brown rice, porridge, small amount of olive oil and low fat dairy products into your diet. Avoid junk food which contains sugar or too much saturated fat, soft drinks, alcohol, most sausages, chips, sweets, cakes, buns and white bread. It is best to stay away from junk food because they usually contain far too much sugar and fat but too little important nutrients, maybe even none at all.

Sleep well and get enough sleep

Adults should sleep at least 8 hours a day. Chances of getting a heart attack are higher for someone who sleeps less than 8 hours a day.

Do some light exercise regularly

Your exercise routine need not be a rigorous one. A daily 15-30 minutes of jogging or walking is enough to release some endorphins which in turn will make you feel happier and overall better.

There you have it, the guide to physical and well-being. It is interesting to note that baths are so beneficial to the mind and body, so much that whenever you have the chance to have one, take the opportunity to leave your mind and worries behind.