I’m sure we all love dipping in warm water and being tucked with light, fluffy foam.
Let’s talk how to take care of skin after a bath. As far as we are aware of bath benefits (relaxation etc.), we rarely know the effect of long baths on the skin.
Enough of the introduction! Let’s get to the bottom line. 🙂
Relaxing bath vs quick shower
People come in two groups: fans of long baths and enthusiasts of quick showers (just to freshen up not losing time).
Hands down I belong to the first group. I think baths have numerous benefits and we shouldn’t give them up. The top merits of regular baths:
- relaxation for body and soul: bath may have aromatherapeutic effect, relieve stress and relax the muscles.
- moisture boost, nutrients and repair as long as we add the right ingredients e.g. oils and follow good after-bath skin care routine.
- body detox because a bath cleanses the skin as well as aids in removing toxins from the body.
- anti-cellulite and anti-aging effect thanks to stimulating blood and lymph flow in skin with warm water and added ingredients.
Are baths worth it then?
Hands down, they are! <3
I gave up on showers for a bath cause I like to have a chill-in time in the evening, dipping in warm water. Still, I’m aware evening baths have some downsides.
The time spent in a bathtub is so nice and idyllic that you can forget about everything and end up spending entire evening in water. It’s surely a nice “time thief”. You can try some tricks that will get you out of the tub more quickly (e.g. crack open the door so water can cool down faster forcing you to escape from the tub).
Lots of “anti-bathers” complain that frequent baths dry out the skin. It’s true if you don’t take good care of the body after getting out of water!
Skin after a bath: the five-minute rule
Why skin dries out after a bath so quickly? That’s the effect of water evaporation. During a bath, the blood circulation is stimulated whereas skin pores are open – this leads to faster loss of water. This might seem surprising but it’s true – water in the tub doesn’t hydrate our bodies.
Have you ever heard of the 5-minute rule? I’m sure you haven’t. I didn’t know about it either but it matters a lot: a couple of minutes after a bath are critical.
The rule says you must apply skin care products immediately after getting out of the bathtub and towel-drying the skin – in less than 5 minutes because that’s the time water needs to evaporate. Let’s remember about this rule!
How to care for skin after a bath?
Discover my tried and tested remedies to avoid extremely dry skin after a bath. Apart from after-care products, there are some other things to consider.
1. Temperature of bath water
The temp of water is the first thing to think of. Remember that hot baths don’t benefit the skin because they make skin lose water more quickly. If you don’t want to have problems with moisturizing the skin afterwards, I recommend baths in cool water – effective way of improving blood flow, firming up skin and keeping it young without damaging natural hydro-lipid layer which shields from the loss of water.
2. Gentle towel-drying
Another step involves drying the skin. We often do it irritating the skin. Why? We don’t know how to correctly dry the skin after a bath – we tend to rub it with a towel (over)enthusiastically, trying to warm up after leaving the tub. Too bad, apart from enhancing the blood flow, we also rip off the protective layer and irritate the skin.
3. Moisture-boosting lotion/balm
You mustn’t forget about moisturizing products either – it can be your favorite balm, a light lotion or cream. You may as well create your own mixture e.g. with hyaluronic acid, honey, yoghurt. The essential thing is your product contains skin-friendly humectants that bind water molecules in skin. Remember about the 5-minute rule!
4. Body oil treatment
Finally, a very easy and effective home treatment I swear by – body oil massage. By pampering your body this way, you stimulate microcirculation, boost elasticity and reduce cellulite. Using a fine-quality body oil is a secret to success, ideally pick cold-pressed, unrefined, 100% organic argan oil or almond oil (for sensitive skin). This nice oil therapy is my favorite stage since it leaves my body soft and smooth like velvet, plus the skin doesn’t feel tight or irritated.
