A bath is a daily ritual, but few people understand its purpose or importance. That is why most of us merely throw water over our heads and the bodies and think that we have done our duty. Throwing water over the body is beneficial but it is not what a bath is.
The twin purposes of a bath are : cleanliness and reactivating the circulation of the blood by the stinging sensation that cold water produces as it comes into contact with the skin. The first purpose, i.e. cleanliness can be better served by hot water. The skin of the body has millions of pores through which the skin breathes as we do through our lungs. If the pores are clogged, the lungs are overworked. Overwork may lead to fatigue or exhaustion of the lungs, and then, closed pores do not pass any perspiration which is a must to clear the blood of morbid humours. Closed pores are a danger to the general health of human beings.
Cold water is also a cleansing agent, but it cannot deal with the grease and dirt infesting the pores of the skin. Hot water mixed with lemon juice is the best cleansing agent for the skin. Or better still, take a lemon and roast it lightly over a fire. Then cut it into two parts, dip a part in hot water and rub it over your skin. This will cleanse your skin as no soap can do. But a hot bath should not be taken daily. It generally bring weakness and slows down the digestive processes. Once or twice a week is enough if you have to taken hot bath. The temperature of the water should not be more than one or two degree above body temperature.
A hot bath before retiring for the night is the best for your health. It helps you to sleep better and if you cover your body after a hot bath, it will save you from the danger of exposure. A bath, hot or cold, should be taken one hour before meals or three hours after it.
Really hot water for a bath has its own advantages but it should be used sparingly. If you are suffering from a cold, take a hot bath, cover yourself with woollens and get into bed. It will drive away the cold. A really hot bath when you are tired acts as a tonic: it drives away fatigue as nothing else does.
A bath with hot water has its uses, but a daily bath should be with cold water. When the skin is cooled by the cold water, blood rushes to warm it up. The circulation of the blood is activated and the blood is also cleansed of many impurities. A slowed down circulation is a prelude to old age. A cold bath is, therefore, instrumental in keeping us young.
The best way to start a bath is to rub the whole of your body with your palms or with a rough towel. Start with your scalp, forehead, face and the neck. Then go on to your wrists and then to the shoulders through the arms. Afterwards rub your chest, the armpits and abdomen and the back. The feet should be the first to receive attention. Keep your feet straight when you rub Ihem. Start from the feet and come up to the thighs. In the beginning, rub gently but later increase the pressure.
After the vigorous rubbing, take a cold bath. Wipe your body with a towel. Start with the head and then dry up the whole body. You will feel a peculiar kind of pleasure when you rub your body after a bath. For weak persons, a rubbing can do the job of exercise.
If this method of taking a bath is adopted, there will not be any danger of any skin eruptions or itch. The face will be free of pimples and other blemishes which mar its beauty. The skin will acquire a healthy glow and if it is rough and leathery, it will become pink and soft. You will have the feeling as if you have been having an oil massage.