Beauty Begins With The Bath
Even if you had to pay admission every time you stepped into the bathtub, you'd still be making profits. For the daily bath is the shortest route to health, beauty, and pleasure. Medical authorities say so, beauticians agree, psychiatrists recommend it and America shows its appreciation of this triple treat by having invested in some million bathtubs, according to recent census figures.
First, of course, are the health benefits to be derived from soap and water. Clean skin is able to cope with the bacteria that accumulate upon it in the course of normal living. Bacteria can cause skin infections and transmit more serious contagious diseases. But daily bathing with warm water and soap will remove a large of such newly acquired bacteria before they have had a chance to become permanently established in the skin. Even if germs do no harm at once, medical authorities point out, they can cause trouble and disorder in the sebaceous ducts later on. Scientific experiments have proved that soap has a definite antiseptic effect, and is even more effective than carbolic acid in fighting certain kinds of germs. Water alone cannot perform this cleansing action. An oily film that covers the skin must have soap to remove it, along with the dirt and accumulated bacteria.
It's generally conceded that warm suds, rather than hot, are the best recipe for health, beauty, and comfort, Warm water is both pleasant and effective, yet doesn't disturb the normal body functions as extremely hot water may do. A good test for the ideal bath temperature is whether you can step right into it. Warm suds are wonderfully relaxing to tired muscles; they overcome fatigue and are effective in combating a chill. For the most sedative reaction, however, draw yourself a tepid bath-tepid being normal skin temperature, which is a few degrees lower than body temperature. For a tingling finish to your warm bath, enjoy a brief, cold shower followed by a brisk rub with a coarse-textured towel. Most people react better to a short cold dip - or shower – than to a long cold bath. Extremely cold water, over a long period of time, may result in chilling. The aim of a cold bath or shower is to stimulate the circulation and produce an exhilarating effect.
Whether a shower or tub bath is more beneficial is a subject that can be argued successfully for years to come. Actually, the important point is how thoroughly soaped you get! If you like your warm water vertical, step out from under the spray while you soap yourself all over—or turn off the shower faucets. Then step back under the spray and rinse. The more suds you use, the more cleansing the bath. Generally speaking, the most satisfying shower is the one that starts out warm and ends up cool and even a little cold. Feeling well is the basis of beauty.
Every season sees some additional bath gadget on the market to make the tub or shower even more luxurious. There are bathtub pillows of foam rubber that can be attached to the tub by means of suction cups; bath spray brushes that attach to the faucet; back-scrubbers like the new bristle circle, with plastic tapes at either end and loops to fit over the hands; loofah mitts and sponges made of dried vegetable fiber that give a good glow to the skin; bath trays that fit tidily over the bathtub rim to hold bath oil, make-up mirror, a book, or what have you; bathtub seats that encourage an extra foot bath now and then, when you can jump into your shortie pajamas, sit on the seat, and scrub away those calloused and pebbled areas with a brush and some "salad oil paste." This excellent, and economical, bath cream is made by adding a spoonful of salad oü to thick soapsuds. Massage this mixture into ankles, feet, elbows. It leaves the skin smooth and lovely looking.
Shower addicts can make good use of a gadget called a bath caddie—an elongated strip of transparent plastic with numerous deep pockets. Hang this caddie over the shower rod, and it will hold all the soap, brushes, and sponges you need within easy reach. It not only saves steps but is also an excellent safety item.
A practical bath trick is to add a spoonful of detergent to your bathwater, and you'll find there's no unsightly ring left in the tub. The real bath artist is as particular about having her cloths, sponges, brushes, and tub immaculate when she finishes her bath as when she starts it. There's no point in washing away the day's soil and grime unless the bath mat, the tub, the towels, and other accessories are soap-and-water fresh, too. And be sure enough towels are on hand before you step into the tube.
Busy women, whose careers depend on their beauty, manage to combine bath time exercises along with the bath. For instance, a complete beauty treatment consists of putting on a bathing cap and lying, fully relaxed, in the tub with the feet propped higher than the head. This"beauty angle" is easy enough to assume. Just curl your toes around the faucets. Let a gentle spray from the shower pelt you all over. Or practice tossing a cake of soap on the bathroom floor and trying to pick it, up with your toes! It's a wonderful exercise.
The perfect finishing touch to the bath is a good shampoo. If it's done properly, you can even shampoo your, hair every day with perfect safety! Use water neither too hot nor too cold, and scrub the scalp as well as the hair. Rinse thoroughly—a good test of "thoroughness" is to run the fingers over the hair, If it still feels smooth, it needs still another rinsing! For the best rinsing job, stand under the shower and let a brisk spray do the job.
