Do these 5 Things while taking Bath for glowing skin, strong hair and better overall health

Whenever water touches our body, it feels good. The reason is that 70% of our body is made up of water. Of course, we take bath daily. But there are some things about bathing that I think everyone should know because bathing doesn't just clean dirt off the body. It also calms the mind. 

But surprisingly if you do a few things while taking bath you can even find some relief in problems like hair fall, skin issues, diabetes, sinus, weak eyesight and body heat.

Friends, in this article I want to share four five such things about bathing that most people don't know but I assure that following them will benefit you greatly. We'll try to keep this simple and practical so that this mundane act of bathing becomes therapeutic for us. So without any further delay, let's get started.

Don't Forget These Body Parts While Bathing

Foremost thing that I want to talk about is that while bathing there are some body parts that we tend to forget. For example, if I ask you, do you clean the soles of your feet while bathing? Maybe 80% of us would say no. 

Throughout the day, the soles of our feet not only get dirty, but note that they are also one of the most important acupressure regions of our body.

Benefits of scrubbing the soles of feet:

• Reduces stress
• Improves vision
• Increases blood circulation in the whole body
• According to Ayurveda, scrubbing soles reduces body heat

Foot scrubbers aren't a new thing. You must have seen stone foot scrubbers in our homes. Even today, I prefer using them. You can easily get one for 20 rupees and it serves you for a good 1 month. Using these not only cleans the feet easily but also gives instant relaxation.

Moving up from the soles, let's talk about the calf muscles. We often ignore this part as well, but if you spend some time massaging your calf muscles while bathing, you will get three major benefits:

1. Blood sugar reduction: Modern studies show that stimulating the soleus muscle in the calf can reduce blood sugar by up to 52%.
2. Normalizes high blood pressure: A study found that within minutes of massaging the calf muscles, volunteers' blood pressure came down to normal.
3. Improves digestion: Pressing and massaging calves increases blood flow in the stomach, helping reduce gas and aid digestion.

So whenever you take bath, don't forget to press your calf muscles with your hands.

Clean Your Nose During Bathing

How many of you blow your noses while bathing? I think hardly 40 to 50%, whether you do it at any other times or not. But you must make a habit to clean your nose while bathing. Why? Because when water falls on the head and nose, the accumulated mucus loosens up and cleaning the nose with pressure at that time easily removes it. 

This is a simple but effective way to keep the sinuses clean. In the earlier times, people would always clean their noses while bathing. But today, we are forgetting this simple technique.

Stimulate Your Ears

Just right now, wherever you are, wiggle your ears like this. It feels good, right? Studies show that moving the ears activates the brain. Since childhood, we have been punished by holding our ears and doing the murapos. 

The reason is that the nerves in the ears are directly connected to the brain. If you stimulate your ears for 10 seconds while bathing, the chances of problems like migraines reduce greatly. And if you already have migraine or headache, you will get relief.

Care for Your Eyes

The eyes are a body part that's being almost abused these days. Bathing is a great opportunity to splash fresh water on open eyes with mouth full of water. This not only improves eyesight but also reduces the chances of eye itching, redness or infection.

Other Areas to Focus On

There are other areas of the body we tend to ignore like the neck, the area behind the ears, the thyroid region, the wrists, the back and the elbows. Bathing is also a good time when you can do a little facial yoga. Simply massage the face in upward direction. This will lift your face improving the jawline.

Basically, bathing is an opportunity to massage the entire body. That's why our elders used to say use less of soap but massage the body more. If you take bath like this, not only will dead skin come off easily, but blood circulation will improve throughout the body. Wherever blood flows properly in the body, those organs begin to heal on their own.

Takeaway: Bathing isn't just pouring water on the body. It's about activating the whole body. Try once, you will feel energetic from day one.

Also Read: 5 Amazing Vegetarian Protein Foods Better Than Egg

Cold Water Bath or Hot Water Bath?

Next, we should also know when to take bath with cold water and when with hot water. The general rule is that bathing with cold water is healthier.

Benefits of Cold Water Bath

• Promotes fat loss: Research shows that when chilled water is poured over the body, insulin sensitivity improves.
• Increases alertness: No matter how sleepy you are in the morning, cold water bath energizes the body and mind instantly.
• Slows down skin aging: Cold water tightens skin pores and brings a natural glow, much better than any anti-aging cream.
• Reduces inflammation: Wherever cold water touches the body, it slows aging and reduces skin itching.
• Improves mental health: Cold water triggers release of endorphins that improve mood and increase willpower.

People living in colder regions tend to live longer than those in hot areas, which is a natural proof of cold water's benefits. Although cold water bathing is harder, especially in winters, overcoming this mental barrier boosts your mental strength.

Modern science and Ayurveda both support cold water bathing. Major credit goes to Wim Hof (the Iceman), who holds 21 Guinness World Records and advocates that cold water helps control the mind and protects against physical illnesses.

When to Use Hot or Lukewarm Water

It's not that you should never take bath with hot water. Ayurveda prescribes lukewarm water bathing in cases such as:

• Severe cold or fever
• Right after workout sessions
• Extreme chilly weather

Avoid very hot water: It weakens hair, enlarges skin pores, weakens eyesight, and can increase issues like blood pressure and headaches. So, as much as possible take bath with chilled or at least fresh water.

3 Places Where You Should Apply Soap

Most people apply soap everywhere while bathing. There is no need for that. Only three body parts require soap:

• Armpits
• Groin area
• Soles of the feet

These are the parts that sweat the most. For the rest of the body parts, water and scrubbing with hands is enough.

In earlier times, people used to take bath with upt (a paste made of uptton, turmeric and curd). It not only cleans the body well but also keeps natural oils of the skin intact making the skin glow.

You can keep basin or rice flour with a little turmeric in the bathroom. Mix it with curd or water and use it as a body cleanser. You can apply it all over the body. Using commercial soap everywhere washes away natural oils making the skin unnecessarily dry, which can lead to eczema or psoriasis in some cases.

Also, avoid bathing for too long. Staying in water for half an hour or more can dry and crack the skin and also wastes water.

Hair Care Tips

On the head, use shampoo instead of soap. But shampooing daily can make hair dry and prone to breakage. Shampooing two to three times a week is enough. If pollution or other reasons make you want to wash hair daily, just rinse with water or use a little reetha powder.

Groin Area Care

Should we use intimate wash or soap in the groin area? Intimate washes are such a waste of money. Use toxin-free soap or the best is to use upt. An Ayurvedic secret is to mix a little alum powder in water and wash that area twice a week. You will never face UTI or vaginal infections.

Bucket Bath or Shower?

This might be a touchy topic for some because we have gotten so used to showers. No doubt they're convenient, but there are two things to consider:

1. Which method allows better bathing? Bucket bath involves sitting, making it easy to clean the feet, calves, and lower body parts—areas important for health benefits. Showering while standing makes it hard to reach feet.
2. Water efficiency: When sitting, one mug of water effectively wets more body parts. Showers often waste water, with much falling outside the body.

Our parents have tweaked bucket bathing to the ultimate level of efficiency. Just by squatting on the floor, water hits multiple body parts simultaneously, optimizing cleaning.

Experts say that one bucket holds about 20 liters of water. On average, a person uses two buckets (40 liters), but a 5-minute shower pours down about 60 liters of water. Some people run showers for 15-20 minutes, wasting water unnecessarily.

How to Use Shower Wisely

You don't need to remove shower fittings, but use showers wisely:

• First, wet your whole body in 10-15 seconds.
• Turn off the shower and spend 5 minutes applying soap, shampoo, or upt.
• Scrub and massage the whole body well.
• Run the shower for 2 minutes to rinse.

This method makes shower bathing more efficient and improves your bathing experience.

Enhance Your Bathing Water

Yaya even suggests ways to make bathing water medicinal:

• If someone has excess body heat, mix rose water in bathing water.
• For skin problems, add neem leaves to the bucket night before and bathe with neem-infused water.
• For body odor, add a spoon of alum powder to the bathing water.

All this is only possible with bucket bathing. Also, in water-scarce cities like Bengaluru and Delhi, wasting water during bathing is insensitive.

After Bathing Care

After bathing, sometimes we hurry and wear clothes without properly drying the body. This is a mistake that can cause skin infection, especially in winter. After bathing, dead skin gets loose and should be removed by thorough towel drying.

Earlier people would apply a little oil to their navel, nostrils, and ears after bathing. This has subtle benefits:

• Applying oil to the navel helps stimulate necessary nerves.
• A drop of mustard oil in each nostril prevents sinus problems.
• A little oil in ears prevents tinnitus and can help ear problems.

Doctors advise not to put oil in ears generally, but Ayurveda strongly recommends kuran puran, where oil is poured into the ears to treat ear pain and even deafness.

Recap: Key Bathing Tips for Better Health and Youthful Skin

• Use less soap but scrub the body more.
• Only armpits, groin, and feet require soap; for the rest, water and scrubbing are enough.
• Stimulate soles of feet and calf muscles for multiple health benefits.
• Focus on eyes, ears, area behind ears, neck, thyroid region, and massage face upward.
• Prefer cold or fresh water baths to slow skin aging and boost mental health.
• Avoid long baths to prevent skin dryness.
• Bucket baths clean more effectively and save water compared to showers.
• Dry your body well after bathing to remove dead skin and prevent infections.
• Apply a little oil to navel, nostrils, and ears post-bath for added benefits.

Conclusion

Bathing isn't just physical cleaning; it's mental purification as well. Often while bathing, our attention remains scattered. Instead, feel the water and stay present in the moment. This simple shift can turn bathing into a meditative act.

Which one of these points clicked the most with you? Try incorporating these Ayurvedic bathing secrets into your daily routine and experience glowing skin, strong hair, and better overall health.

FAQs

1. Should I use soap all over my body while bathing?

No. Only armpits, groin, and soles of feet need soap because they sweat the most. For other areas, water and scrubbing with hands are sufficient.

2. Is cold water bathing better than hot water bathing?

Yes. Cold water bathing promotes fat loss, tightens skin pores, reduces inflammation, improves mood, and slows skin aging. Hot water should be avoided except in certain conditions like fever or after workouts.

3. How often should I shampoo my hair?

Shampooing two to three times a week is enough. Daily shampooing can dry hair and cause breakage. If needed, rinse with water or use reetha powder on other days.

4. Is bucket bathing better than shower?

Bucket bathing is more water-efficient and allows better access to feet and calves, which provide health benefits when massaged. Showers can waste more water.

5. How can I prevent sinus or ear problems through bathing?

Clean your nose while bathing to remove mucus. Apply a drop of mustard oil in nostrils and a little oil in ears after bathing to prevent sinus and ear issues.