Habitual bathing patterns can be traced all the way back to ancient India, where people made a habit of taking thrice daily dips as early as 500BC. A little later the Ancient Greeks followed suit, crafting elaborate basins and footbaths of marble and alabaster, often filled with perfumed water to elevate their own meticulous washing.
From the Middle East to Morocco, Mexico and Finland, a vast and varied array of bathing rituals have followed since. And far from being just a means of dispelling dirt, these rituals have very consistently carried deeper meaning - playing medicinal, beautifying, body-strengthening and spirit cleansing roles within their communities.
As someone who has religiously maintained a nightly bathing ritual from childhood right through to adulthood, I am convinced that there are very few things as beneficial - or transformative - as taking to the tub.
Easy, inexpensive and utterly pleasurable, a bath offers far more than a few quiet minutes to yourself. It is — of course — a welcome relief for the back, the joints, the muscles and the mind. But for me it’s the moment that I draw a line under the day: under work, under worries, and under caring for others. It’s a small, steamy, beautifully scented space where I can be me.
And the beauty of it is that, whatever you’re seeking - to soothe muscles, boost circulation and serotonin levels, bring on sleep, strengthen immunity or calm spiking cortisol - there’s a salt, oil or tincture to match. Here are some of the very best...
DR TEALS Coconut Oil Foaming Bath with Epsom Salt - This well-priced beauty delivers not just seriously soft skin, but some of the best sleeps you’ll have. (£19.99, amazon.co.uk)
C.O. Bigelow Herbal Comfort Soak - Works to shoo away the symptoms of winter colds and flu with echinacea, eucalyptus, ginger, tea tree and willow bark. Yes please. (£24, libertylondon.com)
Higher Dose Seratonin Soak - Send stress down the plug with this potent blend carefully crafted to calm the nervous system, ease tension and help those shoulder drop. (£35, healf.com)
ESPA Fitness Bath Salts - With recharging magnesium, dead sea salts, seaweed, oats and arnica, this clever tincture eases muscular discomfort fast. (£33, cultbeauty.co.uk)
Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Bath and Shower Oil - Trust me when I say that bath oils don’t come sweeter scented than this with grounding vertivert, sandal wood and chamomile to ease you into slumber (£60, aromatherapyassocates.com)
Susanne Kauffman St John’s Wort Bath Powder - A multi-award winner to add to your arsenal. While St John’s wort extract, cocoa butter and milk protein tackle dryness and irritation, beetroot extract and olive oil restore lost moisture. (£50, susannekauffman.com)
Aveda Stress Fix Bath Salts - A pretty but powerful pot containing aromatherapy-infused salts clinically proven to swoosh away stress. (£36, johnlewis.com)
Fresh Sake Bath - Press full stop on your working day with this silky, smooth sake bath infused with real sake to purify and soften dry, transeasonal skin. (£75, fresh.com)
Odacité Mood Cleansing Ayurvedic Bath Soak - Bid adieu to a less-than-perfect day with this clever mood-enhancing concoction, (£27, cultbeauty.co.uk)
