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A relaxing bath routine is a great form of self-care and stress relief. Nothing feels better after a long day than a warm bubble bath and a good book. We curated 10 tips to create your own bath relaxation ritual and ultimately boost your overall self-care routine:
Create a relaxing atmosphere.
To start off your stress relief routine, lower the lights, light candles, and play calming music while you prep your tub.
Add Epsom salt to the tub.
Epsom salt works to relax your muscles and provide relief throughout your entire body. The relaxing salt contains magnesium, which has tons of benefits for muscle recovery, sleep, and stress.
Drop in some essential oils.
Essential oils are derived from plants and can bring relief to headaches, stomach aches, muscle aches, and other ailments. Adding an essential oil or two to your bath provides aromatherapy and relief, creating a more relaxing environment.
Bubbles and bath bombs.
If the Epsom salt and essential oils aren’t enough, you can add some bubble bath soap or a bath bomb to the tub to mix it up. Make sure to apply lotion after you’ve used either, as some bubble baths or bath bombs can be drying.
Exfoliate your skin.
Once you’ve added the fun stuff to your bath, you can move on to some skin and hair care. Use a body scrub to gently exfoliate your skin, promoting circulation and removing dead skin cells. Exfoliation once or twice a week is great for your skin!
Exfoliate your scalp.
Use a gentle shampoo and conditioner to wash your hair, massaging your scalp to stimulate blood flow. Scalp exfoliation is great for any dry skin or product buildup, clearing the way to let your shampoo work better.
Apply a hair mask.
After you’ve exfoliated your scalp, work in some moisture with a nourishing hair mask. Applying a hair mask to your locks and leaving it on for a few minutes will deeply condition your hair.
Cleanse your face.
Use a gentle facial cleanser to wash your face, removing any makeup and impurities. Be sure to keep the water at a mild temperature so you don’t damage your skin. Apply a face mask to hydrate and nourish your skin, especially if you exfoliated prior.
Relax and breathe.
This is probably one of the quietest parts of your day—take advantage of it! Close your eyes and take deep breaths, allowing yourself to fully relax and unwind. If you like to read, the bath is a great time to do so. The lack of distractions creates the perfect reading environment.
Finish with a moisturizer.
Once you’ve been soaking for 20-30 minutes or so, make sure to moisturize once you get out of the tub. Pat your skin dry with a towel and apply a nourishing moisturizer to seal in hydration. This will lock in all of the skin prep you did at the beginning!
By following these 10 steps, you can create a luxurious bath ritual that will help you unwind and de-stress. Rituals and routines implemented into your daily life can improve your mental and physical health significantly. While we know a daily bath may not be feasible for some, especially parents of young kids, once a week or once every other week will suffice. Setting aside time for yourself is important to your overall productivity and quality of life.
