Bath additives are added to the water in full and sitz baths. They can be stimulating, muscle relaxing, decongesting or nourishing.
What are bath additives?
Bath additives are added to water in full and sitz baths. Many people take a bath not only for cleansing, but also lie in the bath for relaxation. However, bathing in warm water is not only for stress reduction. Balneotherapy makes use of the therapeutic effects of baths and the active substances they contain. The most original form of this bath therapy is bathing in warm salt or medicinal water. However, bath additives are often added to the bath water to support the effect of the water and heat. Bath additives can be added to sitz or full baths. Sitz baths are used mainly for diseases of the anal and genital area. A distinction can be made between cold, rising and warm sitz baths. The potassium permanganate sitz bath is also well known. The bath additive potassium permanganate is mainly used in the treatment of diaper dermatitis.
Forms, types and kinds
There are many different bath additives. A classic is the bath salt. It is a granular bath additive consisting of inorganic salts such as borax, sodium chloride or sodium phosphate. Bath salt in the form of bath tablets also contains binders such as talc or starch. Bath salts can also bubble. For this purpose, citric acid or tartaric acid is added to it. Often, the bath salt is mixed with colorants and / or fragrances. Thus, the bath water changes color and smells, for example, of spruce or rose. In the case of fragrances, a distinction can be made between perfume substances and natural essential oils. Furthermore, bath salts can also contain surfactants. Surfactants are substances that reduce the surface tension of a liquid. In bath salts, they act as washing-active substances or as solubilizers. Bath oil is a liquid bath additive. Bath oils contain various oils such as almond oil, jojoba oil, grape seed oil, apricot kernel oil or evening primrose oil. As a rule, bath oils are very productive. Just like bath salts, bath oils can also be mixed with aromatic oils or perfume substances. Unlike bath salts, bath oils do not dissolve completely in water. Cream baths are also usually liquid bath additives. They do not contain as much oil as the bath oils and mix better with the water due to the emulsifiers added. Various color and fragrance variations are also possible here. A current trend are the so-called bath bombs. These are solid bath additives that are usually available in the form of fist-sized balls. When these bath balls are added to the bath water, they dissolve and have a tingling effect due to the formation of small bubbles. Bath bombs contain bicarbonate in addition to salt. This is responsible for the effervescent effect.
Structure and mode of operation
Most bath additives are added to the incoming bath water. Attention should be paid to the correct water temperature. Cold baths have a temperature between 15 and 18 degrees Celsius. Some bath additives do not dissolve in cold water. More often, however, warm baths are taken. Here the bath temperature should be between 37 and 39 degrees Celsius. Temperature-increasing baths should only be taken under the supervision of knowledgeable bath personnel. Depending on the bath additive, the therapeutic bath should not last longer than fifteen minutes. Normal bath duration is between ten and fifteen minutes. For some indications, the bath should not last longer than two to three minutes. Which bath additive should be chosen depends on the intention and indication. A bath additive for relaxation should contain calming ingredients such as lavender or hops. Baths for colds work well with essential oils of eucalyptus or thyme. Oil or cream baths should be preferred for dry or sensitive skin. Bath bombs often have no health effect but serve solely for bathing pleasure.
Medical and health benefits
The medical and health benefits of the particular bath additive depend on the ingredients. Bathing leads to muscle relaxation due to the warmth of the water. Blood circulation increases and cardiac output increases while blood pressure levels remain the same.The main areas of application for bath additives are skin diseases, rheumatic diseases such as fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis, regeneration and psychosomatic diseases. Bath additives can also be helpful after sports injuries, for colds or for tension. For skin diseases such as neurodermatitis, brine in particular has proven its worth as a bath additive. While normal baths often draw moisture from the skin, brine ensures that the water is deposited in the outer horny layer of the skin. This preserves the skin’s natural protective layer. In addition, essential minerals enter the body’s circulation with the brine. These can stimulate the metabolism and contribute to an activation of the self-healing powers. Bath additives with eucalyptus, thyme or mountain pine are suitable for cold baths. The essential oils of these plants have an antiviral and antibacterial effect. They strengthen the immune system and can relieve the aching limbs that often occur at the beginning of a cold. However, a bath with a cold-relieving bath additive should only be taken at the first signs of a cold. If symptoms such as cough, cold or fever are already present, a hot bath with such a bath additive is not recommended. The strain on the sick body would be too high. For muscle and joint complaints, bath additives with comfrey, arnica or rosemary are suitable. Comfrey helps to relieve the discomfort of the musculoskeletal system. Arnica has both anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Rosemary improves blood circulation to tissues and muscles, relieving tension. Bath additives with rosemary are also used to treat joint pain.
