A bath with all sorts of oils and then a wide variety of cleansing agents is considered to be part of a
healthy daily routine in most parts of India, especially in South India. People often have a bath twice or
thrice a day and believe that they are keeping themselves clean and healthy. But sometimes such baths
lead to various diseases which we would never attribute to our obsession with bathing.
To sum up, here are the most common things to note while you think of getting a refreshing bath.
- Having a bath twice or thrice a day believing that it would keep the body cleaner is a big
mistake. The fact is that we lose the natural protective oily layer of sebum from the skin by such
repeated baths. This results in drying up of the skin and recurrent skin complaints like itching. - There are almost 15 varieties of beneficial fungi along with lakhs of varieties of bacteria that are
beneficial for us on the surface of the body. This fungal and bacterial flora is lost by repeated
baths. This leads to thriving of the harmful bacteria and fungi in the body and in turn several
complaints like dryness, itching, and other skin complaints. - There will be different kinds of bacteria, dust, fungi, pollen, etc. that stick to the body when we
go out and these create mild inflammations in our body which are often not recognizable.
These help the body to produce the antibodies against these organisms in our body and the very
slow reaction of such antibodies in the body helps improve the general immunity of the body.
Often, the persistent cold, sneezing, and other diseases we get from going out once in a while
can all be prevented when we have such antibodies formed in our body
Hence one must take bath once a day and not too many times. Washing the hair can be restricted to
once in two days. This too is to prevent the loss of natural sebum in the scalp which protects the hair
and keeps it healthy. - Application of oil to the scalp before bath too has adverse effects if the oil is not properly
washed off. This is because the excess oil on the scalp can lead to inflammations in the neck
muscles causing persistent neck and body aches and also inflammation of the sinuses causing
persistent sneezing, nasal obstruction, etc. Also, some kinds of fungi that grow on oils multiply
and cause worsening of complaints of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. - Bathing in very hot water is believed to give good health and avoid complaints of arthritis, but
the best water to take a bath is that which is at atmospheric temperature. This helps stimulated
the nerve endings on the skin and we feel energetic and refreshed. However, during an illness
or in convalescence after a disease, lukewarm water may be used for bath. Use of very hot
water causes skin irritation and also washes off the natural oils on the skin and leads to
wrinkling of the skin. - Mixing of hot and cold water to take a bath is thought to be wrong in many communities, but
this is totally illogical as we see hot and cold water mixing in natural sources of water such as
ponds, rivers and even the sea where we take a bath without any difficulties following. - A long bath does not mean a better bath by any means. An ideal bath needs to last only around
5 to 7 minutes. Spending extending periods of time in water may again lead to loss of the
protective oily coating of the skin resulting in dry and itchy skin. Also, people who suffer from
skin problems like eczema, atopic dermatitis, dry skin tendency, psoriasis, etc. must make sure
to avoid spending too much time in bath. - Use of expensive fragrant antibacterial soaps is another big mistake people do. There are lakhs
of beneficial bacteria that thrive on our skin which are destroyed by the use of the antibacterial
soaps. This eventually leads to the multiplication of harmful bacteria in the body, which may
cause several kinds of skin diseases. So, it is always good to use mild glycerin-based soaps for a
bath and the soap must be completely rinsed off from the skin. - Some soaps claim to make you fairer and that is because of the bleaching agents mixed in them.
The skin gets a bleached effect for a short period after use of these soaps, but it is only a
temporary effect and may even be harmful to the skin due to the chemicals used. Also, the
soaps are to be applied primarily only to the regions like arms, legs, face, armpits, and groins
because of the sweat and dirt that may be deposited in these areas. The rest of the body would
require soap only when you are exposed to excessive dirt or dust. Other than this, application of
soap may be restricted to once a week or once in 10 days. More frequent use of soaps is actually
harmful to the skin due to the various chemicals and cleaning agents used in it. - People use a variety of substances to rub and wash the body during a bath such as gram flour,
green gram powder, multani mitti combinations, etc. and even rub the skin with fibers from
coconut. Such products cause microtears to the skin which may lead to itching and infection to
the skin. - A soft towel must be used to wipe the hair and body after a bath and only dabbed to dry. The
towel must be washed and dried well to avoid the breeding of any organisms on it. Bacteria,
fungi, molds and organisms like trichomycetes which thrive on the skin particles sticking to the
towel may cause reinfection if the towel is not washed and dried well. This is the most common
reason for people getting sneezing, cold and allergic symptoms after wiping the hair after a
bath. - The hygiene of the bathroom is also a very important factor in getting a good bath. In addition
to cleaning the bathroom and the taps, the shower heads also must be cleaned well as the
water that stagnates in the holes of a shower head may promote the multiplication of fungi.
Also, the windows and doors made of wood must be kept dry as these areas would aid in the
growth of fungi and mold. Use of an exhaust fan may also help in reduction of the moisture in
the bathroom after a bath.
Getting a bath with these points in mind would surely be a refreshing experience in itself in the present
life of hectic work and polluted environment.