Retooling your skincare routine to include more moisture is vital to obtaining soft, supple skin. Bath time presents a fabulous opportunity to pamper yourself with a few all-natural ingredients. Cleopatra, renown for her boundless beauty and flawless skin, reportedly indulged in cream and honey baths -- two ingredients known for their skin-softening and hydrating qualities. You don't have to be a queen to bathe like one; a few bath additives will help hydrate dry skin.
Mix together 2 cups of heavy cream or goat's milk and a 1/2 cup of raw honey in a small bowl. Use more or less honey and cream depending upon how milky you'd like your bath. Pour mixture under lukewarm running water and swish to evenly disperse. Gradually increase bath's temperature to your liking; pouring cream or milk into a very hot bath can curdle the milk. Immerse yourself in the water for at least 20 minutes.
Add seven drops of an essential oil of your choice to several tablespoons of a carrier oil such as avocado, olive, sweet almond or grapeseed and thoroughly mix. Essential oils such as sandalwood, rose, tea tree and camomile can help soothe dry, irritated skin. Alternatively, add the essential oils to several tablespoons of shampoo for an essential oil bubble bath. Pour oil or shampoo mixture under running water, swish and soak for 20 minutes.
Draw a lukewarm bath and add up to 3 cups of colloidal oatmeal under running water. Swish to disperse evenly. Soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat up to three times a day for relief of itchy, dry skin.
Tip
Washing the bath additives off is not necessary; you can exit the bathtub and dry off or rinse as usual.
Warning
Bathtub additives can make skin and surfaces slippery; exercise caution when exiting the bathtub.
References
Writer Bio
Tara Thomas has been a writer and traveler since 1997. Her articles appear in various online publications. She also has experience authoring grant proposals for a Southern California marine science laboratory, which helped her develop a lifelong interest in environmentalism. Thomas is an event planner, has a Bachelor of Science in marine biology from California State University, Long Beach, and worked as a mortgage consultant since 1998.