After a hard day at work, when the skin feels parched and inflamed leaving you lacklustre and tired, a lavish bath with natural herb-based products can help nourish, relieve, soothe and refresh you.

Just the thought of a bathtub of water and bath salts tranquilises the mind.
As one gently lowers oneself into the bathtub brimming with water, the soothing feel of water helps the body to relax.

But make sure that the “temperature is moderate and one should only gently scrub the body with hands, loofah (dried fibrous part of a gourd) or wash cloth made of teddy cotton,” suggests Divita Kanoria, chief wellness officer at Vedic Collection. She also recommends use of “Bath Bombs, which is a mix of bath salts, shea butter and essential oils inside a round shaped mould which dissipates. When dropped in the tub it soothes the muscles.”

An important element of a luxury bath are the bath salts. These usually come in different colours. “Colours that we are attracted to are linked to our personality types, our strengths and weaknesses. Not only do they cause emotional reactions but also have an influence on our mood and well being,” says Blossom Kochhar, founder and chairperson of the Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies.

She informs that the right procedure to use bath salts is by “Pouring a certain amount of the bath salt in a bathtub filled with water. Soak in your body for 15-20 minutes. This will cleanse the skin and the ingredients used in making the salts will help play on your senses, uplift you spiritually and will help you feel refreshed.”

Beauty experts advise against using any other soap or body gel after taking a normal bath with the bath salt, to enable the ingredients in the bath salt enhance and nurture the beauty of the skin while cleansing it.

A body wash, however, can be used in place of bath salt at times. Also suntan and skin irritation is very common during the summers.

“If you have burnt your skin in the heat, then slip into a tub of cold water to soothe the burn. Soak yourself in cool water to which you can add a few tablespoons of baking soda which makes an excellent sunburn soothing remedy. A dip in this water for 15-20 minutes can get that radiant, silky feel for your skin.

Further to this, two cups of apple cider vinegar to the bath water also helps ease sunburn pain and inflammation,” advises Tisha Kapur Khurana, beauty expert with Bottega di Lungavita.

Once out of the tub, make sure to prevent the skin from drying by applying a moisturiser immediately after your soak. Tisha adds, “Also try to chill the moisturiser in the refrigerator before using to cool the skin further.”