Expert: Ronda Snow, Ph.D. - 3/11/2004

Question
In your opinion, is taking a bath for 20 to 30 minutes in water as hot as you can stand it, a good way to cleanse the body.

I hear the cleansing takes place because you are sweating.

Thanks in advance.


Answer
Hello Sallie...

Yes and no....

It depends on what your goal is. If you want a nice relaxing half hour, then a hot soak in the tub is great, especially if you add in your favorite aromatherapy salts or candles, what have you. The ambiance of a bath like that is very relaxing, and can be rejuvinating as well. I would suggest stearing clear of the "hot as you can stand it" part though. That can be too drying for the skin and be harmful in some people who have hot or 'yang' medical conditions.


So a bath has all the benefits of any other activity you find relaxing, but for real clensing there are better ways to go about it.

A regular bath doesn't maintain the temperature long enought to be real helpful, and that initial extreme may not be a good idea for susceptable folks.

A traditional swedish sauna, with alternating 10-15 minutes of heat and steam with periods of cool down or tepid/cool water bathing is much more effective. A similar pattern of spa/hot tub (with a sustained temp of 100-108 degrees) with cool downs would do as well.

In europe, where natural treatments are more avialable and well known, there have been studies that measure the amount of toxins in sweat in differing conditions to see what is the most effective detox method. It turns out that sweat from applied heat like steam sauna, sweat lodges, etc contained less toxins (and is less clensing) than sweat from exercise, but is better than from bathing.

So to answer your question, no, I don't think overly hot baths are good clensing. Sauna, hot tubs, and best of all exercise are better for sweating type cleansing. But Yes, I do think sweating is a VERY helpful adjucnt to a healthy lifestyle.

To read more about it, read about sweat lodges in the "cayote medicine" by Dr. Madrona (don't quote me on the spelling, or the author's name, though, I don't have my copy to verify it for you)

Hope this helps...ENJOY those baths anyway, ok?

Baihu



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