Bubble Bath May Be Bad For You
Question: My children and I love bubble baths. Are they bad for you?
Mimi: Maybe. The main ingredient in bubble bath is a foaming agent, usually sodium laurel sulfate. It makes nice billowy bubbles. But it should be rinsed off at the end of the bath and not be allowed to dry on the skin. If you have a hand held shower or a shower over your tub, this is easy. Otherwise, take a plastic pitcher and fill it with warm water and pour over your body until you are very well rinsed. You wouldn’t wash your dishes or hands or shampoo your hair without rinsing. Bubble bath is much the same.
Prolonged exposure to some of the ingredients in bubble bath and other foaming products may be irritating or damaging.
Bubble baths may not be healthy for girls and women. The bubble bath may dry or irritate the vulva, making it easier to harbor infections.
For an elegant, relaxing, and healthy bath, add Epsom salts or salts from the Dead Sea to warm water. Then customize the bath for your mood with pure essential oils. At night for relaxation, use lavender oil. In the morning to perk you up, use a citrus blend of lemon, grapefruit and orange.
To stimulate your senses try peppermint. For respiratory relief from a cold, add eucalyptus to a steamy bath. Peppermint and rosemary add to mental clarity.
Mimi Barre is the owner of International Day Spa, 325 Cajon St., Redlands.
Send your skin care questions to her at MimiB@INTLdayspa.com. She and her estheticians are available for personal consultations. (909) 793-9080. Past columns of Ask Mimi are on the web at www.INTERNATIONALdayspa.com.
