Take a Relaxing Shower

Are you going through a stressful week? Showers can be just as relaxing as baths. Best of all, you don't have to wait for the tub to fill up with water. There are many things you can do to make your shower experience more relaxing. This article will give you a few tips and ideas.

Steps

Creating the Atmosphere

1. Play some soft, relaxing music. Turn on the radio or place your portable music player onto a set of speakers. You can play any type of music you find relaxing. If you cannot think of anything, here are a few suggestions:
   • Zen
   • Jazz
   • Classical
   • Instrumental pieces, especially piano
   • Nature sounds, such as rain, streams, and birdsong
2. Turn down the lights and light some candles instead. Bright bathroom lights are often garish. If you have a headache, they can make it feel even worse. Candles have a soft glow, and can give your bathroom a more tranquil, relaxing feel. Keep them on the bathroom vanity, where they won't fall.
   • If you are worried about using real candles, consider using battery-operated ones instead. Many of the newer ones have a soft, flickering orange glow, just like a real candle. Some even come scented.
   • You can also consider getting a Himalayan salt lamp. Some can be plugged in while others require a candle. They have a very soft glow, and can help purify the air.
3. Try hanging some lavender from the showerhead. Tie some lavender into a bundle with a piece of twine. Add a loop to the end of the bundle, and hang it from your showerhead. The heat and steam from the shower will help the lavender release its wonderful, calming aroma.
   • Many people also find eucalyptus and lemongrass to be both relaxing and refreshing.
   • You can also fill a diffuser bottle with essential oil and leave it near your shower instead.
4. Try adding some live plants. Not only will this give your bathroom a hint of color, but it may also help it appear more serene and relaxing. Choose plants that like a lot of moisture and not a lot of sunlight, such as orchids, ivy, and philodendron.
   • Philodendron doesn't, even need soil. They can thrive in a small vase filled with fresh water.
   • If you don't have a green thumb at all, consider decorating your bathroom with fake plants instead. Choose green, ivy type plants, over flowers. This way, they won't look out of place.
5. Get out your fanciest towels. Choose your largest, softest, fluffiest towels. If you have any with a fancy pattern or trim, get it out. These will help make that relaxing feeling from your shower last longer.
   • Large, white, fluffy towels in particular have a spa-like feel. Spas in general tend to be very relaxing.
   • While you're at it, consider having a soft, fluffy bathrobe ready for you to slip into after your shower.
6. Consider transferring your bath products to pretty glass or plastic containers. This will give your bathroom a more luxurious feel which, in turn, can make your shower feel more relaxing. Choose some pretty glass bottles with pumps, or soap dispensers, and pour your liquid soaps, shampoos, and conditions to them.
   • If you have a bar of soap, consider keeping it on a pretty dish.

Enhancing the Experience

1. Work out or run errands before your shower to make it more enjoyable. It can be as simple as going for a walk or doing some jumping jacks, or as complex at working out in the gym for an hour. Your body will crave a hot shower after all that exercise. This will tire your body out, and make your shower feel more relaxing.
2. Meditate or daydream about something nice if you are stressed. Daydream about something you enjoy doing, or about your latest diy craft project. You can also try envisioning all of your troubles going down the drain with your bath water.
3. Heat up your towels in the dryer before you take your shower. This will make them extra warm and fluffy for when you get out of your shower. If you have a bathrobe, consider heating that up as well.
4. Try to have everything on hand and ready before you take your shower. Reaching for your shampoo in the middle of your shower, and then realizing that it is not there and having to get out into the cold bathroom to look for it is anything but relaxing. Instead, make sure that everything you need for your shower is there, ready and full.
5. Use a temperature that is most comfortable for you. Keep in mind, however, that very hot water is not the best for your skin and hair, as it can cause them to become dry. If you do plan on treating yourself to a hot shower, try to keep it shorter—no longer than 20 minutes—and to use moisturizer afterwards.
6. Treat yourself to your favorite bath products. If you have any special shower gels or body washes that you were saving for that one special occasion, now is the time to use it. Use your body scrubs to massage away those dead skin cells, and your body butters (after your shower) to moisturize your skin. If you don't have any favorite bath products, consider getting something lavender scented. Lavender is often used during aromatherapy to help relieve stress.
   • Consider making your own bath products. Nothing beats the luxury of homemade bath products. Click to learn how to make a few.
7. Massage your scalp while you shampoo your hair. Not only will this help invigorate your scalp, but it can also help sooth away any stress. Tilt your head back, close your eyes, and gently massage your scalp with your fingertips.
8. Give yourself a face massage if you are feeling stressed. Close your eyes and massage your entire face using smooth, circular motions. If you have any exfoliating face washes, now is a great time to bring them out.
   • If you are stressed, focus your massage on your eyes, forehead, and temples.
9. Don't forget to treat yourself after you shower. The relaxation doe not have to end the minute you step out of the shower. There are a few things you can do to make that good feeling last even longer. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
   • Apply some lavender-scented body butter. This will help lock moisture into your skin, making it feel soft and silky. You can even massage your skin while you are at it to help you relax some more.
   • Slip into a warm, fluffy bathrobe after you towel off. This can help give your shower a more spa-like experience, especially if you give yourself a pedicure afterwards.
   • Enjoy a cup of hot chamomile tea. If you don't like chamomile tea, try any other herbal or caffeine-free tea.
   • Take a nap or enjoy a book or movie. If you still have errands to run, consider napping, reading, or doing something else that you enjoy for about an hour. This will help you relax and prepare you for the work ahead.

Using Homemade Products

1. Consider using homemade scrubs, shower tabs, and body butters. Homemade bath products can often feel more luxurious and more relaxing than store-bought ones. You can customize these to your liking. Best of all, they don't contain any harmful chemicals. This section will give you a few ideas for relaxing, homemade bath products. Make these ahead of time, so that you can use them in your shower.
2. Make a sugar scrub. Combine 4 tablespoons of white, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1 drop of lavender essential oil. This is enough to last you one, relaxing shower experience.
   • You can find essential oils in health food stores and in some arts and crafts shops.
3. Make an aromatherapy shower tab. Combine 6 ounces (170 grams) of baking soda, 4 ounces (115 grams) of citric acid, and 4 ounces (115 grams) of cornstarch. Mix in 15 to 20 drops of lavender essential oil. Spritz the mixture 10 to 20 times with water. Don't let it start to fizz. Pack mixture into a silicon ice cube mold. You can also pack it into a tablespoon, and tap it onto a tray. Let it dry overnight. To use: place it on shower floor and turn on the water. It will start to fizz, and release its wonderful aroma.
   • If you can't find cornstarch, use cornflour instead.
4. Make a fizzy, aromatic shower powder. Combine 2 cups (360 grams) of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of ground, dried lavender flowers, and 2 tablespoons of ground, dried chamomile leaves (or tea). Add 10 to 20 of each of the essential oils listed below, and mix. Keep in an air-tight jar. When you take a shower, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto your shower floor. It will bubble and frizz, and release its wonderful aroma.
   • Bergamot
   • Cedar wood
   • Eucalyptus
   • Lavender
   • Lemon
   • Peppermint
   • Rosemary
   • If you can't find one of the essential oils, then double the amount of another one.
5. Make a luxurious body butter to use after you shower. In a double boiler, combine ½ cup (115 grams) of each of the following: shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil. Add ½ cup (120 milliliters) of a light oil, such as almond, jojoba, or olive. Stir until everything is melted, then remove from heat and add 10 to 30 drops of lavender essential oil. Leave it in the fridge for at least one hour, or until it hardens.
   • Store the body butter in an air-tight container. If your room gets above 75°F (23.9°C), you may need to keep it in the fridge to prevent it from becoming too soft.
   • Consider substituting some vanilla essential oil for some of the lavender to create a lavender-vanilla scent.
   • To use the body butter: spread it all over your body after your shower, just like a lotion.
   • To make a whipped body butter: remove the mixture from the fridge while it is solid, but still soft. Beat it with a handheld mixer for 10 minutes, or until it becomes light and fluffy. Leave it in the fridge for another 10 to 15 minutes so that it can set.
6. Make a lotion bar. In a double boiler, combine 1 cup (225 grams) of coconut oil, 1 cup (225 grams) of shea butter or cocoa butter, and 1 cup (225 grams) of beeswax pellets. For a more nourishing lotion bar, add 1 teaspoon of Vitamin E oil. Stir until melted, then add 10 to 30 drops of lavender essential oil. Once everything is mixed together, pour the mixture into silicone ice cube molds. Wait until the lotion bars harden and cool down, then pop them out of the molds.
   • To use the lotion bars: rub them all over your body. They can be great for massages too!

Tips

• Use products that smell nice and that you enjoy. A large part of treating yourself and relaxing is using body scrubs and body washes that leave you smelling and feeling amazing.
• Take a moment to close your eyes and just let the hot water run over your face.
• Try to step into a clean shower. This will give your bathroom a more luxurious, spa-like feel. A dirty shower is not all that relaxing.
• Consider investing in a fancy showerhead with a massage option.
• Have everything you need on hand before you take your shower. That way, you won't have to disrupt the experience by getting out.

Warnings

• If you are going to use an essential oil, consider performing a skin patch test first. Dilute a 1 drop of the essential oil in a teaspoon of almond, jojoba, or olive oil. Dab the mixture on your inner elbow. If no irritation occurs within 24 hours, the essential oil is safe to use.

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• Not Slip in a Shower

Sources and Citations

See also

• Take a Himalayan Salt Bath
• Relax With a Hot Bath
• Set up a Romantic Bath
• Take a Bath
• Take a Shower
• Enjoy a Shower
• Shower Quickly
• Make an Oatmeal Bath
• Purchase and Wear a Bathrobe
• Shower With a Lemon

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