I thought it would be good to write about what my current bath routine is!!
It changes all the time, but this is what works for me right now, as my flare-up is ending.
So I take baths...as opposed to showers...because it hurts when the water hits my skin, and also I don't like standing - there are cracks behind my knees that make it painful to stretch out without applying oil. Showers are pretty painful.
I fill my tub with warm water...NOT HOT!! Never hot...there was a time when I loved taking hot showers and hot baths because it really soothed my itchy skin, but I noticed that it REALLY made my skin worse. It just feels nice...the heat kind of itches my skin for me.
Sometimes I sit in the tub as the water fills up...but that's when I'm having an itch fest and I can't wait to get in the tub.
I add:
~2 cups of epsom salt
~1 handful of sea salt
~random amount of organic extra virgin olive oil (maybe around 1/2 cup)
Recently, I don't use any epsom salt or sea salt because my skin is a lot better, and I didn't notice a difference when I added the salt and didn't. It does make a different when I'm flaring though. I do however, always add the oil.
My baths can be around an hour...but they can also be extremely loooooong...we are talking 6+ hours...I even sleep in them at times. It's the only time I am comfortable and can relax.
What do I do in the tub?
-Eat dinner! When my face is wet, it is the only time I can open my mouth wide enough to eat properly. That means no more cutting up food in tiny minuscule flat pieces = annoying.
-Brush my teeth! Again, being able to open my mouth properly means I can brush my teeth thoroughly. I bring a cup, floss, and toothbrush and put it at the side of the tub...thankfully my tub is surrounded by the shower area so I can just bend over and spit outside haha.
-Wash my hair! I am a girly girl and I do have long hair...which I personally think is easier to hand than short hair...I will do another post about it. So since my tub is surrounded by the shower area, I bend over the tub with head upside down, bring the shower handle to my head, and wash my hair while half my body is still in the tub.
-Wash my face! I never wash my face in the tub...because any water that is less than icy cold just makes my face itchy. So from time to time I use the shower handle to wash my face with cold water, then put coconut oil right after.
-Stretch! Since it's the only time I can pretty much move in all directions without being in pain, I take this time to do some stretching. It's also good to stretch out your skin, so when it heals, it doesn't heal tightly.
-Exfoliate! I never exfoliate when I am having a flare-up, but towards the end, there is just so much skin that piles on...I feel like it suffocates my skin. Skin needs to breathe too! I rub it off gently, and never peel anything off. If it is not coming off...just leave it.
-Listen to music & sing! I bring my iPod that is double bagged in 2 Ziploc pouches = my entertainment in the tub! I am a singer, and with RSS I haven't been able to sing because the skin on my face is so tight so I can't move my mouth or face muscles. The only chance I can to exercise my vocal chords is in the tub! iPods/iPads are fun in the tub...especially if you have wifi!
Let me know what your bath/shower routine is!
Positive thought of the day: At least I have a bath tub right? Many of my friends only have a shower. I don't know what I would do in a house deprived of a bath tub.
