Women are no strangers to the idea of self-care, but what about the men in their lives? Self-care refers to the act of pampering one’s self, and women partake in self-care by going to the salon, doing their nails, having an at-home facial, and taking a warm bath.
Self-care leaves a person feeling refreshed, comforted, and relaxed – feelings that are as necessary and enjoyable for men as they are for women. So why don’t more men partake in self-care? Simply put, they often don’t realize just how important it is until they finally give it a chance.
Self-Care With Bath Soaks
Bath salts for men make self-care even more enjoyable for the men in your life. They’re refreshing and comforting, and they feature aromatherapeutic scents that give an even more complete pampering experience. For men who haven’t used bath soaks before, two excellent places to start are with the Lilliuma Man Salt or the Gentleman’s Bath Soak.
Man Salt by Lilliuma uses Mediterranean Sea salt along with essential oils of lavender, frankincense, and Eucalyptus. The aroma one will experience from this salt is herbal and fresh with the lavender, grounded and earthy with frankincense, and soothing with cool eucalyptus. For men who work hard all week long, it’s an excellent way to take a little time out for some much-appreciated self-care.
Gentleman’s Bath Soak is a little different from the Man Salt by Lilliuma. Gentleman’s Bath Soak uses USP grade epsom salt, and along with it the aromas of cedarwood, frankincense, eucalyptus, and peppermint. Both feature all-natural essential oils for the most authentic and impactful aromatherapy, but one makes use of Mediterranean Sea salt while the other uses USP grade epsom salts. For men looking for an outdoorsy and earthy bath, Gentleman’s Soak with cedarwood and frankincense is an excellent place to start.
Mediterranean Sea salt and epsom salt both provide the same soothing and relaxing bath experience, but with a few slight differences. Mediterranean Sea salt tends to be a bit finer and dissolves more quickly in the warm water, while epsom salt tends to have a coarser texture. Epsom salt is highest in magnesium sulfate, and Mediterranean Sea salt has more of a variety of minerals like magnesium, potassium, sodium, bromide, and calcium.
Encouraging More Baths
For men that aren’t regular bath takers, encouraging more baths can seem like a challenge at first. Men may doubt that this type of self-care is really beneficial, or that it’s something they’ll really enjoy. To encourage more baths, a few tips might be necessary:
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Invest in a Bluetooth speaker – Baths are a lot more relaxing with a little music, and a waterproof Bluetooth speaker is an extremely simple way to incorporate that into the experience. Not just for music, they can stream podcasts, audiobooks, and any sort of media right to your bath using your smartphone. This can show any man that the bath is the perfect place to catch up on that podcast or new album he’s been meaning to listen to.
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Have a shelf for books in the bathroom – Having a bookshelf where baths are taken is a great way to encourage making more out of your bath. You can have favorite books, crossword puzzle books, magazines, and more meant for reading and enjoying in the bath. Incorporating a few of his favorite magazines onto the shelf is excellent simple encouragement.
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Start with foot baths – Not every bath has to be a full bath. Foot baths can be taken in the bathtub or using a small foot bath basin that can be enjoyed just about anywhere. In a foot bath he can get a taste of the aromatherapy experience, and he can do so while he’s on the laptop or watching his favorite show. When he sees just how comforting and soothing the foot bath experience can be, it may be natural encouragement to make the leap to regular full baths.
- Encourage more time to himself – In a busy household it can be easy to fill up every minute of every day with some sort of task. If he doesn’t seem to schedule me-time for himself, it might be time for a reminder. Have free periods of days available for self-pampering, and he may just use that time to indulge in a nice bath.
The Benefits Of Self-Care Baths
The benefits of self-care baths are numerous. Stress can make you feel lousy, and when you’re feeling lousy it’s hard to live up to your best. A self-care bath is the perfect opportunity for easy relaxation, encouraging the body to release all of the tension that it might be subconsciously holding. When you’re able to relieve that stress through relaxation, you’re able to be a better you each day.
Self-care baths can also be soothing, helping to provide a little much-needed comfort during any time of day or night. For evening baths, this soothing feeling can make it easier for some to tuck into bed at night and fall asleep. In the morning or afternoon, it can help to provide a reset in the middle of any sort of day. The stresses we hold in the morning don’t have to carry on all the way to the evening when a comforting bath is used to break up the day. The bath gives a little time to mull over what’s on your mind, providing clarity that can make even the most difficult challenges seem easier.