Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-04
Reautily the Skin.

Plenty of water internally and externally
Is always necessary to a woman who would
look her best, but especially in the spring
should 1t be used copiously. With the first
warm DAYS all the functions of the system
become dull. and stimulants of the most
wholesome sort are required By their
uses not only will woman be better. avoid
much Of the spring tired feeling" but her
looks will actually be improved and there
fore recommend water. special baths and
the drinking Of 1t. as the simplest and the
best aids to health
The matter of taking a bath Is not always
understood. for the process has possfbiIi-
ties of causing injury well as being bene-
fetal Securing good results from them ID
largely governed by temperature of the
water. and some persons can take ablutions
extremely hot and be improved. where an
other would be made Ill by the same thing
There Is no better tonic in the world for
any one who can stand it than a cold
plunge or cold shower. and let me say that
there are cases where a shower Is not too
great a shock. The more gradual contact
with water from a shower will stimulate
and be refreshing when a plunge may do
harm. ! would therefore suggest that a
woman try q shower before she says that
she cannot endure cod water. Many baths
are equipped now with large showers but
small hose with a shower nozzle may be
bought for trihing cost and can be at
tached to almost any bath faucets.
II this means of taking a shower is tried
do not begin by using the water as cold as
it comes from the spigot. Turn little hot
into the pipe first with the cod, and by de-
grees shut Off the hot. gradually accustom-
ing the body to the lower temperature.
shower should not take more than five min
utes. and three quite enough. A coarse
Turkish towel to dry the body should be
used vigorously to promote circulation,
which is absolutely essential.
Morning or afternoon are the best times
TO take the shower baths. These should
never be done Just before going to bed, as
they are too stimulating. Experts are OF
the opinion that the most cleansing bath,
and the cleanest way of taking 1t. is to
wash from a basin of hot water. The basin
should be flied. and a bath brush is de-
sirable. as friction is tonic for the skin.
A person should stand either on a thick
bath mat or In a shallow bath to catch the
water. and the whole body should be briskiy
scrubbed with soap. Immediately after
ward one steps under the shower and the
soapy water is rinsed off under a warm
spray that gradually Is cooled to as low
a temperature as one can stand. This Is to
be followed by brisk rubbing. and the
bather will then feel rested and stimulated
to an astonishing degree. Added to this
the surface treatment of brush and coarse
towel will greatly improve the texture OF
the skin and do much to clear the COM
plexion-
FOR those VINO cannot take showers lHefo
are other tonic baths that may be substi-
tuted. A tepid plunge, IN which the whole
body is practically immersed. may be taken
at any time OF the day evening. but
am firm believer in the afternoon bath
in the spring 1t is wonderfully refreshing
for a person tired by the first heat of the
season Fresh clothes after the bath aid
in invgorating. and one prepares for dinner
with new energy.
A camphor preparation is one to use now.
Make 1t OF one ounce OF tincture of cam
phor one-haf ounce OF tincture of benzoin
and two ounces of cologne. Enough of this
should be put into the bath to make the
water milky. The daintiest way of using
would be to take a basin bath, as for
shower and rinse the body in a tub Of
fresh water containing the tonic. II the
water Is tepid and not hot may stay
in for fifteen minutes. hot bath of that
length of time would be weakening. -