Shower gel to refresh your body and soul

Nov 02, 2006

Variety is the spice of life. So, how about spicing up your life with a luxurious bath that has lots of foam and also smells good? Buy yourself a shower gel from any of the big supermarkets in town. Add the gel to your bath water, whip it into lather and go on to pamper yourself.

By Titus Serunjogi

Variety is the spice of life. So, how about spicing up your life with a luxurious bath that has lots of foam and also smells good? Buy yourself a shower gel from any of the big supermarkets in town. Add the gel to your bath water, whip it into lather and go on to pamper yourself.

Ori Kahana, the aromatherapist for Avoa Health and Beauty Centre says, “Shower gels have essential oils which can relieve stress, enhance sleep, increase sex drive and one’s well-being.”

The good thing is that you do not need to have a bathtub to enjoy all this (Few Ugandans have bathtubs anyway). Add a few spoonfuls of the gel to your basin and let it foam.

At Shoprite Clock Tower supermarket, shower gels from Beauty Formulas cost as low as sh5,900 for a one-litre bottle. This can go for about 15-30 baths. Palm Olive shower gels cost sh6,800 per 250ml bottle. Remember, the bath gel is not a luxury and is available in most supermarkets.
The bath gels often come in large, coloured conspicuous bottles. However, it is important to find out the contents of the shower gel before buying it. Read the label on the bottle to get this information.

Is your shower gel enriched with lavender or jasmine?

“Essential oils are concentrated aromatic liquids extracted from various plants, flowers, leaves, grass, fruits and roots. Each type of oil affects the body differently and therefore, it is worthwhile to know what essential oils your gel contains before using it,” says Kahana.

She adds that gels enriched with lavender are your ideal refreshing restorative after a long hard day. Besides, it also soothes the skin so you will leave the bath with your skin feeling soft and spirit restored. Peppermint-enriched gels make for a wonderful morning bath since they make one more alert and hyperactive. Such a gel would definitely deny you sleep if you used it before going to bed. Jasmine-enriched oils are said to increase men’s sex drive and can be addictive.

Shower gels with myrrh are said to revive menstrual cycles. So any pregnant woman had better avoid them. Rosemary oil soothes aching muscles and is thus wonderful for sportsmen.

Even though the concentration of essential oil in a gel is so minimal to cause instant harm, the bottom line is; read the label on the bottle before paying. Pregnant women and babies should not use shower gels unless they have an aromatherapist’s prescription.

Alternatively, you could also enhance your health with aromatic bath soaps, enriched with essential oils. For example, a cake of lavender soap goes for sh5,000 at the Avoa Health and Beauty Centre on Buganda Road.

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