Bathing is one of the oldest medical procedures that has been practiced throughout Europe and Asia. The Egyptians took elaborate baths, which were the forerunners of the luxurious bathing establishments of the Greeks and Romans. They soaked their skin in a variety of oils to help protect and heal it from the drying effects of the harsh sun as well as for relaxation.

Bathing was also an enjoyable, social pleasure; sometimes people washed as often as three times a day. There is also a wide range of ethnographic evidence of sweat baths and saunas in ancient Ireland, with many hot water areas used for ritual or recreational bathing. Evidence from all over Europe points to the fact that communal bathing was the rule rather than the exception and was an important act in many societies.

Heat alone is beneficial for many conditions, when heat and water are combined with certain ingredients the therapeutic properties of bathing can be greatly enhanced.

The skin is not only one of the largest organs of the body, it is also one of the most porous, and therefore it has a huge potential to be one of the most absorbable.

When the skin is exposed to heat, such as in a bath, the pores will open. This can allow various substances to pass through these pores into the deeper layers of the skin where the sweat glands, oil glands, capillaries and hair follicles are located. It is in these deeper layers that the skin structure assists transdermal absorption.

Nutrients are usually taken orally and they need to be assimilated by digestive juices and then taken to the liver where they are metabolised. From the liver, blood transports substances to areas where they are required. If the digestive, hepatic and circulatory systems are not functioning efficiently, as is often the case, then only a small percentage of the nutrients will be able to get to the affected area.

When you apply substances directly to the skin, transdermal absorption allows some of the herbs, essential oils and nutrients to pass into the body. They do not have to pass by the digestion or liver. By combining nutrients, essential oils and herbs with carriers, such as in a warm bath with magnesium sulphate, the whole body can benefit. This will have the advantage of not only localised relief but it will also enhance the skinšs general appearance and health.