A cold bath often works wonders for a stuffy nose, body aches, or depression. However, bathing is not always sensible for a cold. We show you how and when cold baths can help.
How does a cold bath work?
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At mild colds A cold bath is especially relaxing and calming. Because stress often exacerbates the common cold. Such a bath is also beneficial because of the essential oils. Oils like peppermint and eucalyptus oil or herbs like thyme are known for their expectorant and liberating effects on the respiratory tract.
Especially at the time of cold is a homemade bath salts helpful for colds. Here you can check the origin and quality of the bath additive yourself. Instead of ready-made preparations from the drugstore, you can Organic-Use products. With the essential oils you should absolutely make sure that they natural, i.e. without additives, are and if possible made of regional cultivation come.
Two important points:
- Make sure you treat your cold properly. Bathing alone is not enough to effectively fight a cold.
- Since essential oils are the main active ingredient in a cold bath, you should also know in advance whether you are allergic to certain essential oils. This is particularly important for asthma, since many oils can be dangerous for asthmatics.
Typical oils for a cold bath
- peppermint oil (menthol) *
- Eucalyptus oil *
- Camphor oil/ Camphor oil *
- Pine oil, e.g. out Mountain pine
- Spruce needle oil
- Thyme oil
- Myrtle oil
You can also take cold baths Cold tea prepare yourself. Again, you should pay attention to the quality and origin of the tea. Fennel, thyme, anise and peppermint are particularly suitable for a tea bath.
* critical for pregnant women, toddlers / babies or asthmatics
When shouldn’t you take a cold bath?
Under no circumstances should you take a cold bath if you have a severe runny nose, cough or fever. Because when you have a fever, bathing can quickly hit your circulation or even increase your fever because you are lying in the hot water. The high temperature strains your body too much and is therefore counterproductive for a bad cold.
Use of a cold bath
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- The temperature is particularly critical with a cold bath: your cold bath should never be below 30 degrees Celsius, but it shouldn’t be too hot either. A temperature of 35 to 38 degrees Celsius is ideal.
- It is also very gentle if you prefer a full bath instead of a full bath Three-quarter bath take. The physical strain is significantly lower because you are not completely in the hot water and you also save water at the same time. As soon as you get cold, you should get out of the water.
- After the cold bath, you should allow your body to rest for at least two hours. You will achieve the best result if you go to bed immediately after bathing, pack yourself warm and relax.
Cold baths for babies and pregnant women
Pregnancy: During pregnancy, it is important that you read the side effects of the cold bath on the package insert. Many products can cause severe sweating or chills. Basically, everything that damages the body of the pregnant woman is also not good for the baby. So you shouldn’t strain the body too much.
Children and babies: Doctors recommend cold baths only from the age of six years to take. There are also preparations for children, but parents should take a close look here. Children don’t tolerate many essential oils so well and babies should do without finished preparations. A little pine or spruce needle oil is enough.
We recommend that Make cold bath yourself. You can also use chamomile and thyme and focus on herbs. These often get the body better than essential oils.
Read more on Utopia:
- Make your own bath balls: recipe with natural ingredients
- Inhale with salt water for colds and coughs: how it works
- 6 herbal home remedies for cold
- Schüßler salts for colds: salts for cough, runny nose and sore throat