Hand and foot baths are typically used as a form of self-care, and can be used prior to a massage or as a stand-alone activity. These baths are prepared with essential oils and other fine ingredients to provide soothing relief to the hands and feet. In the principle of reflexology and/or pressure massage, the entire body is represented in the feet, making it a major access point to the body.
How to Use Hand and Foot Baths
- Place your hands or feet inside the prepared solution on the bath and leave them there for about 10-15 minutes.
- While in the foot bath, you can be massaging the upper parts of your legs around the knee.
- After 15 minutes, dry the hands or feet with a dry cloth and then apply a moisturizing cream.
- If you are going in for a massage, it's time to apply the special massage cream and get started.
- You can also apply the essential oil you used in the bath in place of a moisturizing cream.
Benefits of Hand and Foot Baths
- Provides Relief from Pains: Pains in the hands and feet resulting from inflammation, rheumatism, arthritis, and stress after walking for a long time can be relieved with a bath treatment.
- Pre-massage Treatment: Before going into a full massage section, the hands and feet baths can warm up the hands and feet to make them more responsive to the massages when the process begins.
- Helps in Relaxation: After a long day at work or after a hike, a feet bath can make for a great relaxation process as it pacifies the stressed nerves on the feet and soothes every ache down there.
- Can Facilitate Healing: Feet and Hand baths can encourage the healing process of certain feet conditions like cracked feet, dry feet, aches, athlete's foot, and many more.
