This is the exact amount of time you should spend in the bath
Sorry to burst the bubble for those who love soaking for a long time...
The optimum length of time to spend in the bath is just 22 minutes, a new study has found.
A warm bath is the ideal way to unwind and feel squeaky clean on a cold winter evening, but because water bills don’t come cheap, it’s more important than ever to make sure your rub-a-dub-dub time is worth it.
A new study has found the ultimate bath time for relaxation, hydration and a good night’s sleep.
The experiment, by Victorian Plumbing, involved 20 participants, 10 men and 10 women, who took baths of varying lengths and rated how they felt afterward. The results found that a 22 minute bath is perfect – and you should ideally be out of the bath by 28 minutes.
Apparently, any longer than this, and you’re likely to leave the bath feeling dehydrated. You could also risk irritating and drying out your skin.
Skin Proud consultant and certified dermatologist, Dr Marisa Garshick, agrees with these results.
‘Prolonged exposure to the water when taking a bath can actually be drying on the skin and lead to skin sensitivity and irritation,’ she tells Metro.co.uk.
‘Staying in the bath for too long can contribute to skin dryness and worsen skin conditions like eczema, increasing the chance of skin sensitivity.’
Dr Marisa says using lukewarm water, which tends to be less drying and irritating, may help if you have dry or sensitive skin, plus avoiding harsh soaps, which can strip the skin of natural oils, should be avoided.
Once you’re finally out of the bath, it’s best to pat yourself dry and apply moisturiser to the skin.
‘To counter the effects of staying in the bath for too long, it’s important to apply moisturizer to damp skin upon getting out of the bath to help lock moisture in,’ says Dr Marisa.
It is also commonly thought that baths can help you sleep. Dr Hana Patel, an NHS GP, says: ‘I usually advise patients to have a sleep routine and try and spend at least one to one-and-a-half-hours to wind down before going to sleep,’ she says.
‘I usually recommend that people who are finding it difficult to sleep, try things such as meditating or having a warm bath before going to bed.
‘Research shows that a warm bath (or shower) before bed can help a person fall asleep and improve sleep quality — even in the heat of summer.
‘A bath will help lower your core body temperature, and this can help with our circadian sleep signals.’
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