Advice on how to make the most of your bath at no additional cost.

• Do not expect miracles from pots and tubes. They are there to make you look more attractive, not to transform you completely.
  
• How clean is clean enough? No skin can ever be 100 per cent clean, for it discharges sebum and sweat constantly. But yes, the superficial debris must be cleared away regularly, or pores will clog.
  
• A few inches of fresh ginger will warm the body and soothe joints. Slice, simmer in boiling water for a good half hour. Strain and add to warm bath water.
  
• For an aroma therapeutic bath, keep tub water tepid. Hot water will cause those volatile oils to evaporate far too quickly.
  
• Do exercise in a warm bathtub. Experts say there is definite additional benefit from exercise done under warm water.
  
• Dry armpits thoroughly before applying deodorant as wet skin gives rise to bacteria.
  
• Mix two tablespoons of shampoo, one of oil (olive, for instance) and a few drops of your favorite perfume in a bottle. Shake vigorously and pour into your bath water. The shampoo will break the oil into millions of fine oil globules that cling to your zillions of open pores as you leave your bath. This is excellent for dry skin.
  
• Oil your body before you go for your bath, as then scrubbing with soap will take away more dead skin than normally.
  
• Scrub along with loofahs– they are dried seed pods of tropical gourds. They have an abrasive texture which scrubs very well.