Order of the bath
Aftera dayinthefield,enjoy
somethinghot,steaming
andrestorative
T
HEsportingdayritualis not
completeuntil a steaming
hotbathhas beendrawn.
The post-sporting soak is
notmereindulgence,how-
ever,ithas proven health
benefits.Theheat getsyour bloodmoving,
whichrelaxessoremuscles,improvescircu-
lation,reducesbloodpressureandhelpsthe
immunesystemtofunctionefficiently.
SaltbathshavecuredailmentssinceHip-
pocratesrecommendedseawaterforaching
musclesandarthritis.“DrSaltsEucalyptus
MuscleTherapySaltsaregreataftera dayin
thefield,”recommendsBritishOpenSport-
ing Ladies Champion Hannah Gibson. Dr
SaltscultivatesthisproductfromtheDead
Sea, a salt lake 10 times saltier than the
ocean.Thesaltshavesoothedmusclepain
formillennia.Theaddedeucalyptusoilisa
naturalanalgesicandanti-inflammatory.
Producerandstylist BryonyDanielsalso
reliesonbathsalts.“I havea post-stalkingrit-
ual: a cold glass of Pol Roger, a candle, an old
WRITTEN BY SARAH PRATLEY
ANDREW SYDENHAM
30 WWW.THEFIELD.CO.UK
concentrated blend of essential oils,”
explains Dominic Hawksley, creative and
commercialdirectoratOlverum.“Someof
these, particularly rosemary and Siberian
fir needle, are absorbed by the skin and
promoteincreasedblood flow to muscles,
helpingtorevivethem.”
The pain-alleviating properties of rose
essentialoilmakesit a popularchoice.“My
favouritebathoilisJoMaloneRedRoses,”
says Anne Woodcock, founder of Ladies
FishingUK.
“TheSoapCo’srosebathoilis theperfect
indulgenceaftera gruellingdayinthesad-
dle,”recommendsSarahKateByrne,racing
stylistandsidesaddleDiana.TheSoapCo’s
naturalproductsarehandcraftedintheUK
bypeoplewhoareblind,disabledorother-
wisedisadvantaged.“Their whole ethos is
superb,”saysByrne.
Formany,foambathsarefavourite.“For
me, it’s all about the bubbles,” says Polly
Portwin,campaignmanagerattheCountry-
sideAlliance.“I liketouselotsofunperfumed
bubblebath,”agreesGillianTaylor,vetand
WPAfundraiser.A foamingbathdoes
not have the same natural benefits
assaltsandoil,buttherightingredientsand
cleverformulationscanmakeit justaseffec-
tive.“IfI amparticularlyachyorinmoreneed
ofa recharge,thenit’sNeal’sYardRemedies
Seaweed & Arnica Foaming Bath,” recom-
mendsBritishShootingcoachAnitaNorth.
“Arnicaandmineral-richseaweed con-
tainnatural anti-inflammatoryproperties,”
explainsNeal’sYardRemedies.“Invigorating
lemon,upliftingpineforitswarmingeffect
onsorejointsandmuscles,nerve-strength-
ening juniper and calming lavender help
restorea senseofvitality.”
For those lacking in timeor tub, Gor-
donCastleScotland’sDeepMuscleRubisa
greatalternative.“Thisdeepmusclerubis a
soothinggelcontainingpureScottishessen-
tialoils,”sayownersAngusandZaraGordon
Lennox. “Rosemary is traditionally used
to ease strained muscles, while aloe vera
mayrelieveachesandpains.”Handmadein
Britain, Gordon Castle’s impressivewalled
gardeninspiredtherange.“Everyproductwe
sellhelpsusonourjourneytorestoreoneof
Britain’soldestandlargestproductivewalled
gardens.Weareveryproudof eachand
every oneofourproductslovinglycreated
fromtheproducewegrow.”
Whetheryou usesalts, oilor
foam, the best products com-
binethe essential oilsand
natural ingredients that
havecuredourailmentsfor
centuries. So let us enjoy
our soaks as we do our
sport – in the tradition of
our ancestors. Though we
willnot begrudge the use
of 21st-century plumbing
to do so.
Bathing
Rosemary
is usedto ease
strained muscles
The joys of a long soak after a day in the field are many and your aching limbs will thank you
bookofshortstoriesanda handfulofSanta
MariaNovellaPomegranateBathSalts.”
Establishedin1221,FarmaceuticadiSanta
MariaNovellaisoneoftheoldestpharma-
ciesintheworld.Pomegranateregenerates
andrepairsskin– essential after a day fac-
ingtheelements.
Bathoilsalsorevitaliseskineffectively.
When mixed with water, oil penetrates
deepintotheskinprovidingnourishment
andrejuvenation.Oilalsohelpscirculation,
reducesfatigue,easesstiffjointsandfights
infection.“Attheendofa hunting(orshoot-
ing,stalkingorfishing)day,I needsomething
with a medicinal slant,” says Alexandra
Henton,DeputyEditorofTheField. “Swiss
brand Dul-Xhas a high concentration of
essentialoils.I’malsoa fanofOlverum.”
Olverum has remained unchanged
since 1931. “Olverum Bath Oil is a highly
Aselectionofthetop
rubs,oilsandfoaming
bathsforeasingthe
muscles and mind
