The skin protects the soft and sensitive parts of the body from mechanical injury, and from the effects of heat or cold. It has over two million sweat tubes aggregating several miles in length, through which it throws off from ten to fifteen thousand grains of dead matter daily. The under layer of skin is covered with a complete network of blood vessels spreading over a surface of nearly fifteen square feet.

There are also numerous oil glands, which constantly throw off fatty secretions. An active clean, healthy skin is, therefore, a very important factor in the process of eliminating dead and clogging matter, and in greatly aiding the work of the kidneys and lungs. It is essentially one of the principal conditions of health. Having inert and dirty skin increases the labor of the organs mentioned which could cause their malfunctions and decay. Profuse sweating could reduce excess fat and body weight from two up to five pounds in an hour.

A healthy, glowing skin could stand sudden change in the atmosphere. Whereas pale and inert skin would feel a chill that could cause a large amount of blood to be congested to other organs thus the start of diseases like colds and coughs.

It is important to keep the pores free and open. So to eliminate the waste matter and dead cells, it is necessary to frequently wash with soap and warm water. It is important to rub the body with sponge and pumice stones to eliminate those dead cells. This will help unclog the pores and keep the skin clean, healthy and glowing.

While it is true that a cold bath could leave you refreshed and invigorated afterwards, it may not hold true to all cases especially to those with poor health or in advanced years. The effect of cold bath to those people would not be refreshing but it would leave them with lowered nervous energy. Their faces would appear drawn and they would feel exhaustion instead after submerging in a total cold bath. Whereas when they use lukewarm water and the advised scrubbing, they will get the said invigorating effect without the hassle of harming or exhausting their nervous system.

The water should be of about the same temperature as the skin. If it will be too hot, and the bath prolonged, the muscles will relax, and a feeling of lassitude will result. Therefore, my advice to those advanced in years, or in poor health, is to use the tepid bath as the “happy medium." Scrub the body as directed; then have a quick, but total, immersion. This all natural skin care practiced daily will be sufficient to keep the skin in a healthy condition.