If you are lucky enough to have a bathtub at home and enjoy spending time in it, you should take a look at which health baths not only offer you another way to relax, but also have a positive impact on your health.

Below are some suggestions that will turn your bathroom into a home spa and allow you to relieve the most common and also quite annoying ailments. You don't need cosmetics for these health baths - you can relax at home using only herbs and other readily available natural ingredients.

• Antiseptic bath with camomile for a cold that has just started

Pour 3 litres of water over 5 sachets of chamomile and leave covered for 15 minutes. Pour the infusion into a bathtub half filled with hot water. You should feel relief after 10-15 minutes.

• First-aid bath for a runny nose

After the first sneeze, mix 5 tablespoons of lime blossom, 3 tablespoons of calamus rhizome and 2 tablespoons of chamomile. Pour a litre of water over the herbs, bring to the boil and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Fill the bathtub halfway with water at least 38 degrees and pour in the strained decoction. Stay in the bath for 20 minutes, breathing deeply.

• Bath for a cold 

Pour 37 degree water into the tub. Immerse yourself and after a while add boiling water so that the temperature rises to 40 degrees. After 10 minutes, your skin will turn pink and your nose will clear

Health baths against exhaustion

If you are overtired, a bath should give you relief. Here are some tried and tested recipes:

• Relaxing bath against fatigue

Put 4 drops of aromatic rose oil and a few rose petals in a tub of water. Lie comfortably in the bath, close your eyes and try not to think about your problems.

• Strengthening bath against exhaustion (1)

Pour 3 litres of boiling water over 2 tablespoons of thyme herb, one tablespoon each of plantain leaves, walnut, marigold flowers, yarrow and lime. Cover and leave for half an hour. After this time, strain and pour the infusion into a bathtub filled with water at a temperature of about 37 degrees. The bath should last 10-15 minutes.

• Strengthening bath against exhaustion (2)

Chop a head of white cabbage and pour 5 litres of water over it. Then heat the mixture for 20 minutes, covered, strain the decoction and pour it into the bath. The bath should not last longer than 15 minutes.

Health baths for a strong immune system

• A quick refreshing bath

Add 25 g of coarse sea salt to a tub of water at 36-38 degrees Celsius. Make yourself comfortable and relax for 15 minutes.

• Herbal hardening bath

First bathe yourself in warmer water and then - when the water is lukewarm - add a handful of rosemary (you can also use lavender flowers, mint leaves or marjoram as a substitute). Lie down in such a bath for a few minutes.

• Pine bath for colds

Pour 3 litres of water over a few handfuls of pine needles, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Let it stand for another 10 minutes and pour the liquid through a sieve into the bathtub, which is 1/3 filled with warm water.