Flat, greasy hair? Here’s the life hack.

I actually discovered this by accident during the later stages of my depression self-healing journey — and it genuinely works. Before, I was always searching for shampoos that could give me voluminous, lifted hair, but the effect would only last one day. And if my body wasn’t in a good state, sometimes it wouldn’t even work at all. Now I finally understand why.

It’s not anything mystical or superstitious. I personally think traditional Chinese medicine makes a lot of sense — it’s just that many times the diagnosis is off. Once you identify the root cause correctly, the results can be immediate. According to TCM, flat and oily hair is caused by internal “cold and dampness,” and taking baths turns out to be a perfect way to address this.

The bath products I’ve been using

Here’s what I do: before getting into the bath, I apply shampoo to my hair just like I normally would — but I don’t rinse it out. Then I start filling the tub with hot water, around 40°C (104°F), and add bath salts. While the tub is filling, I use the showerhead to continuously rinse areas of my body that feel cold, so I can make double use of the warm running water.

Once the tub is full, I soak for about 30 minutes. During this time, I leave the shampoo in my hair the entire time and only rinse it out after the bath. You’ll notice that your hair feels completely different compared to washing it during a regular shower.

As the water cools down to body temperature, I use a shower puff to gently scrub my body, then rinse off the remaining foam. One important thing: your pores are open at this point, so don’t use body wash again — otherwise, according to TCM logic, “dampness” can re-enter the body. Just rinse off with warm water and dry yourself.

Bathing with bath salts feels like giving yourself a spa treatment. Compared to going to a salon, it’s more private, more relaxing, and you can do whatever you like — no interruptions, no time limits.

Since it’s hard to find time to sit down and read, I usually use this time to listen to audiobooks or podcasts I’ve saved. It turns out to be incredibly effective — not only do I make good use of my bath time, but I also passively increase my “reading” time, which I could never do in the shower.

The bath salts you could find in German drugstores

Since it’s still pretty cold in Germany right now, I take a bath about three times a week. That adds up to roughly an hour and a half of listening time per week. Most audiobooks on Amazon are around 10 hours long, so you can finish one in under seven weeks. Over the course of a year, you could easily “read” eight books just while bathing.

Lately, I’ve also really enjoyed trying different bath salts, herbal baths, and bubble bath products from German drugstores. Kneipp is currently my favorite brand. They offer a wide variety of bath salts — I especially love two of them: one called “Magnificent Fjord,” which turns the water a deep Norwegian-sea blue, and another with a forest scent that smells just like walking through the forest in Germany.

With just a small amount of money, you get a triple boost — physically, mentally, and emotionally — spa experience at home. And the next day, you wake up with voluminous, lifted hair. When you think about it, it’s an incredibly worthwhile routine.