Although I'm always writing about the healing benefits of hydrotherapy, I don't think I truly appreciated them until very recently. After suffering contact dermatitis from a run-in with some poison ivy or similarly harmful plant in the Hamptons, I finally got to experience therapeutic benefits that extend beyond just relaxation. Needless to say, the outcome of my run-in wasn't painless or pretty. Despite downing oral steroids and coating myself in calamine lotion, nothing seemed to truly calm the inflammation and itch that accompanied the rash I developed. Because I've always preferred showers over baths, I was reluctant to take the plunge. Surprising for a Pisces, I know. However, I was willing to try anything. When I couldn't find Epsom salts at my local drug store, I opted for Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment, which is made with 100 percent natural colloidal oatmeal. The difference a simple bath made to my recovery made me a true believer in hydrotherapy's healing powers.