We know the Romans were fond of bathing from the amount of public and private bath-houses that were built throughout the country. There was a routine to the way people bathed. They exercised to build up a sweat, then the grime was scraped off their skin with a curved metal blade called a 'strigil'. The skin was then massaged with oils and perfumes.

A spatula, also from Rocester, could have been used for personal hygiene, to mix and apply make-up, or as a medical instrument for making incisions or probing the patient.

Iron blades found at Rocester are thought to be for shaving. Beards were fashionable throughout the Roman period, but many men preferred to be clean shaven.