As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, there’s nothing more relaxing to me than filling up the tub, turning on some tunes and sinking in for a nice soak. Whether you prefer adding flower petals or bubbles, there’s an ideal bath soak for everyone and everything from your skin to your muscles to your mind will benefit from a good bath.
Not only is a warm bath calming after a long or stressful day, it can also be soothing if you have a case of the sniffles. A carefully constructed bath can help ease stress and body pain. Light a few candles and pour yourself some cucumber water and you’ll instantly be transported to your own personal spa! Read on for a few bath time recipes for optimal relaxation. You’ll notice some key ingredients that appear in more than one recipe, so let’s take a look at the benefits of each!
- Epsom salt helps to flush toxins from your body’s cells, thus easing muscle pain. It also improves the absorption of nutrients and can ease or prevent migraine headaches. (1)
- Essential oils have been used to treat anxiety and aches since ancient time. (2)
Green Tea Detox
- 1-2 cups Epsom salt
- 1-2 cups baking soda
- 2-5 green tea bags
- Mix Epsom salt and baking soda together and sprinkle into bath tub full of warm water. Add 2-5 green tea bags and enjoy!
- You can also add lemon which is good for brightening skin (3) or apple cider vinegar which helps soften skin! (4)
Sinus Bath Soak
- 1 cup Epsom salt
- ½ cup baking soda
- Peppermint essential oils
- Eucalyptus essential oils
- Mix the baking soda and Epsom salt together. Add 5 drops of peppermint oil and 10 drops of eucalyptus oil. Mix well and add a couple scoops of the mixture to your warm bath. Relax, breathe deep and enjoy!
- Eucalyptus is a well known decongestant (5) and peppermint is often referred to as the world’s oldest medicine (6), so the combination of these two essential oils is perfect for a sinus soak!
Oatmeal Bath
- 1 cup oatmeal (for best results, grind in a food processor or blender to a fine powder)
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 3 tbsp. Aloe Vera
- 4 tbsp. milk
- 3 tbsp. dried mint
- Draw a lukewarm bath (hot water may irritate your skin). Warm up the honey in the microwave and add it to your bath. Next, add oatmeal, milk, Aloe Vera and mint. Soak for about 25 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water.
- This one is especially good for dry, burned or irritated skin!
Bath Bombs
- 2 cups baking soda
- 1 cup citric acid
- 1 cup corn starch
- 3 tsp. almond oil
- 1/3 tsp. peppermint essential oil
- 1/3 tsp. lavender essential oil
- 1/3 tsp. lemon essential oil
- Food coloring (optional)
- Rubbing alcohol (in a spray bottle)
- Mini metal tins
- Mix almond oil and essential oils. Separately, mix all dry ingredients. Add oils to dry ingredients and add food coloring (optional) while mixing. Spray the mixture with rubbing alcohol until damp (about 10 sprays). Add mixture to metal tins & mist the top to keep moist. Allow bath bombs to dry (about 10 minutes), then flip the molds over and lightly tap until they come out. Mist one more time and allow to dry overnight.
- Package these beauties up in pretty cellophane with a curly ribbon and you’ll have a nice gift for friends and family!
- http://www.care2.com/greenliving/health-benefits-of-epsom-salt-baths.html
- http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20841385,00.html
- http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/uses-for-lemons
- http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/beauty-uses-for-vinegar
- https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-eucalyptus-essential-oil.html
- https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-peppermint-oil.html