Pamper Yourself a Little - Bath Soaks

 

(Photo Credit: Sierra Miller  ) 

I’ve always loved baths.. super relaxing, stress relieving, and a special treat. You can things to your bath water to help make the experience even more enjoyable. The simplest thing is Epsom salts, just pour some in while the water is running. Epsom salts have are very relaxing to tired, achy muscles. Another good additive is baking soda. Adding a some to the water helps clean and soften skin.

You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to any bath for more enjoyment and aromatherapy benefits.

If you want to do something just a little bit more then I have a couple suggestions. The first is an Oatmeal Bath. Oatmeal is great for dry itchy winter skin as it has the ability to lock in moisture reduce inflammation. However you don’t want oatmeal floating around in the tub and clogging the drain. Here is an easy way to enjoy this beauty treatment.

You will need a clean (old) sock or a knee high nylon and some oats. You can use any type of oats you would like (quick cooking, regular)…

 

 

Fill the sock/nylon with the oats. I found the easiest way to do this was using a canning funnel. But make sure to hold onto the sock around the bottom of the funnel when filling..

When the sock is full, tie the sock shut…

To use it run your bath water and let the water run over the sock/nylon while the bath tub fills. You can squish the oatmeal liquid out of the sock several times and rub it over your skin for a softening effect.

 

Another nice bath soak is a tea bath. Tea is amazing in its aroma therapy effects. It can also help other symptoms as well. To make tea for a bath simply fill a pot with about 6 to 8 cups of water. Add loose tea or 3 or 4 tea bags. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let it sit and steep to get strong. If using tea bags, remove them. If using loose tea strain. Add tea to tub as you fill your bath.

 

This batch that you see was made with peppermint tea. The tea is loose. I added about ¼ cup (maybe a bit less) to the water and brought it to a boil.

 

When it had steeped long enough I strained out the tea leaves and used it in my bath…

 

As for types of tea to try:
 

Peppermint and eucalyptus is great for helping stuffed noses. Peppermint is also invigorating and refreshing and I enjoy it for stress relief.

Chamomile tea is good for relaxation and I’ve read helps relieve depression.

Valerian can help with insomnia. However valerian is not the best smell so I would suggest a smaller amount of tea/tea bags be added.. it will do the trick as far as helping you fall asleep, but for this bath you won’t walk away with sweet smells lingering.

Green tea is also good for a bath. While it does not have a lot of aromatherapy attributes it is filled with antioxidants and vitamins that are good for the skin.

 

Take a little time this week to pamper yourself with a nice relaxing, soothing bath.