Soak Your Troubles Away: Luxurious Herbal Baths!

It's here! There was a snow storm so it is official! It is time for bath season! One of my favorite ways to take in herbs is through a healing hot bath. Who doesn't love that? Sometimes we forget that our skin is the largest porous organ we have. When we take a bath in herbs we are drawing that medicine into our body through our skin so it pervades every part of our bodies.

It is such an act of self-care to take a bath. It's not just about the herbs, but about taking time out just for yourself, enjoying a nice hot soak, and feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

My favorite way to take a bath is to use a cheesecloth or piece of muslin and place the herbs I want for a bath into the muslin and tying the herbs in place in the center of the cloth. You can also use a tea ball, muslin bag, or a bunch of tea bags. You can also brew a large cup of tea and just pour that into your bath water. I also like to add essential oils with a little cream, milk, or almond milk. I use milk or almond milk so the essential oils will have a fat to bind to and this prevents you from the rather intense contact with an essential oil. Sometimes I add some clay, sea salt, and baking powder for some extra cleansing and detoxing. I often add flower essences. This makes the bath especially emotionally and spiritually healing.

There are so many wonderful herbs that are great to use for a bath. When I was struggling with very frequent panic attacks I took a relaxing bath about once a week. Taking those baths allowed me the space to finally let go of some of that anxiety I was holding onto. One time I had a case of the flu with a high fever and very intense chills. I took a medicinal bath and within 20 minutes of the bath my fever had broken and I was on the mend. Baths can be powerful medicine.

Here are some ideas for herbs to use in a bath. Feel free to mix herbs you feel drawn to as you wish.

For a relaxing bath:

lemon balm, skullcap, milky oats, lavender, rose petal, borage, passionflower, linden

lavender essential oil – calming

aspen flower essence – helps clear out anxiety

cedar flower essence – cleansing of any negative energy

For a bath for sore muscles, pain, injury:

comfrey, solomon's seal, st. john's wort, ginger, mullein

rosemary essential oil – circulatory stimulant which helps bring fresh, nourishing blood to any affected area

lavender essential oil – helps rebuild cells

For a bath for the flu:

yarrow, peppermint, elder – this is an ancient combination of herbs against the flu. Add some boneset or comfrey to combat achyness.

rosemary essential oil – anti-microbial

lemongrass essential oil – very powerful anti-microbial

Play around with different herbs! Have fun...and don't forget the rubber ducky.