An important, wonderful part of aromatherapy are hot full baths. For most people, a nice bath at the end of a stressful day is the most relaxing and most wonderful thing that makes one forget the hectic of the day, and prepares for a good sleep. But using herbs and essential oils, baths can also help the body to recuperate and restore.
In Winter time, hot baths with essential oils and herbs, are a wonderful to relax indoors, to make oneself feel good no matter the weather and temperatures outside, it can help to warm you up after a long winter walk or other activities in the cold winter weather, and last but not least are known to help the body to fight off well known winter ailments such as the common cold or other viruses.
Tips:
– only use organic, real essential oils and herbs for your baths
– add only right before you enjoy the bath, don’t let essential oils and aromas evaporate while filling the bathtub
– but you can add herb sachets while filling the bathtub and also prepare “teas” to add to the bathwater
To use essential oils for a bath, you need a substance to mix the essential oil with before giving it into the bath water – as essential oils on their own don’t mix with water but will swim on top basically and evaporate immediately, too. The vegan method is to use vegetable oil of your liking, or even vinegar. Other traditional solvents are milk and honey. But you can also use salt, or simply bath gel.
For herb sachets, you fill a sachet (for example made from cotton or linen or using even big tea sachets) with the herbs you like, and for example hang them from the faucet while the water is being let into the bath tub. Or you can just let them swim in the water if you like.
Essential oils, mixed with another oil / substance are added last to the bath, right before you enter the bath water. Same goes for “teas”.
If you like it, you can sprinkle lose herbs on top the bath water, such as rose or lavender petals. The smaller, the more mess to clean up, though. 🙂
Can you use a whole and even fresh bunch of herbs and hang them in bath water? Basically, yes. Fresh herbs won’t give as much aroma, or otherwise you’d need a lot of them. A bunch can be used similar to a sachet, but many small parts will get into your water. Also, one chops herbs into smaller pieces to get more of their essential oils out of them. Either way, clean well before using in your bath water.
Only use clean, organic material. You don’t want any types of chemicals to enter your body and blood stream via your skin and by breathing in. As always: make sure beforehand that you aren’t allergic to any of the plants or oils you are using.
In traditional medicine, baths have been used for hundreds if not thousands of years for all sorts of health purposes. Baths have their earned place in traditional herbal medicine, and one finds many recommendations for various medicinal plants to be used in form of a bath.
Healing benefits of herbs and oils are also absorbed through the skin, and breath – full immersion in a bath with herbs is therefore said to be especially beneficial. In addition, the relaxing time for oneself is supposed to help feel well. Soothing music and a warm cup of herbal tea in your hands will help you enjoy your bath even more.
Recommended herbs and essential oils for warming winter baths are:
Rosemary, Juniper, Chamomille, a pinch of Cinnemon or Ginger added, especially in form of essential oil, Sandalwood (oil), essential pine oil (do not mix up with oil of terpentine), cedarwood oil.
Lavender and Lemon balm (Melissa) are always nice and relaxing, too, just not particularly warming.
In pregnany, consult your doctor or health practitioner first, especially before using any warming herbs or essential oils. But, if you are waiting for your period – such a bath could help.
RECIPES FOR WARMING WINTER BATHS WITH ESSENTIAL OILS AND HERBS
Bath Salt with herbs and essential oils
You can easily make your own bath salt:
2 parts coarse sea salt; 1 part Epsom salts, (Epson salts are supposed to relax muscles and reduce inflammation); add 1/3 part baking soda, which will make the water softer.
An alternative recipe for bath salts:
Table Salt – 1 part (or use Borax instead)
Baking Soda (Sodium bicarbonate) – 2 parts
Epsom Salts (magnesium sulfate) – 3 parts
If you wish, you can add some drops essential oil of choice. I recommend to use a carrier oil, such as Jojoba or almond oil, or olive oil, to mix with the essential oil first, before adding the oil to the salt.
Example:
Add 5 drops of Rosemary Oil and 5 drops of Lavender Oil to one tablespoon of carrier oil, and stir. Then mix with the salt.
Last but not least: Add some food coloring to your liking. You could use plant colors such as from Spirulina or beets – but caution, this might also color your skin. You don’t want to look like a smirf after your bath.
Essential Oils for a Winter Spa Bath at Home
I find that nothing is more wonderful in a bath than essential oils, they smell heavenly, and are good for you, they relax or revive, …
For 1 bath add 10 drops of essential oil to 1 Tablespoon oil such as Jojoba oil, olive oil, almond oil, etc.
+++ Make sure to use 100 percent pure essential oil, of organic origin, too. +++ Use organic carrier oil.
Soul warming essential oils: sandalwood, patchouli, Ylang-Ylang, Rosemary, Juniper.
Relaxing and giving a smell of summer even in the deepest winter: Lavender, Bergamotte, Lemonbalm, Rose.
Conifer oils, such as pine oil, if they are to your taste, are a good winter essential oil choice.
Herb Sachet for Your Relaxing Bath Time
You can either use a bought sachet or sew it yourself, or use a more “instant” method and use a big teafilterbag, which normally goes on tea filter holders in a tea pot.
If you decide to use a sachet made from fabric, make sure it is organic material, and washed. Best to use are cotton, linen, and other open weave fabrics, such as mull or cheesecloth. You can make several sachets in advance, and keep them in an airtight container.
It is totally up to you which shape and form and size you prefer. If you decide to sew yourself, I found it the easiest method, to cut out a rectangular shape, fold it lengthwise, and then sew it together at the two longer sides. If you wish to reuse it, you might want to hem the ends before doing so.
Fill with a handful of herbs and if you wish also dried flower petals of choice, add if you wish a few drops of essential oil, then either sew closed, or use a string to tie it for reuse. Either way, include or attach a longer string (also clean, organic), with which you tie the sachet to the water faucet of your bathtub before filling the bath. The water will most likely color a bit, depending on the herbs chosen.
If you have nothing else at hand, you can also simply use a washcloth. Just beware that herbs may leave stains. A washcloth will also come in handy if you don’t have a bathtub or prefer showers – hang the sachet under the faucet and at the end of the shower, wash yourself down with it.
Warming Winter Bath
3 parts Pine needles
2 parts Bay
1 part Rosemary
Soothing Spice Winter Bath
3 parts Rosemary
2 parts Cinnemon
1 part Ginger
Add Patchouli, or Cedar, or Rosewood, as you wish.
+++ Only use clean and organic herbs. The last thing you want is to use non organic herbs and have pesticides dissolve in the warm water and you bathing in it. Pesticides are toxic. +++
Add herbs to your bath in form of an infuse
Pour 1-2 liter boiling water over two handful of herbs, and let steep 20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare your bath. Then add the infuse (without the herbs, strain: use a sieve, tea filter, or similar) around 35 degrees C.
Enjoy for 15 minutes (or whatever you feel comfortable with). You can add essential oils, if you don’t mix then beforehand with another substance, they will mainly add aroma, but won’t dissolve in the water. For example Geranium, Lavender, Rose, Rosewood, and others named above.
Herb Infused Aromatic Bath Oil and Herb Vinegar
How to make Bath Oil from fresh or dried herbs
Use 6 table spoons washed and finely chopped fresh or dried herbs with 600 ml oil, such as organic olive oil.
Finely ground herbs with a mortar or mini mixer.
Add some drops of oil, to make a paste.
Add the rest of the oil and mix well.
Pour the mixture into a clean, sterilized glass container.
Cover, let sit for two weeks. Daily shake and mix it up.
Then strain with the help of a sieve or cheesecloth (mull).
Fill in very clean bottles or glasses, you can add clean herb twigs, too, for effect and further aroma over time.
Close well and store at a cool, dark place.
Use 1 tablespoon bath oil for a full bath. Add to bathwater right before taking the bath and stir the bathwater well. You can also add essential oils as describes above to this oil.
Herb Vinegar for a nice warm bath
Use 10 Tablespoons finely chopped herbs, e. g. mint, rosemary, … with 600 ml white wine vinegar.
Give herbs after in a heat proof container.
Bring vinegar to a boil, pour over herbs.
Stir well and let cool.
Fill into a clean, sterile glass. Cover, and let steep for three weeks at a dark place.
Daily: stir and mix.
Then strain through sieve or cheese cloth.
Fill into bottles, if you wish you can add a herb twig for decoration. Keep at dark, cool place.
Use up to half a cup (125 ml) for a bath.
Tips for a relaxing and hassle free herb bath
Can you add herbs and flower petals just directly to your bathwater? I recommend to reduce this to a few decorative sprinkles, and putting herbs directly in your bath will result in the same wonderful aromatic bath and it might be a special experience to bath with the herbs floating around – but think first about the drain and cleaning up as well as herbs and petals clinging to your wet skin before acting.
Only use organic materials. To take a warm winter bath right before bed will normally promote sleep. I never could stay awake when I took a warm bath in the evening and then relaxed in front of the fire place – the bed would have been the better choice.
How to clean an oily bathtub with natural cleaning agents
Cleaning: oily baths, bath salts with coloring, etc., might leave traces in your bathtub. How to remove them? First of all, rinse the tub well directly after your bath, and gently rub with baking soda. Secondly: mix yourself a cleaner from white vinegar and baking soda. You can optionally add essential lemon oil, or natural lemon juice.
