I live in Canada. It’s cold most of the year. Growing up I spent most of my time in arenas watching my friends play hockey, which meant I was constantly cold. As soon I got home I’d run up the stairs start a bath and hop in to warm my core temperate back up. I would feel frozen to the bone. Okay, I’m being a bit dramatic, but I really hate being cold. To this day I usually have a bath to warm up on a cold day, and most definitely after a super long and tiring week. It’s the best way to relax. I’ve always added epsom salt to my baths to soothe aching muscles, but in the last year I’ve start using my own salt blend to not only relax, but detoxify my body. I use a blend of epsom salt, dead sea salt, and Himalayan salt. I add lavender, peppermint, and cinnamon essential oils to the bath water as well. Also, I include some dried lavender buds from a local farm in the salt mix.
Let’s start with the essential oils. Lavender oil is a truly incredible remedy for your physical and emotional well-being. Known for its calming effects, lavender can help reduce stress and nervous tension. The aroma can also lessen migraines and help with insomnia (I spray some on my pillow at night!). Since it’s a natural antiseptic it works wonders with skin problems and infections. I sprinkle some dried buds in with the salt for some added lavender aroma and pretty colour.
Thanks to the natural menthol, adding peppermint oil to the bath water helps soothe tired, aching muscles. It’s quite a feeling to get in to a piping hot bath and have your muscles instantly cooled into relaxation. The aroma of peppermint oil is also great for helping with migraines. Have a cold? The scent will help clear up that congestion!
The final essential oil I add to my salt bath is cinnamon. It is said to stimulate circulation, reduce stress, and help with any infections. Plus, all three of these aromas together create an absolutely beautiful scent. Noticing a theme yet? Stress relief.
A salt bath, also known as a sole (pronounced “so-lay”) or brine, not only detoxifies the body, but helps with skin diseases, infections, and with strengthening your immune system. When you mix up your detox bath, you want to make sure you’re getting the right concentration of salt. Approximately 1% of your bath water should be salt to get the best effects. An average bath tub normally takes around 100-129 litres (27-32 gallons) of water so you’ll need to use about I kg of salt (2.2 lbs). I make a salt mixture of epsom, dead sea, and Himalayan. The finer the grind the quicker the salt with dissolve, but it’s your personal preference.
Salt baths should be taken with a water temperate around the same as your body’s. Draw the bath to a temperate of about 98°F- I use a meat thermometer from the kitchen to double-check! Keeping the water at this temperature allows your body to sweat out the toxins and absorb the salt mixture. If you’ve used the proper ratio of salt, the water should hover around the same temperature throughout the duration of the bath. If you start to feel light-headed add some cool water. Spending 40 minutes in the bath is the optimal amount of time to detoxify.
If you know you’re going to have a detoxifying salt bath start drinking water. We all know we should be drinking lots of water throughout the day, but it’s so easy to forget to in our hectic lives (as I write this I ran to the kitchen to grab a glass!). Since you’ll be detoxifying your body, drinking water before and after your bath will help keep you hydrated and flush out the toxins. Light a few candles, put on your iPod, and relax away.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cup epsom salt
- 2.5 cup dead sea salt
- 2.5 cup Himalayan salt
- 6-8 drops lavender oil
- 3-5 drops peppermint oil
- 5-7 drops cinnamon oil
- 1 tsp. dried lavender buds (optional)
Directions
- Drink a few glasses of water and bring one for the remainder of the bath.
- Light some candles and put on a relaxing playlist (optional, but always nice!)
- Combine the salt in a large bowl.
- Run your bath water to around 98°F.
- Add salt while the bath runs to allow it to dissolve.
- Add the essential oils and lavender buds (if using).
- Submerge as much of your body as possible into the bath water.
- Relax in the bath for 40 minutes.
- Slowly get out of the bath and gently towel dry your skin.
- Spend 30 minutes relaxing afterwards.
- Drink more water!
TIPS:
- Try not to put any moisturizer on your skin after your bath. Just let your skin breathe and revel in the calming and detoxifying effects.
- If you feel light-headed drink more water and add some cool water to the bath.
*If you are pregnant or have heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, inflammations, and other medical conditions consult your naturopath or family doctor before taking a hot detox salt bath.