Whenever I start feeling sick, I go into full-on on hippie attack mode by trying every natural remedy I can! One that seems to be pretty effective for me is to take a detox bath at least once a day while I’m feeling sick.
I started getting flu-like symptoms last week (congested, cough, sore throat, brain fog) and was able to stop my sickness from getting any worse. It was a mild couple of days and the congestion never traveled into my chest. I was trying a few other natural remedies at the same time, and so I’m not exactly claiming this to be a scientific study that proves anything. All I’m saying is that there has been a lot of scientific research done on the topic and there is some compelling evidence to its effectiveness.
Worst case scenario – it’s all in my head and I just had a lovely soaking bath… bummer. I don’t know about you – but I love taking baths when I’m sick anyway. There is something so comforting about it.
There are many different ingredients that could be used in a detox bath, and there are many different types of recipes already available online. Which one do you choose?
Honestly, I created this recipe based on items I had laying around the house! This is a pretty great approach because if you are feeling sick – you likely don’t feel like going to the store either. Feel free to use any of the ingredients I feature in this recipe, or branch out and make your own detox bath based on what you already have on hand.
The Recipe
1 ½ cups Raw, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Braggs)
1 cup Baking Soda
2 cups Epsom Salt
1 TBS Raw, Grated Ginger Root (dried could work as well)
6 drops Lavender Essential Oil
4 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil
Directions:
Pour Epsom Salt into a bowl and mix essential oils into the salt. Add the salt and the rest of the ingredients to a hot bath. Try to get the water as warm as you can tolerate.
Soak in the bath for 20-30 minutes. You will notice your body heat up and you may continue sweating for about 15 minutes after getting out of the bath. This is normal and is part of the detoxification process.
The Benefits
In this section, I will break down each ingredient that I chose for my detox bath recipe and why they are beneficial. One ingredient that is not included, but I would highly recommend is Frankincense essential oil. It is one of the most expensive essential oils you can buy – and for good reason. I did not have any hand, but if you do throw 4-5 drops into your salt and essential oil blend.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar is famous for having a variety of health benefits and can be a great resource if you are feeling sick. ACV not only helps to balance the Ph in the skin, but helps relieve joint and muscle pain.
Baking Soda
Baking soda can help to alkalize the body and is known to help reduce sinus congestion. This is probably one of the most potent ingredients in the recipe and it can really pack a punch when it comes to crafting a good detox bath concoction.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt has been shown to help relieve muscle pain and pull toxins from the body. Soaking in a salt bath is an ancient practice to improve one's overall health. Soaking in epsom salt will also help to balance the Ph of the body.
Raw Ginger Root
Ginger is a POWERFUL health-enhancing root that is anti-inflammatory. Soaking in a bath with ginger can also help increase circulation - which can help aid your body in the healing process.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender essential oil is known for many health benefits - including clearing congestion. If you are feeling flu-like symptoms, this is a really powerful essential oil to try. Lavender is also one of the least expensive essential oils, and so it is a reasonable one to try! This oil is also great at calming the nervous system and allowing the body to begin healing.
Lemongrass Essential Oil
Lemongrass essential oil is both antimicrobial and antiseptic which makes it an ideal oil for cold and flu relief. Please note that lemongrass essential oil does bother some people's skin. Please do a small test before adding it to your bath.
What If You Don't Have a Bathtub?
Try doing a detox foot soak instead! You may not get as many benefits as soaking your entire body, but you should still feel some benefit from the detox. Simply grab a bucket and follow the other directions above. Try to get the water as warm as you are comfortable with.
Thank you so much for reading/watching! I hope that you found this helpful.
Call out to readers/listeners:
Have you ever taken a detox bath before? If so, have you noticed any benefit from it? Also, what are your favorite ingredients to use??
If you haven’t… what do you think about the idea of detox baths? Is it something that you would ever try?
If anyone has any question or comments, I’d love to hear them!
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