Nourishing Stress Reducing Bath
Epsom Salt
Did you know that soaking in an Epsom salt bath is a safe and easy way to increase magnesium and sulfate levels in the body? In fact, our largest organ the skin, absorb magnesium very efficiently in a bath and this is good practice for supplementing your body with magnesium.
Apart from replenishing magnesium levels, an Epsom salt bath has other benefits that derive from the magnesium. The magnesium relieves stress and improves relaxation and sleep. It draws impurities out of the skin and help to flush out toxins and heavy metals from the cells. It will also relax sore muscles and reduce inflammation and pain in muscles.
Stress tends to deplete magnesium levels and good magnesium levels are necessary to bind with serotonin in the brain that helps us to feel well and relaxed. Taking Epsom salt baths at the end of a stressful day or week is a smart lifestyle habit to acquire.
When you come to the end of a long week, instead of thinking of a glass of wine, that will tax your stressed system with more toxins, run yourself a nourishing and relaxing stress reducing bath.
Tip: Use some discrimination when buying Epsom salt. Look for high quality and preferably pharmaceutical grade Epsom salt. In the United States look for USP (United States Pharmacopeia) Grade Epsom salt. Cheap, inferior salts can be laced with heavy metals.
Baking Soda & Lavender Oil
Baking soda aids in neutralizing acidity in the skin and promotes elimination of toxins. It will also soften your skin and make the bath water alkaline.
Lavender essential oil will add to the relaxation aspect of the bath. Lavender is particularly rich in aromatic molecules called esters. Esters relax the muscles and are pacifying and tonic (reduce stress and anxiety, and also aids in insomnia).
Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Epsom Salt
- ½ cup Baking Soda (aluminium free)
- 10 drops Lavender Oil
Method
Dissolve Epsom salt, baking soda and lavender oil in bath water. Make the bath as hot as you can tolerate. Soak for at least 20 minutes. If you only have Epsom salt available, using just Epsom salt on its own is perfectly fine.
Other Oils You Can Use:
Eucalyptus Oil
Use eucalyptus if you recently stopped smoking, have a cold, bronchitis, fever, flu, sinusitis or are coughing.
Spearmint or Peppermint
Use mint oil for asthma, exhaustion, fever, headache and nausea.
Caution: Never apply essential oils directly on your skin. The only oil that can be used on the skin undiluted is lavender oil. Lavender oil is also anti-microbial and relieves pain.
