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This bath soak recipe is perfect for wintertime! Use this cedarwood and sage bath soak recipe to relax your mind, body, and spirit while also providing your body with a rejuvinating detox.. Cedar and pine have natural antiseptic properties that will help fight off germs, while the warm water and salt soothes sore muscles. The herbs in this mix are also great for relieving stress or anxiety. This recipe will have you feeling relaxed in no time at all!
What are the Benefits of Taking a Bath?
Taking a therapeutic bath with bath salts can provide a host of benefits.
It’s no secret that bathing has scientifically proven health benefits with water being long revered for its therapeutic properties.
For centuries, people have realized the beneficial properties of water, like its healing and disease-protecting effects. Due to its importance, water was seen as magic and considered a gift of divinity. Egyptians and Israelites used to plunge themselves in the sacral water of Niles and Jordan, Hindus in the Ganges river for healing their soul and body.
Today, it’s not customary to plunge into rivers, although you certainly could if you wanted. Instead, modern convenience has afforded us the luxury of bathtubs. There’s nothing like a nice long soak in the tub as part of your self-care practice, especially when the day’s stresses get to be too much. As you settle into that warm water, you can feel the demands of the day slip away.
To elevate your bathing experience even further, try soaking in a mineral-rich bath with therapeutic salts, herbs, and essential oils. Using the power of salts, herbs, oils, and soothing warm water, you can absorb the minerals and supportive plant constituents through the largest organ in your body: your skin.
What are Bath Salts Good For?
There are numerous advantages to soaking in mineral-rich water, with one standout being its ability to promote skin equilibrium, alleviate inflammation, and provide relief from discomfort.
Bathing with salts containing minerals like magnesium, calcium, sulfur, bromide, iodine, sodium, zinc, and potassium can enrich the bathwater with these essential minerals, renowned for centuries for their natural soothing properties. These minerals have been recognized as gentle pain relievers, anti-inflammatory agents, and antioxidants.
Additionally, there are other benefits such as skin moisturization and hydration, pain relief, electrolyte replenishment, immune system support, and maintenance of alkaline/acid balance. Mineral baths are also known to assist in toxin removal from the bloodstream, easing muscle spasms and menstrual cramps, enhancing overall circulation, detoxifying the skin, and calming stressed skin.
Moreover, mineral baths may have positive effects on various skin conditions like psoriasis and acne, aiding in their improvement and healing.
How Do You Make Bath Salts?
Since this bath soak recipe has added fresh and dried plant material, you’ll want to add all of your ingredients to an unbleached muslin bag and hang it on your tub nozzle instead of adding the mixture directly to your bathwater. You don’t want to clog your drain!
Simply turn your water on hot and let it run over your bag of herbs and salts until your tub is half full. Then adjust your temperature to fill the tub the rest of the way and toss your bag into the water as you soak.
Common Bath Salts Ingredients
- Epsom Salts – are rich in magnesium, which can promote relaxation and ease muscle tension.
- Pink Himalayan Salt – primarily composed of sodium chloride, it also contains numerous minerals and trace elements such as potassium, calcium, and iron. Some people believe it may support respiratory health, help balance the body’s pH, contribute to a youthful appearance, aid in better sleep, assist in blood sugar regulation, and possibly enhance libido.
- Dead Sea salt – can help soften the skin and relieve sore muscles. The high magnesium content in Dead Sea salt also helps the skin to absorb and bind moisture better.
- Baking Soda – known for its potential to calm inflamed skin and reduce irritation and itching when added to baths.
- Dendritic Salt – prized in bath salt blends for its ability to absorb moisture. Even a small amount can enhance the longevity and potency of fragrances and essential oils, preventing clumping and acting as a natural preservative in sea salt bath blends.
Cedarwood and Sage Bath Soak Recipe
This pine forest bath salt is my very favorite bath soak recipe for winter. Luxurious Dead Sea salt is combined with other therapeutic salts along with the grounding and antimicrobial nature of pine needles, cedar, juniper, and sage for a relaxing bath.
*Fir or spruce needles can be added or substituted.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Epsom salt
- 1.5 cups coarse dead sea salt (or any coarse sea salt)
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup of dendritic salt
- ½ cup pine (Pinus spp.) needle, finely chopped
- ½ cup juniper (Juniperus spp.) berry, crushed
- 2 tablespoons sweet almond, grapeseed, or olive oil
- 6 drops fir (Abies balsamea) essential oil (optional)
- 6 drops Virginia cedarwood (Juniperus virginiana) essential oil (optional)
- 6 drops sage (Salvia Officinalis) essential oil (optional)
Directions
- Combine salt, baking soda, pine needles, dried cedar leaf, dried sage, and juniper berries in a medium-sized bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Combine essential oils with a base oil (sweet almond, grapeseed, etc.) and stir to combine.
- Add the oil mixture to the salt mixture. Stir thoroughly.
- Place mixture into a glass jar, label, and store in a cool, dark place for 6-12 months.
Use 1-2 handfuls of salt per bath and soak for 15- 20 minutes in water that is not too hot.
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Disclaimer:
The Outdoor Apothecary website is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. The information provided is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, it is the reader’s responsibility to ensure proper plant identification and usage.
Please be aware that some plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects. We are not health professionals, medical doctors, or nutritionists. It is essential to consult with qualified professionals for verification of nutritional information, health benefits, and any potential risks associated with edible and medicinal plants mentioned on this website.
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I love this! Thank you for sharing! I plan to make this for gifts this year…are dried pine needles from Amazon ok or should I just cut straight from the live tree 😂😂 Same thing for juniper berries…dried like in the spice aisle? Thank you!
I use both fresh pine needles and juniper berries, but dried are okay too! Good luck, these make such pretty gifts, and handmade is always best!