A Detox Bath

I found a detox bath recipe on Pintrest a few weeks ago (http://www.gimmesomestyleblog.com/stylin-on-the-inside-detox/) and posted it into my little blurb on Mother-in-law gifts. I recently decided to try it out myself as the New Year began. I don’t know if actually got rid of the buildup of toxins in my body, but it did make me feel more refreshed and energized afterwards. It’s not necessarily that fun… it gets HOT in that bathtub and you SWEAT bullets. It’s worth giving it a shot though to see how it makes you feel! I always love natural healing things (I feel sure that I would have been a hippie if I were born in the 60’s) and I like the idea of a purifying bath. While I don’t know for sure if the bath really serves as a powerful detox, there’s lots of evidence that a detox bath like this can also help to alleviate the symptoms of a cold or the flu. I made a few extra batches of this bath to keep on hand for that particular reason.

Here are the ingredients for the epsom salt mixture that you will pour into the bathtub. 

• 2 cups epsom salt (add more if your tub is larger)
• 1-2 cups of baking soda (this helps soften the skin)
• at least 1 tbsp of ground ginger (I added a little bit more because I really wanted to increase the heat in the bathtub. The ginger increases heat-levels causing you to sweat more.)
• You can also add some chamomile to soothe and calm. I didn’t have any essential oils on hand so I skipped this ingredient.

Directions for an Epsom Salt Detox Bath:

• Use a skin brush or something similar to brush off dead skin (remember to always brush towards your heart and work from your feet up!)
• Do not eat immediately before or after bathing.
• Drink a couple glasses of water to keep yourself hydrated
• Draw the bath water at the hottest temperature you can handle–ideally you want to promote sweating!
• Pour the contents of your detox mixture into the bath and agitate the water to help the mixture dissolve.
• At this point get into the water and let it surround you all the way up to your neck.
• Stay in the water for at least 20 minutes–you will definitely get really hot! Take this time to relax, read, or catch up on your favorite show.
• Drain the water and be very careful getting out of the tub–you will most likely feel light headed and possibly dizzy!
• Dry off and continue drinking water. Anytime your body detoxes you need to keep flushing out toxins with fluids.
• Use your favorite natural moisturizer following the bath – just make sure not to use anything with dyes, perfumes or chemicals! Coconut oil is a good option. I used baby oil because that’s what I had on hand at home.
• Relax until you don’t feel lightheaded anymore. I’d recommend doing this close to bed time. I slept like a baby afterwards!