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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Xavier chapter.

There are many health benefits of taking a detox bath such as flushing out toxins, improving sleep, reducing stress, helping to heal skin rashes, reducing inflammation, improving muscle function, helping to treat colds, flu, and other illnesses, relieving sore muscles and headaches, increasing circulation and well-being, and helping with other conditions.

Hot water is great at drawing toxins out of the body to the skin’s surface and once the water cools down, it pulls out those toxins from the skin. For centuries, hot springs, the ocean, and mineral and herbal baths have been used across the globe for their therapeutic benefits.

How to Take a Detox Bath:

  1. Fill your tub with hot water.
  2. Add your desired ingredients.
  3. Lay in the water and make sure you soak your entire body from the neck down.
  4. When you’re finished, stand up carefully and slowly. You may feel a little drained or lightheaded.
  5. Rinse yourself off with cold or lukewarm water.
  6. Drink lots of water after your bath.
  7. Don’t eat immediately before or after taking your detox bath.

Courtesy of AJ’s Natural Beauty Blog.

 

Ingredients to Put in Your Bath:

1. Apple Cider Vinegar: Good for arthritis and relaxing muscles. Also eliminates build up of uric acids and this prevents the painful condition known as gout, which is a form of arthritis. Add 1-2 cups of apple cider vinegar to your bath and soak for at least 20-30 minutes. Then, rinse yourself off with cool or lukewarm water to wash the vinegar water off.

2. Baking Soda: Detoxifies and soothes the skin while being a great exfoliant for the body, which can help fight acne. Add ½ to 1 cup of baking soda to your next hot bath and soak for 20-30 minutes. Dry off and lay down when you finish soaking to avoid dizziness from the hot water and detox.

3. Coconut Oil: Mix a tablespoon of this into your running water to soften and moisturize the skin. Having anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-parasitic properties will keep the skin healthy. Add 2 cups of apple cider vinegar to the bath and soak for at least 30 minutes. Then, wait at least 8 hours before showering to reap the benefits.

4. Epsom Salts: The perfect solution to muscle soreness or relieving tension. There are high levels of magnesium in this and works to make the skin soft and smooth. Add 1-2 cups of Epsom salt and soak for as long as you want.

5. Ginger: Adding freshly grated or ground ginger to your bath battles headaches and helps with detoxifying the body. It forces toxins to be released through sweat, which will leave you feeling cleansed as ginger turns up the heat when it’s added to a bath. It also encourages you to sweat out aches from the flu or a cold, and is wonderful at clearing up nasal and chest congestion. However, you should be careful as sensitive skin can react to ginger so be sure to test it on your skin first. Add ½ cup of grated ginger or 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger to your bathtub and soak for 15-20 minutes.

6. Honey: This ingredient is a powerhouse for your skin as it’s anti-aging, antibacterial, and moisturizing. Just add 2 cups of honey and soak for at least 20 minutes.

Courtesy of Styleoholic.

7. Lavender: If you need to wind down and get a good night’s rest, lavender is the ingredient for you as it’s known as one of the most relaxing herbs around. Add dried lavender or a few drops of lavender essential oil to your next soaking session.

8. Milk: The fat and protein in the milk make your skin soft, supple, and helps to naturally exfoliate it. The lactic acid helps to soften and clean the skin as well. Add 1 ½ cups of dry powdered milk or liquid milk and soak for as long as you want.

9. Roses: Indulge yourself with roses. Putting rose petals or rose water into your tub is the perfect ingredient if you want antibacterial, moisturizing, and anti-inflammatory benefits. They also give your bath a decadent and sweet scent. Pluck the rose petals from a bouquet of roses and when the tub is halfway full, drop the petals under the running water. Let the water disperse them as this will infuse the bath with the rose petals’ soothing properties. If you want to use rose water, pour 2 cups into your tub.

10. Sea Salt: One of the oldest types of soaks, they have been known to help with drawing out toxins, relaxing, and soothing open sores and blemishes. Add ¼-½ cup of sea salt to your bath and soak for as long as you desire.

11. Seaweed: Works as a natural sponge to absorb toxins, calms the mind, helps to re-mineralize the skin, and stimulates your body to release toxins and other waste products. Use seaweed flakes and boil a large spoonful of them for 30 minutes. Then, strain the water from the flakes before adding them to your bath.  

 12. Tea: Green tea is perfect for toning the body, is full of antioxidants, aids with relaxation and detoxification, and softens the skin. Chamomile tea is perfect for relaxing the body, calming the mind, and may ease certain types of pain. Put 5-6 tea bags in your bath and let them steep for 15-20 minutes. Then, soak to your heart’s content.

Additional Notes:

  • Drink lots of water. Drink at least one glass before, during, and after the bath. It will help you to detox and keep you hydrated.
  • The warmer the water, the more powerful the detox effect will be.
  • Any of these natural ingredients can be used alone or in combination for a cleansing effect.
  • All recipes can be doubled or tripled but this will increase the detox effect.
  • I recommend starting slowly with this or any health change.
  • You can also use smaller portions and do a foot soak for a similar detox effect.
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Kayla is a sophomore public relations major with a minor in digital media. She is obsessed with dogs and all other animals. She is from Cincinnati, Ohio and was originally adopted from China.
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