Magical Soaking Salts

Today is my day off, which means I get to spend my time blending & creating.  Yeah!! & with fall in the air I figure its the perfect time to try out some seasonally specific bath salt recipes that have been dancing around in my head (time to clear out some space in there).

Bath salts, or Magical Soaking Salts as we call them in our house, are a blend of various mineral salts, carrier oils, & essential oils.  There are so many health benefits that can be achieved through simply taking a soak, I know I could never list them all, but a few include reliving dry skin, eczema, acne, joint or muscle pain, inflammation, stress & anxiety, insomnia, bloating, menstrual cramping, fevers, coughs & congestion…. and on and on and. Basically, soaking in the tub is good for what ale’s ya, body, mind, & soul.

HOT SPRINGS AT HOME

Even without the ‘add-ons’, baths are great.  Simply soaking in warm water opens our pores & airways, allowing body detoxification & for better breathing.  But some days tap water just doesn’t cut it & you need something stronger. Some days you need hot springs.

Magical pools of steaming water full of dissolved minerals from deep beneath the surface are miracles earth…but we aren’t always next to one when we need it most. No worries though, with a little salt, hot springs can be created in your bathroom any day of the year.
Salts (such as epsom salt, dead sea salt, rock salt, and baking soda) are made up of trace minerals that our body is often unable to absorb through our gut.  Luckily our skin, with all its fabulous pores, is able to absorb these minerals fairly easily.  This is what makes soaking in hot springs (or a salt infused bath) feels so amazing…you are literally replenishing the minerals your body needs to function properly.

TIME TO GET CRAFTY

So back to my kitchen-lab, its time to mix up some magic hot springs!
The really awesome thing about making your own bath salts (vs. seeking out the nearest hot springs) is that you can gear your recipe to suit most any problem you have. By simply adding specific essential oils, you can bump up the detox, anti-inflammatory, or airway clearing properties of your house magic pool mix. Sweet!

To get started, you want to make a mix of salts. Opening up a bag of epsom salt & dumping it in your tub is okay, but it most likely does not contain all the minerals your body is lacking. If you want your home hot springs to be truly magical, you need to mix it up.
For my Bath Soaking Salts I use 4 different salts because I feel that between them they cover most trace minerals we all need.
The ratios really aren’t that important, this is just to get you started:
1 to 2 parts Epsom Salts (Magnesium sulfate)
1 to 2 part Dead Sea Salts (Magnesium, Bromide, Iodine, Potassium, Sulfur, Calcium,Sodium,Zinc)
1 part Himalayan Sea Salts (boron,chromium,copper,iodine,manganese, sodium chloride,zinc…)
1 part Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)

If you can’t find one of these salts or want to try something different, do a bit of research on your own and see what calls out to you. Experiment!

Now that you’ve got your basic salt mix, its time to have fun by adding some oils! Because our skin is so incredibly skilled at absorbing what we expose it to, choosing high quality oils is extremely important. (Here is the brand that I recommend.)

Essential Oil Side Note ::: While its easy to get caught up in making your salts smell fabulous (this smells so good I could literally bath in it! oh right…) remember that you are using essential oils for their beneficial properties, not just their smell. Aromatherapy is about picking your oils for WHAT they do, not simply by HOW they smell.
Also, when it comes to essential oils, less is more.  

back to my blends….. 
With autumn comes crisp cool weather (lovely!) which also means the start of cold & flu season (not so lovely).  So here are my two new favorite blends to help you enjoy the transitional season.

SinusClear – use this blend to open your airway & boost your immune system.
2 drops peppermint
3 drops lemon
3 drops eucalyptus
1 drop cardamom

 

 

 

Warmth – use this blend to increase circulation, warm your bones, & boost immune system.
2 drops ginger
2 drops clove
2 drops cypress
2 drops wild orange
2 drops grapefruit 

 

 

Potion Master Mix Method:
Blend essential oils with 2 teaspoons carrier oil (sweet almond, apricot, or grapeseed oil all work well). Use spoon to toss oil mix with one cup of salt mix.  Store in glass jar & use 2 Tablespoons to 1/4 cup of mix at a time. Enjoy!!

Do you make your own bath soaking salts?
What are your favorite oil blends?
Share your experiences / expertise.