BLISSFUL BATHS
When we were kids, bath time was about playing with toys in the tub and piling mounds of sudsy bubbles on our heads. As adults, the bathtub becomes a place of refuge, a peaceful retreat from the hectic daily routine. In winter, a hot bath is especially appealing to warm up chilled fingers and toes, and melt away the stress brought on by holiday gatherings and crowded shopping malls.
In fact, taking time out to recline in a hot bath every day for eight weeks does more to ease anxiety than prescription drugs, according to research from the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine. Other researchers have noted that the warm water in the bathtub mimics our experience in the womb, bringing heightened feelings of comfort and security.
In addition to helping you unwind, adding essential oils to your bath time routine offers a host of other aromatic benefits that can keep you in a happy holiday mood all winter long. For example, the herbaceous aroma of Young Living’s Sage Essential Oil is an inviting bath-time treat, while adding Eucalyptus Essential Oil to a hot bath creates a wonderful aroma through the steam. The sweet smell of Lavender Essential Oil offers a soothing and relaxing aroma and the woody fragrance of Rosemary Essential Oil can promote feelings of clarity. Is your skin chapped from the dry winter air? Bathing in warm water with a few drops of your favorite essential oils blended with a dollop of coconut or olive oil can restore moisture to the skin and enhance its suppleness.
If you’re feeling the pressure of holiday planning, suffering a sore back after slipping on an icy sidewalk, or just want to hide from the family for a while, a soothing bath infused with a Young Living oil mix like Peace & Calming II™ Essential Oil Blend is the perfect remedy. Sliding into a warm tub for several minutes before bedtime can also ensure you get a good night’s sleep, which in turn helps strengthen your immune system. Here are four creative bath recipes to help you relax and recharge this winter season, so you can make it through the holidays in stride.
Lavender-Oatmeal Bath Soak Recipe
Oats have special antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that help soothe itchy, irritated skin. Not surprisingly, oatmeal has long been used in home remedies for everything from sunburn relief to treating eczema and psoriasis. This luxurious bath combines ingredients from your kitchen pantry and three lovely essential oils added for fragrance to provide a soothing relief for dry, flaky skin and help you look radiant all winter long.
1 cup Epsom salts
1 cup quick oats
½ cup baking soda
5 drops Frankincense Essential Oil
10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
15 drops Lavender Essential Oil
Directions:
Grind oats in a food processor or coffee grinder into a fine, flour-like texture.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until oils are evenly distributed.
Store in a glass jar and use about 1 cup of mixture per bath.
Tip:
Avoid floating oatmeal flakes in your bath by putting the mixture in a pouch made from an old sock or piece of pantyhose, tied off at the open end.
Reset the Body Bath
Epsom salts have been used for centuries in baths to relieve muscle aches and soothe stiff joints, pamper tired and swollen feet, and even minimize the pain of fibromyalgia. And adding baking soda to warm bathwater can help detoxify and alkalize your body. Plus, a few drops of Rose Essential Oil added to your bath will make it feel less medicinal and more like an escape to a sweet-smelling garden.
Handful of Epsom salts
½ cup baking soda
10 drops Rose Essential Oil
Directions:
Add all ingredients directly into a bathtub filled with warm water.
Stir with your hand to dissolve Epsom salts and baking soda before slipping into the tub.
Calming Sleepy Time Bubble Bath
Mixed with liquid body soap, and a few drops of Chamomile Essential Oil, you can create a serene and aromatic bubble bath that will transport you to a magical wonderland of stress-free soaking before you slip under the sheets for some shut-eye.
1 cup mild liquid body soap, like Dr. Bronner’s
¼ cup pure vegetable glycerin
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. Chamomile Essential Oil
2-3 drops red food coloring (optional)
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a sealable plastic bottle.
Pour about ½ cup under running water in the bathtub.
Agitate water to create lots of big bubbles, and enjoy!
Detox Bath
The warm, earthy aromas of Cedarwood and Frankincense blend perfectly with the spicy scent of Thieves® and the floral notes of Lavender in this spa-like bath that invigorates the senses. The addition of Epsom salts helps alleviate the aches and pains of sore muscles, so you feel super relaxed as you soak away the cares of the day.
1 cup Epsom salts
3 drops Cedarwood Essential Oil
3 drops Frankincense Essential Oil
3 drops Thieves® Essential Oil
2 drops Lavender Essential Oil
Directions:
Add all ingredients directly into a hot bath and soak for 20‑30 minutes. (You may want to set a timer, just in case you doze off!)
