Herbal Bathing

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Herbal Bathing

by Joan Madonna-Dehnert

Spring 2000

The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all loved

bathing and made a pleasurable, ceremonious therapy

of it. In times of stress or fatigue or after a long

day’s overwork, there is nothing like a sensuous

pleasure of a bath to revive the spirit. Simply

soaking gently in hot water soothes and relaxes.

Hot water is just the new material. Different things

can be added to scent or soften it,to make it

therapeutic or a beauty treatment or a bath for

shattered nerves.

This is not about those colored crystals or bottles of

bubble bath which will leave your skin dry because of

the alkaline detergents they contain. They strip away

the protective acid mantel of your skin.

Make your bathroom a pleasant refuge with a handy

shelf for books, drinks, bath essentials and a

cassette player to add your favorite music. Add green

plants to it, ferns love the humidity.

Avoid really hot baths, if you stagger out with

reddened skin, feeling drained of life- you’ve over

done it. Try and take a bath that is pleasantly warm.

If you have high blood pressure,heart conditions,

asthma, varicose veins or cellulite a long hot bath

is not wise. Also if you have a large meal, forget

the bath. It would not help digestion. Unless you add

moisturizers to the hot bath it will leave your skin

dried out. At the end of the hot bath turn on the

cold water and let the bath cool down before you get

out.

Before getting into your bath, give your skin a quick

head to toe brush with a special or loofah starting

at your toes and working upward in a circular motion.

Then wipe your body with a warm sponge or flannel

cloth. Now you will be nice and clean so you can relax

in the bath.

For deep skin cleaning use one cup of sea salt, add a

little water - or if your skin is dry, use milk. Rub

it into your body, but avoid the groin and face. Then

sit down in the water and let the salt dissolve to

give you a sea bath. As a Hungarian beauty specialist

told her clients, “Salt preserves meat.” You can do

the same thing with Epson salts, oatmeal, almond meal.

barley meal or bran. All are cleansing and softening.

Take a square of cotton or linen sheet, tie the meal

up in it, put it under the running tap and then rub is

all over yourself.

Milk is very soothing to the skin or you can use of

cup full of instant dried nonfat milk. It is also an

excellent medium for diluting and dispersing

essential oils. Add five to six drops of milk.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are very powerful concentrates of a

plant. Do not use more than five drops in a bath. If

the bath water is too hot, the oils will evaporate.

If you’ve never used essential oils before, dilute it

in milk or a carrier oil.

Black Pepper - for aching muscles

Clary Sage - as a pick-me-up or for premenstrual

tension

Eucalyptus - for respiratory problems

Geranium - for very dry or itchy skin, eczema or PMS

Jasmine - when you wish to feel luxurious

Lavender - dry skin, eczema, sprains, hot flashes,

headaches, over work, insomnia

Orange - to pep you up

Rosemary - to get you going in the morning or as a

quick pick-me-up

before going out in the evening. Also good for aches

and sore muscles.

Chamomile, Lavender or roses are good for dry,

delicate or irritated

skin. Rosemary, Calendula and Thyme for oily skin.

Herbs

Burdock - skin

Calendula

Catnip

Chamomile

Comfrey

Lavender

Lemon Balm - good for hyperactive children

Oatstraw

Oregano - sprains

Rosemary

Roses - red or white are best. Red is for emotional

problems

Sage - inflamed joints

St. swart

Floating Aromatic Bath Oil

25 drops of essential oil (1/4 tsp.)

1 oz almond oil or vegetable oil

Shake to mix. Use one teaspoon per bath. For babies,

mix six drops essential to one ounce carrier oil. Use

1/2 teaspoon per bath.

Bath Vinegar

25 drops of essential oil (1/4 tsp.)

4oz vinegar

Combine ingredients. Let the essential oil sit in the

vinegar for one week, shaking the bottle everyday. Use

two tablespoons per bath.

Bath Salts

1 cup borax

1/2 cup sea salt

1/2 cup baking soda

50 drops essential oil, 1/2 tsp.

Mix dry ingredients together and add essential oil,

mixing well. Use 1/4 to 1/2 cup bath salts per bath.

For muscular aches and pains, add 1/2 cup Epson salts

to this recipe.

Here are some suggestions for essential oil

combinations to be used in the above recipes

Relaxing Blend: Neroli, Marjoram, Roman Chamomile &

Lavender

Stimulating Blend: Rosemary, Peppermint & Lime

Balancing Blend: Lavender, Geranium & Orange

Aphrodisiac Blend: Sandalwood, Ylang-lang & Jasmine