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Next up in Winter Herbal Health series, we’re looking at what we can do when we have the chills. We take syrups and oxymels to try and ward off the germs but what about if you get sick? These homemade herbal bath salts are a great way to soothe aching muscles as well actually help your recovery.
I think we can definitely say that summer is over here in the north of the UK!
The rain that makes everything so green has set in, and so have the colds and various sniffles.
Our youngest boy at home has started college last week and wouldn’t you know it, he has brough germs home with him! We have sniffles, sore throats and achy bodies in the house. And we were away, too, so I had nothing with me! Or so I thought..
Thankfully, I’d packed herbal teas, and we managed to get some good fruit and veg, keep warm, take some echinacea tablets and stave off the worst of it until we got home.
I was glad to get everyone back onto the elderberry syrup though, I can tell you!
Can herbs help when you’re already sick?
Absolutely yes they can!!!
We take our elderberry syrup as an immune support to help us be able to fight off any bugs, but we can still succumb. Herbs can help us feel better and get better quicker.
For those aching limbs I really enjoy these homemade herbal bath salts, and here’s why;
- The salts help to draw out impurities from the skin, as it’s our largest organ
- The peppermint is cooling and helps with inflammation
- Sage is warming, and anti-spasmodic, meaning it will help ease tired or aching muscles
- Rosemary has mild pain reducing properties and is anti inflammatory
All of these benefits mean that these bath salts can really help when sickness strikes.
There are two ways you can make the herbal bath salts.
Herbal Bath salts with herbs
No, I’m not being funny, I really mean with fresh or dried herbs.
In this recipe, I used fresh herbs, as the salt acts as a preservative, and I know I’m going to be using them up pretty soon.
You could just as easily use dried herbs, and the shelf life would be greater.
What You’ll Need
A Glass jar
A bowl ( or you could mix a small batch straight in the jar)
Something to stir with
1 cup Epsom Salts
1/2 cup Good quality sea salt, or Pink Himalayan Salt
1/2 cup Baking Soda
Fresh or dried herbs – around 1/2 cup of each
Method
Simply place the dry ingredients in the jar, or a bowl, mix together.
Chop the herbs if using fresh, and stir into the salt mixture.
That’s it! A nice label always helps for remembering what you put in it later. Believe me when I say, you think you will remember, but you really won’t!!!!
To Use: Place half a cup in a warm bath as it runs to dissolve.
Top tip: If you don’t want the herbs floating around in the bath with you, (or the clean up afterwards, and I don’t blame you) use an old sock or a muslin cloth tied up to contain the ingredients
A way around any mess is the second option
Herbal bath salts with Essential Oils
An alternative for using the full herb is to use the corresponding Essential oil and mixing that in with the salt mixture instead. That way, the salts dissolve into the bath and the oils stay in the water.
It’s important to remember that essential oils are concentrated distillations of the herb, and therefore you need much less of them. A few drops (around 20-30 of each to 500g/-pint jar) is plenty, once mixed in and distributed through the salts.
Essential oils are also one isolated part of the plant, where as using the whole herb means we get the multiple benefits the plant holds.
It’s a great alternative though, if you just don’t have fresh herbs on hand.
Another top tip: Always keep essential oil products in glass containers so that the oils don’t cause the plastic to break down over time and leach chemicals into the product.
*Certain oils should not be used on children or while pregnant and breastfeeding, so always research first before you mix the oils*
So now is a great time to make these bath salts up, so you have them on hand when you feel rotten! And they look cute on your self too, so that helps!
What other herbs can you think of that would work in this and why? Let me know in the comments. Until next time friends x
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This is awesome! It sounds really doable and I might make some for gifts for Christmas. Do you know how long it will stay fresh if you are using fresh herbs?
Aww that’s a lovely idea. They will keep for up to 3 months in the pantry or a year in the refrigerator. The salt preserves the herbs but also draws out the moisture, so makes the bath salts moist. You can always put that on a labeling giving it as a gift, what a lovely pressie!
This looks amazing! Im 21 weeks pregnant with my 5th so my joints and muscles are really needing relief. Will be soaking in my bath with this soon!