Herbal baths have been used for thousands of years. Sometimes they are used in medicinal form, sometimes as a soothing or dream enhancing soak, or to relieve sore muscles...and often in various religious rituals or other specific ways.
We are only going to cover medicinal and soothing here, but you will get the basics.
Herbal vs Essential Oils
Making an infusion or decoction of herbs to add into a bath, means they are water soluble, and so disperse in the bath evenly, and are absorbed through the skin in a more passive way. This allows the pores to open in the warm water, and is a more natural absorption method. The longer you soak, the more your skin absorbs.
Oils can be used for a more concentrated medicinal bath, but are only recommended in rare occasions. Oil, of course is not water soluble, therefor the oils cling to the skin. It tends to negate the warm water opening the pores to allow the water in, so it is often far better to first soak in an herbal bath, and then after, apply an oil on the skin.
Essential oils should be used very sparingly (remember one drop = 20 to 30 cups of tea)...and should Always be diluted in a fair amount of carrier oil before applying to the skin.
Common useful after bath oils
For babies and children (though adults love it too)
- 2 oz glycerin or sweet almond oil
- 10 drops Chamomile Oil
- 5 drops Lavender Oil
- 3 drops Peppermint Oil
Mix well, and test on inner forearm before using the first time...Then use as a baby oil after bath, or before bed and kids will sleep very well. Of course it will help anyone relax and sleep better, but especially children.
For adults you can double the drops of essential oil added to this mix. Just keep it to 20 drops or less per oz of carrier oil.
For Eczema
If a child has eczema, use the same mix but increase the Lavender to 10 drops. Lavender will help kill the staph on the skin which causes the outbreaks. It is a natural staph, everyone has it, but people with eczema just have more where the rash appears... It is called Staphylococcus aureus if you would like to research.
For adults with eczema, 12 drops Lavender per oz, and try to only put it on the area that is breaking out. This along with a triple antibiotic cream should clear it up.
In extreme cases where there are weeping lesions, 1/2 cup of bleach in a bath, wash and soak for ten minutes, then rinse, dry well and apply the TA cream, then once it absorbs apply the oil mix.
This outbreak was cleared completely in 5 days with the bleach bath, TA cream and oil.
Soothing Sore Muscles Oil
- 1 oz Sweet Almond Oil
- 3 drops camphor
- 6 drops Wintergreen Oil (can be substituted with mint)
- 5 drops Arnica Oil (or make the carrier oil base with 20% arnica infused oil...infused for 3 weeks shake twice per day)
- Optional - add a pinch of Cayenne if you prefer a warming oil
There are hundreds of recipes for sore muscle oils, ointments, liniments, creams...this is just a basic that I like, it is a cold rub, but with the cayenne it can be cold and warm, much like a tiger balm. Different essential oils can be added for specific needs, but this is a good starting base. Just remember to add more carrier oil as you increase essential oils. No more than 20 drops per oz is a good mix.
Herbal Baths
These will be large quantity, strong teas...because they will be diluted in the bath water. I usually make them in a soup pot, but you can even use a stock pot and make a gallon or two to keep in the fridge for a few days to a week so you can finish a treatment, or just so you don't need to make it each night.
Soothing Bath
This is great to add to the kid's bath in the evening, or your own if you feel stressed or cannot sleep.
- 1 gallon water
- 1 cup Chamomile Flowers
- 1/3 cup Calendula Flowers
- 1/4 cup Lavender Flowers
- optional - 1/4 cup Peppermint Leaf
Infuse for 15 - 20 minutes, strain and add 1 quart to the bath for kids, and 1/2 gallon for adults. Play or soak for a good 15 to 20 minutes... You can wash your hair and rinse with this water, no need to rinse with clear water...the calendula is amazingly good for the skin.
Sore Overworked Muscles
- 1 gallon water
- 1/8 cup Wintergreen leaves or fresh berries (can substitute with Teaberries in New England)
- 1/8 cup Rose Hips
- 1/8 cup Spearmint
- 1/2 cup Red Clover
- optional - 1 tablespoon Willow Bark (willow acts like aspirin, so do not use if the person takes blood thinners, has heart issues, or bruises easily)
Make as a 30 - 40 minute infusion (bring it up to a slight simmer after 20 minutes steeping then turn the heat back off, if you find it getting too cool). Do not use this blend for children...but for adults add 1 quart to 1/2 gallon to the bath...soak a minimum of 15 minutes, longer if the muscles feel like they need it.
It is fine to add epsom salts in with the herbal bath, but I suggest trying the herbs alone at least once to feel the difference.
One question I get asked often with herbal bath recipes is;
"Why not add Arnica? Isn't it good for sore muscles?"
The answer is that Arnica is a poison if ingested, and so it goes for baths too. When one is submerged in water, the skin acts like a sponge, soaking in the herbs used, so they become internal very quickly. Arnica is okay to use topically, in very small amounts, in oils, creams etc...but never in a bath or tea.
That is all for today, or I will end up writing a book! As we go along I will periodically add more bath and oil recipes...
Please keep in mind, that there really are as many recipes as there are ailments and symptoms, and each one of us who works with herbs will have our favorites, and our go to general herbs...and they will most likely be different. So if I write a recipe here, and you see a different recipe elsewhere, they most likely both work well, and we just choose our herbs for different reasons.
This is a {Steemit Original} All words and photos by Elew
To read my other Medicinal Herb posts...
@elew/teas-oils-ointments-and-balms
@elew/medicinal-tea-vs-commercial-tea
@elew/herbal-prep-infusion-and-decoction
@elew/herbal-prep-oil-infusion
@elew/herbal-prep-on-essential-oils-what-are-they-really
@elew/herbal-prep-know-your-plants-and-methods
@elew/herbal-prep-liniments