Taking a bath can be so beneficial to our health. They aren’t just to cleanse and/or relax! They can nourish the skin, soothe an aching body and even detox. Baths can actually be powerful tools in the pursuit of optimal health. Today, let’s make a DIY Himalayan Oatmeal Bath Soak. I love DIYs like this because they can be as creative or simple as we want to make them. They are free of moisture so there is no fear of contamination and they make great gifts!
In this recipe, I am using equal parts of Himalayan salt and organic oatmeal while mixing in dried English lavender, chamomile flowers and rose buds. You can tweak this recipe anyway you like though. Tailor it to your own needs or the needs of the person you’re making it for.
I talked all about the exiting benefits of oatmeal for the skin HERE. In this recipe I added it to my blender and ground it into a fine powder. When this fine powder is added to a liquid, it is called colloidal oatmeal. I chose Himalayan salt for it’s impressive qualities but if you’d like to use epsom or sea salt, feel free. I wrote a post quite a while ago about salt baths. To read that post, go HERE.
I also added Himalayan salt to my blender along with the dried herbs, crushing everything into a fine powder. However, you could keep your ingredients whole if you like. I believe crushing them brings out more of their therapeutic qualities though.
DIY Himalayan Oatmeal Bath Soak:
1 cup Organic Oatmeal
1 cup Himalayan Salt
1/2 cup dried herbs (find HERE)
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until a fine powder forms.
- I used a high powered blender but I believe a regular blender will work. A food processor is also a great option.
- Feel free to double, triple etc. this recipe!
To Use:
Add 1/4-1/2 cup to a warm bath. There are really no rules on how little or how much you can use. All ingredients are extremely beneficial when you use a large amount per bath. It just gets quite expensive!
Benefits of Taking Oatmeal Baths:
- Restores the skin’s pH
- Moisturizes
- Calms Inflammation
- Relieves Itchy Skin
- Calms skin irritations such as sunburn, eczema, bug bites and rashes
- Cleanses the skin
Benefits of Himalayan Salt Baths:
- Restores skin’s pH
- Draws out impurities
- Relaxes muscles
- Relieves aches
- Delivers much needed minerals to the body
- Improves sleep
- Revs up circulation
- Relieves water retention
- Relieves inflammation
According to Dr. Mercola, in order to reap the full benefits of salt baths, “the salt concentration has to be at least the same as the one of your body fluids (approximately 1%) to activate the osmotic exchange ratio”. This translates to 1.28 ounces of salt per gallon of water. An average bathtub has about 78 gallons of water. I know what you’re thinking-this is a lot of salt!! These types of baths are highly detoxing and should be taken with caution. They can literally make you weak in the knees! Also, water temp. should be addressed. A super hot bath will take away the benefits of a salt soak. Keep the temp. warm but not HOT.
This recipe is not intended for an intense detox. It’s more about soothing the skin and relaxing the mind and body.
For added scent and benefits, feel free to add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Lavender would greatly enhance the relaxing qualities of this soak!
I hope I’ve inspired you to go take a bath!
xx, Jenni
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