7 Luxurious Bath Recipes
By Emily Woodruff, TotalBeauty.com
There’s nothing like sinking into a warm, aromatic bath. We put together this list of DIY bath bombs, soaks and salts. With these relaxing, simple recipes, the furthest you’ll have to walk for ingredients is your kitchen cabinet.
Related: 11 Genius Bathroom Organization Ideas
Detoxifying Seaweed Bath
Why we love it: According to Alexis Wolfer, founder of TheBeautyBean.com and author of “The Recipe for Radiance,” this slimming seaweed bath will help you kick cellulite to the curb — without doing any actual kicking (or other physical activity). Seaweed promotes circulation and salt detoxes, while milk and honey hydrate and soften — for smooth, supple skin.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup honey
1 cup dried seaweed or powdered kelp (available in the international food section of grocery stores or at any Asian market)
1/2 cup sea salt
Directions: Combine the whole milk and honey. Under running water, pour the milk and honey into a warm bath. Add the seaweed or kelp and salt prior to getting in the bath.
Source: The Recipe for Radiance
Related: 12 Best Bath Products
DIY Bath Fizzies
Why we love it: Is there anything more relaxing than steeping in a frothing, fizzing bath to make your worries evaporate? These fizzies are from Martha Stewart herself, so you know they’re both functional and fun to look at. Choose your own essential oil to enhance the bath bomb — we like lavender for its ability to lull us to sleep.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup baking soda
2 cups cornstarch
1 cup citric acid (available at a grocery or health food store)
Spritzer bottles (optional)
Food coloring (optional)
5 to 6 drops essential oil
Baking molds or silicone ice cube tray
Directions:
Sift baking soda, citric acid and cornstarch through a sieve to remove chunks. To make different color tints, fill small spritzer bottles with water and add about 6 drops of food coloring to each. Pour 1 cup of the powdered mixture into a glass bowl. Lightly spritz, stirring, until powder is desired color. Check the consistency of powder with your fingers; when it can be tightly packed or shaped, stop spritzing (this may take a little while).
Add 5 to 6 drops of your favorite essential oil. Mix well. Firmly pack mixture into small baking molds or ice tray. Allow mixture to set for 2 hours, then pop out carefully. Repeat with remaining powder.
Source: Martha Stewart
Related: 16 Best Body Scrubs
Epsom Salt Soak for Sore Muscles
Why we love it: This Epsom salt bath recipe hits your sore spots in all the right ways. Adding Epsom salt to your bath raises levels of magnesium, which is a natural stress-reducer and energy-booster (and athletes swear by it). According to Neka Pasquale, licensed acupuncturist, certified Chinese nutritionist and founder of Urban Remedy, a line of good-for-you snacks and meals delivered to your door, adding vinegar to your bath balances your body’s pH levels, thanks to its alkalizing properties.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sea salt
1/2 cup aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 cup Epsom salts
1/4 cup cider vinegar
12 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)
Directions: To make your bath, fill the tub with the hottest water you stand. Add salt, baking soda, Epsom salts and vinegar, and swirl the water around to dissolve all of the granules and evenly distribute the vinegar. Add your fragrance drops under running water. Soak in the tub for 20 minutes.
Source: Urban Remedy
Related: 10 Spa Treatments to Try Before You Die
Soothing and Oh-so-simple Bath Soak
Why we love it: This simple soak utilizes just two ingredients — chamomile and mint — and can be made for around $2 per bath. Plus, chamomile has been clinically proven to fight anxiety and clinical depression, according to one recent study. It’s also a skin-soothing superstar — it’s an ingredient in many acne, psoriasis and eczema treatments.
Ingredients:
6 bags chamomile tea or 6 tablespoons loose chamomile tea
1/4 cup mint leaves, de-stemmed
1 clean sock or coffee filter
1 rubber band
Directions:
If using tea bags, cut bags open and pour the contents into sock or coffee filter. Add mint leaves, and secure “sachet” (the sock or coffee filter) with rubber band. Toss in the tub and run a hot bath. Soak for at least 15 minutes.
Source: Homemade Beauty: 150 Simple Beauty Recipes Made From All-Natural Ingredients by Annie Strole. © 2014 by Annie Strole. A Perigee Book, Penguin Group USA, A Penguin Random House Company.
Indulgent Chocolate Bath
Why we love it: Contrary to popular myth, chocolate is not bad for your skin. In fact, cocoa powder is packed with antioxidants that can reverse free radical damage — the sneaky reason behind your wrinkles. Plus, this cocoa concoction is more than just an anti-ager; it’ll also put you on the fast track to your happy place. Scientists suggest that just smelling chocolate activates the pleasure center of the brain. Meanwhile, oats, a common ingredient in many moisturizers, soothe irritated or dry skin.
Ingredients:
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup ground oats
Directions:
Add ingredients to a hot bath and stir to distribute. Soak for at least 20 minutes. After soaking, rinse thoroughly.
Source: Homemade Beauty: 150 Simple Beauty Recipes Made From All-Natural Ingredients by Annie Strole. © 2014 by Annie Strole. A Perigee Book, Penguin Group USA, A Penguin Random House Company.
Calming Eucalyptus and Vanilla Bath Salts
Why we love it: Warm vanilla and invigorating eucalyptus do more than just stimulate your sense of smell — they also act as an anti-inflammatory and moisturizer. Eucalyptus oil, a natural germicide, has been used to treat wounds for centuries, while the scent of vanilla has been proven to stimulate production of serotonin and endorphins, the hormones behind feelings of satisfaction and happiness.
Ingredients:
1 cup Epsom salt
1/2 cup baking soda
3 drops eucalyptus essential oil
8 drops vanilla in jojoba oil
Directions:
Add the Epsom salt, baking soda and essential oils to a large sealable plastic bag. Seal the bag closed and use your hands to massage the contents so they mix thouroughly. Transfer from the plastic bag to a glass container with a lid. Use one spoonful per bath.
Source: SheKnows
Rose-Infused Bathwater
Why we love it: This three-ingredient soak will not only leave your skin smelling sweet; it also exfoliates and moisturizes. Whole milk contains alpha-hydroxy acids, which help to tone and tight skin. Honey, a natural antiseptic, clears pores without drying out skin.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup honey
20 drops of rose essential oil
Directions: Pour ingredients into a warm to hot bath, depending on your preference and soak for 15-20 minutes. This soak is just as beneficial for your hair, so don’t forget to dip your hair while you soak.
