Healthy Ritual Of The Week: Make Your Own Detox Baths

Where detoxification is concerned, I am of the ilk that slow and steady changes lead to the most lasting results.  Detoxifying baths a few times a week can be a small ritual that can add tons of vitality to your life!

If more of us had an awareness that our skin was an actual organ there would be a lot less chemical nonsense in the beauty stuff we slather all over ourselves filled with carcinogenic chemicals,  allergens and other toxic pollutants.  The fact that we have this giant organ called our skin that can absorb and also expel pollution in our bodies shines a light on the fact that things like baths can actually affect our health.

There are a few baths I like to alternate when I am feeling tense, exhausted or run down.

**Before you start, make sure to scrub your skin a bit with a loofa or other coarse washcloth or a soft brush when you begin the soak so that you can maximize the effects.

**Always keep water beside you in the tub and drink tons while you soak

**Never use water that is too hot to handle, and be careful getting out of the tub too quickly, as these baths can be powerful!

**Shower off after each, even for a brief moment.

**Try one or all of them, but spread them apart.  I will never do more than a two or three of these baths a week, except Epsom salts…but that’s from years of trial and error.  Go slow and enjoy experimenting!

Apple Cider Vinegar Bath: Literally one or two cups of cider vinegar added to a nice hot tub (as hot as you can tolerate without feeling overheated) is all you need to rejuvenate.  This is a really good bath for energy and it is fabled to help with urinary tract infections, though I can’t say for sure.  The cider vinegar helps the body to become more alkaline; too much partying, alcohol, sugar, processed food and/or caffeine can make your body overly acidic. A 30-40 minute soak can help re-establish the balance.  Shower afterward so that you don’t smell like a salad!

Baking Soda  Bath: Could it be easier than pouring a cup or two of baking soda into your tub and soaking for 20-30 minutes.  This super-simple, super alkalizing bath can be taken every two days for a stretch of time if you are changing your diet or shaking off a case of the “feeling blah’s”.

Ginger Bath: I have to say, this one is a favorite because it really warms you up.  It can make you flushed red, and gets the circulation flowing.   Peel and boil a hand of ginger in a big pot of water and dump that “tea” into your tub.  Instant brilliance!  This can make you sweat like crazy, so be sure to drink a ton before, during and after this bath.   I would not do these often, and I stick to the wintertime when I am feeling particularly sluggish and cold.

Epsom Salt Bath: This bath is a miracle for healing sore muscles, PMS cramps and even insomnia.  Epsom salts are rich in magnesium that is a massive help both for muscle tension and for stress.  I have been known to take these baths daily for a few weeks at a time.  20-30 minutes is perfect.

* if you have any health problems, chemical addictions or any other concerns, do not do these baths without talking to a doctor first.

**I  never take these baths when I’m home alone unless I have someone on speaker phone, as I have seen more than a few people faint at the spa.

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