Treat Yourself: Why Herbal Tea Baths Could Be the New Healthy Bath Time Ritual + Recipes

By Sara Tipton

Everyone deserves a calming and stress-free life; however, that’s not the reality in which any of us live. Stress happens. Life happens. But when it does, an herbal tea bath could be the soothing ritual needed to unwind.

There are many benefits to taking a hot bath. This ritual can help lower blood pressure, help you fall asleep faster, and relieve muscle tension. Not much compares to the relaxation of a hot bath and adding stress-relieving herbs can take your bath-time ritual to the next level!

There are so many benefits of soaking in herbs! In addition to the benefits of taking a hot bath, adding herbs will give you the benefit of boosting your relaxation and destressing by incorporating some aromatherapy. Herbs such as lavender and chamomile are incredibly relaxing and tend to universally calming. But some herbs can also give an added medicinal benefit.

For your particular ailment, try:

• Pain Relief: Chamomile, meadowsweet, sage, stinging nettle
• Cold or Flu: Eucalyptus, linden flowers
• Circulation: Grated ginger, stinging nettle
• Sleeping problems: hops
• Refreshes your skin: Jasmine, lavender, mint, rose petals
• Relaxation: Linden flowers, lavender, chamomile, orange blossom, rosemary, rose petals
• Lower blood pressure: orange blossom

The items needed to make a tea bath are the herbs you’d like to add, a large bowl for mixing, and muslin or cheesecloth. Additional bath tea ingredients that are optional are:

• Epsom salts
• Essential oils
• Relaxing oats are great for helping with skin irritations
• Aromatic flowers like calendula and rose petals
• Healing herbs like lavender, peppermint, chamomile, nettle leaf
• Vitamin C powder

3 DIY Bath Teas You Have to Try!

The following combination of herbs are great for tea baths and would make excellent do-it-yourself gifts too! Giving the gift of relaxation never goes out of style!

Stress Relief Bath

• 1 cup dried lavender flowers
• 1/2 cup dried chamomile flowers
• 1/2 cup rose petals
• ¼ cup Epsom salt
• 1/3 cup vitamin C powder

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Put 4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup of the tea mix into your muslin bag, or cheesecloth. Close the bag. Hang the bag on your faucet as you run the bathwater or throw right into your bathwater. Relax and soak for at least 30 minutes.

Skin Renewal Bath

• 1/2 cup dried nettle leaf
• 1/2 cup calendula
• ¼ cup chamomile flowers
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 8 drops of lavender oil

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Put 4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup of the tea mix into your muslin bag, or cheesecloth. Close the bag. Hang the bag on your faucet as you run the bathwater or throw right into your bathwater. Relax and soak for at least 30 minutes.

Sore Muscles Be Gone

• ¼ cup Epsom salt
• ¼ cup peppermint
• ¼ cup eucalyptus
• ½ cup lavender
• 1/8 cup cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Put 4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup of the tea mix into your muslin bag, or cheesecloth. Close the bag. Hang the bag on your faucet as you run the bathwater or throw right into your bathwater. Relax and soak for at least 30 minutes.

Don’t worry if you aren’t a “DIYer” either. Tea baths can be bought already put together and ready use. You could also just try buying an herbal tea already specifically formulated for relaxation and adding it to cheesecloth or muslin to give it a try! We suggest Ready Nutrition’s “Deepest Sleep” loose tea blend for bedtime. It’s soothing and calm aroma will relax even the most stressed mind.

Just a Reminder

As an added reminder, because a hot bath will lower blood pressure, if you already have low blood pressure, you may choose to avoid excessive temperatures. The lower blood pressure effect doesn’t last either; however, a cold shower, on the other hand, will spike your blood pressure for a few seconds but lower it in the long run, which is something to consider.  If you have heart failure or any kind of heart problem, you should avoid hot baths due to the fluid pressure the water exerts on your chest, which can trigger or escalate heart failure. A warm half bath (where the water rises only to your navel) is a good alternative and will also provide some relaxation if you need stress relief.

Finding the time to take care of own mental health is becoming more and more difficult in our fast-paced lifestyles. But taking the time to simply slow down and indulge in some self-care will give both your body and your mind great benefits!

HELPFUL HINT: For added stress relief, sip an herbal tea (iced or hot, whatever your preference) after your hot tea bath.  The aromas will linger keeping you in that relaxed mindset for just a while longer.

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