Top Herbal Fruity Bath Recipes

Sometimes essential oils in your bath can do more harm than good to your skin The strong fragrance components can easily irritate your skin, especially in the vaginal area, so your carefully planned bath experience may end with itching and soreness. Among the safer essential oils used in bath oils and milks are lavender, sandalwood, chamomile, spruce, and rose, while citrus oils, as well as jasmine, bergamot, and sage have more irritation potential. Plant extracts and infusions can be used instead of oils.
Here are some classic recipes for delightful bath treatments. Enjoy them, treat your family to them, and pack them in pretty jars to give to friends. I recommend storing bath salts in clay spice jars or clear glass jars with spring lids. Plastic is more practical, but many types of plastic can release chemicals, especially when in contact with the volatile compounds in essential oils.

Cleopatra Milk Bath

1 cup condensed milk.
2 tablespoons honey.
2 drops vanilla extract.
1 drop chamomile essential oil.
1 drop lavender essential oil.

Yield

4 ounces

Please note: Whenever you use essential oils, keep them out of the reach of children. Most essential oils are poisonous if ingested, even in small quantities.
You can use whole milk straight from the carton in this recipe, and any baby formula works as well.
Blend the ingredients well and use immediately to create a soothing, deeply moisturizing balmy bath.

Tibet Bath Salt

1 cup grape seed oil.
1 cup green tea.
1 tablespoon baking soda.
1/2 cup Epsom salt.
1 drop lavender essential oil.
1 drop frankincense essential oil.

Yield

5 ounces

This bath salt recipe reminds me of a famous Tibetan green tea traditionally prepared with salt, butter, and baking soda. It will invigorate your senses and stimulate blood circulation. This bath salt will also soften the water.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and store in your favorite jar. Add half-cup of the infusion to the running bathwater. To keep the essential oils from evaporating too quickly, you can add the bath salts just before getting into the tub. Sitting on undissolved bath salts can be uncomfortable (though nicely exfoliating for your bum), so make sure the salts have dissolved well before entering.

Stress-Relieving Fruity Bath

1 cup virgin olive oil.
1 drop rose essential oil.
1 drop lavender essential oil.
1 drop vetiver essential oil.
2 drops mandarin essential oil.
5 organic un-waxed oranges, cut into quarters.

Yield

4 ounces

1. Add the essential oils to the olive oil and pour the mixture under running water into the bathtub so that the oils spread evenly without forming greasy puddles.
2. Add the oranges and let them float around. As you bathe, squeeze the oranges lightly and wipe your face with their juices.

Milk Bath Ritual

2 teaspoons full-fat milk powder or buttermilk powder.
2 teaspoons sea salt.
1 tablespoon (15 ml) of your favorite massage oil or any lightweight unscented oil of your choice

Yield

4 ounces

Combine ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Be sure you use enough oil so that you thoroughly moisten the salt and the buttermilk or milk powder. Start your bath and pour the mixture directly into the running water. Get your bath to the desired temperature and enjoy.

Make Your Own Herbal Bath Blends

Dried herbs, flower petals, and herbal teas make wonderful additions to your bath. You can use many herbs from your garden or buy them already dried from health food stores and online.
You can harvest your own leafy herbs in midsummer, just before they flower. After flowering starts, the oils in the leaves are not as potent. You’ll want to harvest flowers when they are at their peak, in the middle of a dry day. Do not collect flowers when the air is damp or if they are covered in morning dew. To avoid damaging the petals, remove whole flowers with some of the stalk; discard any damaged petals. Put them in an open container; they may sweat and rot in a closed container.
To air-dry herbs and flowers, be guided by the plant. Lavender and sage may be used whole, with only roots and dry leaves removed; rose petals need to be carefully peeled off; sage, lemon balm (melissa), and thyme may be used with stems and all the leaves on the stalk, removing only roots; with chamomile and marigold, only florets can be used. Prepare the herbs, flowers, and petals by wiping off any moisture on the stems with paper towels. If drying flowers on stems, make bunches of five to ten stems, and secure them with an elastic band. Hang the bunches upside down in a dark, well-ventilated place at a temperature of about 68°F (20°C ) until they are dry. Dry whole florets and petals on an unbleached tissue paper or cotton towel in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. The drying time will vary from days to weeks. Store dried herbs and flowers in dark, airtight, clearly labeled glass jars.
You can also dry herbs in a conventional oven on low heat (no more than 200°F [100°C /Gas 1/2]), or even in a microwave oven. I do not recommend microwaving food, but you aren’t going to eat bath blends, are you? To use a microwave oven, wrap chopped herbs loosely in a paper towel and cook them on high for a minute at a time. Place a cup of water in the microwave; herbs do not contain much moisture.
To prepare an herbal bath blend, crush the stems or chop the leaves and florets (such as those given in the recipes that follow) and mix thoroughly in a small bowl. To use, place the mixture in an unbleached muslin or organic cotton drawstring bag. These are easily found at herbal body care shops or online, and come in many different sizes. A good size to use for herbal bath mixtures is 3 inches by 4 inches (or 3 inches by 5 inches).

Winter Soothing Bath Blend

1/4 cup dried chamomile flowers.
1 cup dried lavender blossoms.
1 cup dried fennel seeds.
1 cup dried rose petals.

Yield

4 ounces

This blend soothes dry; wind-blasted skin and aching muscles better than a Swedish massage session! Oat bran nourishes the skin, while rose petals add a warm, luxurious touch.
The best way to use an herbal blend is to put it into a small, unbleached muslin (or organic cotton) bag and tie it with a ribbon or string. Just put the bag under running water as you prepare your bath. When you are done bathing, remove the bag, let it dry, then discard the contents and rinse the bag. It’s ready to be used again.

Bath Full of Joy Blend

1 cup dried lemongrass.
2 cups dried lemon peel.
1/4 cup dried peppermint leaves.
1/4 cup loose green tea.
1/4 cup bay leaves.

Yield

4 ounces

This bath blend has a very long shelf life. It also makes a great holiday stocking stuffer. Buy a handful of fabric drawstring gift bags (they are fabulously inexpensive) and fill them with this fragrant blend. You can also use this blend as potpourri to add a fresh aroma to your lingerie drawers or wardrobe.

Stress-Relieving Fruity Bath

1 cup virgin olive oil.

1 drop rose essential oil.

1 drop lavender essential oil.

1 drop vetiver essential oil.

2 drops mandarin essential oil.

5 organic un-waxed oranges, cut into quarters.Yield

4 ounces

This versatile bath blend can be used to soothe itchy skin, sunburns and rashes. I used this blend to bathe my newborn daughter when she had a bit of a rash (I skipped the rose petals, though), and it seemed to work really well.The green beauty guide