A bath isn’t only relaxing, especially in the winter, but it’s a great way to detoxify your skin and body, cleansing them of any impurities that may have otherwise been harmful.

A detoxifying bath may sound like something that you would read on a spa treatment list, but it’s actually really easy to put one together yourself at home.

How?

Here are some ingredients that you could add into your bath for a blissful detox experience.

Lavender

Lavender is famous for its distinct fragrance – just smelling this scent is enough to leave you feeling soothed and refreshed.

Well, these effects are amplified when you add lavender into your bath. Not only is this a great stress-reliever, but lavender has been used since ancient times for its purifying properties. This means that the ingredient also brings with it a few skin benefits, helping to relieve itchiness, acne, and other irritations.

How to Make a Lavender Bath

Simply add a few drops of lavender essential oil to running water and allow it to mix into your bath. Don’t use more than eight drops – this might not seem like much, but any more than this could end up irritating your skin.

Alternatively, if you have access to fresh or dried lavender flowers, stirring a generous handful into your bath will have the same effects.

Ginger

Adding ginger to a bath may seem like a strange concept to some, but ginger baths have become pretty trendy lately, and for good reason too. Ginger is an ingredient that has been used for detox purposes for centuries, and although studies have not been carried out on ginger baths, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that points to its benefits.

Ginger is a food that speeds up circulation, meaning that a ginger bath will cause you to sweat. This allows your body to eliminate impurities and toxins, which many claim a ginger bath can do surprisingly quickly.

One thing to keep in mind before giving this a try…

Some people find ginger to be a skin irritant, so you will need to test it out on a small area of your skin before bathing your whole body in it. Simply place some grated or powdered ginger onto your skin for about five minutes – if your skin doesn’t react, you’re good to go. If a reaction occurs, remove the ginger immediately and pick another detox ingredient from this list!

How to Make a Ginger Bath

You will need either fresh ginger (half a cup) or ginger powder (one teaspoon). Add this to warm bath water and then sit back and relax!

Don’t be alarmed if the water turns brown or yellow – this is only due to the ginger.

Don’t forget that this bath will cause you to sweat – keeping a damp and cool towel nearby, to place over your neck or head, can help if you start to feel as though you are over-heating. If this is your first ginger bath, then don’t plan any activities for an hour or so after, as you may still be sweating for a while.

Apple Cider Vinegar

You’ve probably already heard about apple cider vinegar – this ingredient has really been in the spotlight lately. Whether it may be diabetes or infections, apple cider vinegar can help the body in a number of ways, including detoxification.

Apple cider vinegar not only encourages natural detoxification in the body, but it also helps to rebalance the pH level of your skin.

Why does this matter?

Because this then allows your skin to better protect itself against toxins.

In addition to helping you to detox, an apple cider vinegar bath has a number of other benefits too, such as:

• Treating a variety of skin conditions, including dryness and eczema
• Exfoliating the skin due to its alpha hydroxy acid content
• Reducing inflammation and soothing a sunburn
• Soothing muscle and joint pains
• Reduces body odor

How to Make an Apple Cider Vinegar Bath

Fill your tub with water as usual, and then add in two cups of raw apple cider vinegar. Try to find one that has been wood-aged, rather than chemically-aged – it will have so much more of the good stuff in it!

Then, give the water a stir and enjoy your soak. After you’re done, step into the shower for a quick rinse – you don’t need to use any soap.

Bentonite Clay

If you’ve ever treated yourself to a face mask, then chances are that you’ve come across clay as a beautifying ingredient.

Just like many of the others on this list, clay has been used for so long now for its detoxifying purposes.

How does it work?

The clay particles literally pull toxins into each clay molecule. Once you rinse off, all of those toxins and impurities are then taken away with the clay. It’s all down to the way in which clay is full of negative electrons while toxins contain positive electrons – the two are naturally attracted!

And yes, in areas that have a heavy toxin build-up, the toxins do sometimes over-power the clay. You’ll find these blobs of clay sticking to parts of your skin, meaning that you will have to give them a rub to dislodge them.

How to Make a Bentonite Clay Bath

There are several different types of clay out there. Each one detoxifies, but then also brings with it its own additional benefits. For an easy DIY clay bath at home, go for bentonite clay. You will be able to find this in powdered form.

Then, mix a few cups of clay with some water in a bowl, until you have created wet clay. You can then either spread this onto your body before soaking in a bath, or add the clay directly to your bath and mix it through with your hands.

How long should you sit in a bentonite clay bath for?

No more than 20 minutes. While a gentle clay cleanse has a detoxifying effect, any more than this can be stressful for your body.

You’re probably wondering how all of that clay is going to affect your drains…

Fair point – large clumps of clay definitely can clog up drains. Fortunately, there’s a way around this…

Place some cheesecloth or another type of mesh over your drain hole before allowing the water through. This will catch all of the larger clay particles, which you can then easily dispose of.

Tea

If you drink tea regularly, then you probably have a cupboard full of tea bags in your kitchen. Whether this may be green, black, or white, tea is known for being a good detoxifier, although most people choose to drink it rather than bathe in it.

However, a tea bath not only helps with detoxification, but it has a number of other properties that are fantastic for the skin, such as:

• Antimicrobial, which helps with acne and infections
• Anti-inflammatory
• Reduces the appearance of enlarged pores
• Antioxidant, which keeps the skin looking bright, smooth, and youthful

How to Make a Tea Bath

Already know how to make a good cup of tea?

In that case, you will be an expert when it comes to drawing a tea bath!

You will need at least eight tea bags – soak these in your bath once the water is around half full. They will need to soak for about ten minutes. Once you notice that your water has changed color, remove the tea bags and then soak for about 20 minutes.

If you usually use tea leaves instead of tea bags…

Simply place some leaves into a small cheesecloth bag and then steep the bath water as you usually would your tea.

Sea Salt and Baking Soda

This little ingredient combo may sound slightly unusual, but hear it out…

Baking soda is naturally alkalizing, meaning that this on its own has some great effects. It boosts the liver, supports digestion, and can even help cure a sore throat!

However, it’s when you combine baking soda with sea salt that the magic really happens…

Together, the two of them help to prevent any damage that has been caused by radioactive toxins.

Wondering how you would be exposed to radioactive toxins in your daily life?

It’s more common than you think – everything from airport screenings and plane journeys to x-rays and even the general environment can lead to radiation harming your body in a variety of different ways.

How to Make a Sea Salt and Baking Soda Bath

You will need about a quarter of a cup of baking soda (try to go for one that doesn’t contain any aluminum) and the same of sea salt. You could also add in a quarter cup of Epsom salt for added benefits.

Mix these into your bath water and then soak for about 20 minutes. Make sure that the water is warm – you want your pores to be open and receptive to all of the beneficial properties in the ingredients that you are using!

Epsom Salt

Epsom salt features in just about every DIY detox bath recipe out there, and it is easy to see why this ingredient is so popular. Epsom salt is actually a mixture of magnesium and sulphate, both of which your body really needs, but are not easily absorbed from food.

What does magnesium and sulphate do?

They stimulate the body’s natural detoxification process, helping to speed this back up to optimum levels.

They also bring with them a few other benefits, such as:

• Soothing inflammation, not only in the skin but also in the muscles
• Lowering blood pressure
• Boosting circulation
• Softening the skin
• Relaxing and de-stressing the mind and body
• Encouraging healthier sleep patterns

How to Make an Epsom Salt Bath

You will need about two cups of Epsom salt for an average-sized bath. Run the salt under the water spout to add it into your bath, as this will encourage it to dissolve quickly. Ideally, the mixture should feel quite soapy.

Soak for between 15-20 minutes for best results.

Don’t Forget to Use a Water Filter!

It may surprise you to know that more than 170 million Americans, which is over half of the country’s population, has at least one radioactive element in their water.

This could be anything from metals to fluoride to unfiltered pharmaceuticals – either way, unclean water is no doubt going to negate your efforts when it comes to creating the perfect DIY detox bath.

Where do these impurities come from?

A variety of sources, from sediments to rust to chemicals entering the water system. Even if your water is crystal clear and completely unscented, it could still contain high levels of toxins.

The only way to ensure that your water is as pure as it should be is by installing a water filter. These can help to reduce literally hundreds of different contaminants, and are surprisingly easy to install.

These days, people encounter so many different toxins pretty much every second, meaning that it doesn’t take long for the body to feel sluggish and sub-par. A detox bath can really help with this by drawing these toxins out of your body, enabling it to function at its very best. For maximum benefits, try combining a few of the different ingredients on this list – they all work so well together when it comes to encouraging the body’s natural detoxification process.

Don’t forget, if you are dealing with any medical or skin conditions, make sure that you speak to your doctor or dermatologist before trying any of these detox bath recipes.