When it comes to glowing skin, the products you put on your skin will affect it. This isn’t just about exercise and diet. It’s about the relaxation processes that you have. It’s about those deep soaks that you choose to have on a daily, bi-weekly, or weekly basis.
We all need a good soak in the bath. The heat on our skin helps our muscles relax. We have some ‘me time,’ which isn’t always easy for some people to get. If you have kids like me, then you’ll know it’s not always easy to get just 30 minutes to yourself.
But if you do opt for a bath, you need to make sure it’s good for your whole body. Not only do you want to relax, but you want to help nourish and brighten your skin. That means looking out for ingredients that will detoxify your whole system. It’s time to get rid of the toxins that cause issues for the skin and makes them dull.
You may make the mistake of using ingredients that are great for the muscles but dehydrate the skin. They may actually add some toxins to your system, because of the chemicals added to them.
So, here are five detox baths that you need to try to keep your skin glowing and offer a load of other benefits.
Add Epsom Salts to Your Bath Water
Don’t put in bubble bath, bath bombs, or anything else. Just simple add some Epsom salts to the water, and you will get the perfect detox bath without any hassle. The Epsom salts are also so easy to find and affordable that they will work out much cheaper than your bath bombs and chemical mixes.
But why are you adding salt to your water? Don’t that just create a dehydrating bath?
Well, Epsom salts aren’t quite salts. They’re a natural mineral that looks like salts, which is where they get their name from. You’re not actually adding the dehydrating ingredient to your water.
These types of salts are actually highly beneficial for your skin. They’re full of nutrients, including vitamin E and sulphate. The two nutrients work together to flush out toxins from your body, so you are left with beautiful skin that glows and feels soft.
Magnesium is another important compound in Epsom salts. This is a mineral that we tend to be deficient in, but it really helps to improve our body’s responses. When there are toxins in the body, the immune system is forced to get to work. This leads to inflammation within the body, and your skin is left looking red and oily.
By adding more magnesium to your body, you’re less likely to see or feel inflammation. Your skin’s pores aren’t constricted, and you have better control over removing the dead skin cells. At the same time, you won’t suffer chronic pain, as there is no excess pressure on your nerves.
Opt for Sea Salt Instead
You can use sea salt if you would like. This does contain many of the same nutrients as Epsom salts, but it is more dehydrating for the skin.
However, one of the biggest benefits of sea salt is the antibacterial benefits. Any bacteria in your skin are killed off, which means you’re at a lower risk of developing acne. You may also find that the dehydrating qualities will help to reduce the number of natural oils released. If you have oily skin, some beauticians will recommend a sea salt mixture.
You can always add some essential oils to the water to help balance out the dehydrating nature of sea salt. Try some tea tree essential oil. This will add extra hydration and also helps with the balance of hormones in the body. Not only do you kill the bacteria but you help to reduce the natural oil production naturally.
Sea salt is better than any other salt for this. It’s less dehydrating that other types and has far more beneficial nutrients.
You will want to use a moisturising cream after drying. This will help to add in more hydration to your skin to counter the effect of the sea salt.
Use Oatmeal and Herbs in a Bath Bag
Not all the ingredients for a detox bath will need to be added to the water. Oatmeal and herbs offer nutritious and detoxifying benefits and can be added to a small bag instead. Just put the bag over the tap or in the water and let the ingredients release slowly. They won’t end up in the water, clogging up the drains!
Oatmeal is often recommended for facial masks. It is exfoliating and hydrating at the same time. It naturally draws out the toxins, so you’re left with a glowing face.
The same principle works with the oatmeal bags for the bath. The difference is you’re not putting the oatmeal directly onto your skin.
In fact, oatmeal baths are highly recommended for those who suffer from rashes, like chicken pox. The oatmeal soothes the skin and helps to reduce inflammation, making skin illnesses worse. If you have psoriasis or eczema, you may find this type of bath treatment helps to reduce flare-ups and the look of your condition.
But why the herbs? Well, they can help to add some sort of scent to the bath water. They can also offer extra detoxifying benefits depends on the type of herb you use. Mint, sage, thyme, and rosemary all have the ability to draw out the toxins to keep your skin feeling and looking luxurious. The scents will also help you relax fully, so your de-stress and help to prevent a hormonal imbalance in your skin.
Create a Coconut Bath Melt
Coconut oil is one of those oils that is solid at room temperature. It means you can cut it up into small bath balls and allow them to melt into your water. You get a bath bomb without all the extra toxins.
And coconut oil is one of the best ingredients for your skin. It’s hydrating, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic. It’s also full of various nutrients, including antioxidants and vitamin E. So, it’s time to add it to your bath water.
Put in a few coconut oil bath bombs as you get into the water. Allow them to disperse while you get your long soak. You’ll be able to feel the oil soaking into your skin to offer a deep cleanse and moisturise. When you get out, there’s no need to apply anything to your skin because the lower layers have already received everything it needs.
The antibacterial benefits are definitely worth focusing on when it comes to the coconut oil. Your skin is left bacteria and dirt free. There’s little worry of developing acne in various parts of your body because your pores have been thoroughly cleansed. If you do have fungal infections anywhere, the coconut oil will get to work to clean them up too. Those who have thrush or athlete’s foot are encouraged to try coconut oil to help clean up the problem naturally.
Start by laying in the bath water but actually rub it over your skin. You want to soak all the way up to your neck to make sure every bit of water gets into the layers of your skin.
Like with Epsom salts and sea salt, you can add some essential oils for the extra scent to your water. However, coconut oil does have a coconut smell, so you’ll want something that works with that. Try adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil or tea tree oil. Orange or vanilla essential oil are other excellent options for a relaxing and detoxifying bath.
Try a Baking Soda and Peppermint Detox Bath
Finally, it’s time to pull out the baking soda. This is an ingredient the majority of us have in the kitchen cupboard for baking, but it is so much more useful than that. In fact, it is one of the best ingredients for completely cleansing the body.
Baking soda has the ability to fight against and draw out toxins. It will brighten the skin while fighting against bacteria and fungi build-up. There’s also the ability to exfoliate because it doesn’t quite completely dissolve in the water!
So, not only are you drawing out toxins, but you’re getting rid of the dead skin cells while moisturising your skin. It’s left glowing after your bath.
You want the water as hot as you can stand it for this to completely work. The heat of the water will help you relax better, so your body doesn’t have to work as hard to kick the toxins out of your system.
Baking soda on its own can smell bland, so you want to add something that will help you detox and relax. Peppermint essential oil is perfect for this. The oil will release vapours in the steam of your bath water, so you constantly breathe in the beautiful scents. You just have to sit back and relax.
Making the Most of Your Detox Baths
Whichever type of detox bath you try, you want to make sure you use it fully to your advantage. The best way to benefit is to have a long hot soak every couple of days. This can be hard—I know with kids they tend to leave the bathroom a mess, and I don’t exactly want to go in there.
This needs to be your space for relaxing. That means setting it up in a way that works just for you. Have your candles lit and set the incense off if that’s your preference. Some of us enjoy listening to music while we soak, while others want to read their book in peace. My long hot soaks are a time for peace from the kids and a chance to get 30 minutes of a good book.
Try out the different options in stages. See which one works best for your skin. You’ll find that some leave you feeling better than others. You can also try out the different essential oils to see which works better for relaxing. Peppermint, orange, and lavender tend to be my favourites, but you’ll have your own.
Set a time in the day that you can focus just on yourself. You want the time for the salts, baking soda, coconut oil, or oatmeal to work in your skin really. It’s important to give the ingredients time to draw out the toxins and fight the bacteria. If you don’t have the time, you can turn them into scrubs for the shower, but they won’t be as effective as they are in a bath.
If you can’t do a long soak, try a foot soak instead. This will at least draw some of the toxins out of your body.
Which Detox Bath Will You Try First?
Now it’s over to you. It’s time to choose the best detox bath for your preferences. Are you a coconut oil fan for your hair? Why not add it to your bath water and see how it turns out? Do you currently use baking soda for cleaning your teeth? Try it out for your skin too!
There isn’t a wrong or right answer when it comes to personal detox baths. Some of us love certain ingredients and find others leave a film on our skin. We may find that our skin is too dry for certain ingredients and it causes more hassle having to use moisturising creams and exfoliating products afterwards.
Work in the best way for you. The five options above are just the best for pulling out the toxins and fighting anything that sits on the top of your skin. They offer ways that you can relax fully at the end of a long day and make sure your skin is left cleansed and glowing right afterwards.
Which detox bath sounds like the best one for you? Make an effort to try it out as soon as possible. If you find it doesn’t work, move onto another. Try different essential oils and create the best relaxing atmosphere possible for your glowing skin.
