make your own: epsom salt soak.

February 22, 2018

epsom salt soak | reading my tea leaves If you have Epsom salts and you have a tub filled with water, then you have yourself an Epsom salt soak. But the tricky thing is making sure you let yourself indulge. Draw the bath, pour in the salts, test the water with your toe and sink below the surface of the water. Feel the ripple up the back of your spine as you settle into it. Put away your phone and open a book instead. Get lost in it for a few minutes. epsom salt soak | reading my tea leaves

Every winter I forget about Epsom salts, and every winter I’m reminded. Thank goodness. 

This week I hauled this empty glass jar out from under our kitchen sink, filled it up with salts and returned it to its rightful spot next to the bathtub where I can reach for it without too much trouble in the middle of a perfectly ordinary weeknight. The idea that a bath full of magnesium sulfate could replenish and restore tired muscles and a fatigued mind feels hopeful, yes, but the fact that a huge bag of Epsom salt can be found at any regular old pharmacy for just a few dollars is even better. It’s a rare wellness treatment that feels utterly unattainable. Once you commit to getting yourself in the bath, you can start to get fancy. Add rose petals and a scoop of dried calendula to a cloth bag and let the bath water run over it. In other words, make a flower tea and steep in it.epsom salt soak | reading my tea leaves

We’re heading toward the end of the February. This week we’ve had unseasonably warm weather to bask in but no doubt there are sleety storms still to come and weeks more to go before we can put our winter layers away for good. Let’s all commit to Epsom salt baths. If you have access to an herb shop or natural food store selling rose petals or calendula, consider buying a few tablespoonfuls to add to your bath.epsom salt soak | reading my tea leaves

Epsom Salt Soak with Rose Petals and Calendula

+ Mix together equal parts Epsom salts, rose petals, and dried calendula. 

+ Put mixture into a simple cloth bag for steeping.

+ Run bath water over the bag and luxuriate in an herbal bath for winter-weary bones.

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11 Comments

  • Reply Monique February 22, 2018 at 9:47 am

    I love the little bag idea…My husband uses a lot of Epsom salts..I am happy w/ a bit but enjoy the other side..the rose petals etc..this would kepp everything IN THE BAG.Thank you.I will try this..a treat bag:)

  • Reply Laura February 22, 2018 at 10:51 am

    I’m not much of a bath person, but after being up all night with a little person with the stomach flu, this sounds really appealing. I harvested some lavender from my garden last year, maybe this would be a nice use for that.

    • Reply ERIN BOYLE February 22, 2018 at 10:52 am

      Perfect! Hope you’re spared the flu yourself!

  • Reply Celia February 22, 2018 at 11:09 am

    I wondered how folks take herby baths without spending twenty minutes scraping chamomile dust off the inside of the bath. (Been there). Cotton bag it is!

    • Reply ERIN BOYLE February 22, 2018 at 11:19 am

      Ha! Yes!

  • Reply Amy February 22, 2018 at 1:27 pm

    I take a bath each evening. My kids know it’s special and important to me. Sometimes my daughter sits with me and we chat. Mostly I read. I use Epsom salts a few times a week, but I’ve honestly never considered making my own. That would be a great project to do with my daughter, as she also loves a hot, long, lingering bath. Thanks for the idea and ‘recipe.’ It’s the small things in life that often add the greatest pleasure.

  • Reply Mimi February 22, 2018 at 2:33 pm

    I recommend an epsom-mugwort bath using this method for menstruation-related aches and pains. Works wonders!

    • Reply Chris February 22, 2018 at 9:51 pm

      Great idea! Fresh mugwort or dried?

  • Reply Chloe | Conscious by Chloe February 22, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    I literally just drew a bath, poured epsom salts and lavender essential oils for my husband who had a major car accident this morning (he’s alright, his car not so much) and to make sure he slows down before getting back into the grind of things.

    • Reply ERIN BOYLE February 22, 2018 at 3:35 pm

      Oh gosh. So glad he’s okay. Salts to the rescue!

  • Reply Genevieve February 22, 2018 at 5:07 pm

    This sounds so sooooooo nice. Sadly I don’t really have a bathtub worth luxuriating in. Maybe next time I am hotel-bound I will pack myself a little bag of salts.

    Sort-of related: does anyone here have experience making their own clay masks? I recently bought a jar of dry Moroccan clay with the intention of mixing my own. I know you can add just water and go, but was wondering if anyone here had tried any variations (including botanical oils, honey, other?). I’m sure resources abound online but thought people here might have ideas!

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