Bath Tea Bombs: 3 Recipes to Promote New Year Health + Wellness

As we enter 2021, I find it even more important now than ever to focus on our metal health and real listen to what our bodies have to say. Last year was a rollercoaster of emotions (to say the least!), and our bodies have taken a hit both physically and mentally. With very little time to adjust to the ongoing and abrupt changes in our everyday lives, one thing that I have found incredibly helpful at the end of a long day is to take a bath. This is something I used to do daily in high school to help sooth my muscles after hours of dance practice, but I fell off in college with no place to bathe. Alas, after signing our new lease in Denver, I finally had access to the bathtub of my dreams on a nightly basis! While I was excited to start my pre-bedtime ritual again, I was shocked to find out the price of fun, playful, and beautiful bath products. Dang, this stuff really took off in the last 5 years! And although I would love nothing more than have a stash of Lush bath bombs in my bathroom, I just simply don’t have the money to pay $5+ (and I mean PLUS) for a single bathing experience. So I did my research, tried lots of different combinations (yes, taking loads of baths was hard work, but someone’s got to do it), and ended up with these 3 lovely ‘bath tea bomb’ recipes. Read on to find the one for you…

1. Invigorate

Breaking news: Baths aren’t just for nighttime anymore! I make a check list of all the things I need to do at the beginning of every day, and sometimes that list really starts to overwhelm me as I’m writing it. I created Invigorate as a way to relax my mind and body while promoting productivity. With strong notes of eucalyptus and rosemary, this mixture is intended to heighten the senses and clear the mind of the unnecessary. Forget about Sunday scares, this bath soak has your back!

Ingredients

· 1 mesh organza bag

· 1/2 cup eucalyptus Epsom salt

· 3/8 cup magnesium bath flakes

· 2 tbsp baking soda

· 1 tbsp citric acid

· 1 tsp jojoba oil

· 1 tbsp dried lemongrass leaves

· 1 sprig of fresh rosemary

· 4 drops eucalyptus essential oil

· 2 drops rosemary essential oil

· 2 drops grapefruit essential oil

· Pistachio green mica powder (optional)

· Copper mica powder (optional)

The Benefits

· Eucalyptus Epsom salt: Epsom salt eases aches and soreness while relaxing the body and relieving the mind. The extra eucalyptus scent is just an added bonus!

· Magnesium bath flakes: Magnesium is naturally produced by the body and is vastly important for all bodily functions. Because magnesium is necessary for nervous system regulation, the addition of magnesium flakes in a bath helps to reduce stress and anxiety.

· Baking soda + citric acid: This combination is responsible for the “bomb” part of “bath tea bombs”. When combined and added to water, the mixture begins to fizz and more easily disperse the other ingredients throughout the bath. Baking soda also has anti-inflammatory properties which is oh-so-good for your skin.

· Jojoba oil: Jojoba oil is a natural moisturizer with plenty of other benefits for the skin.

· Eucalyptus, rosemary, and grapefruit essential oils: This combination is meant to relieve achy joints and muscles while clearing the body and mind and balancing your mood.

Steps

1. If you choose to dye the magnesium bath flakes, separate the flakes into two small bowls with 1/4 cup in one bowl and 1/8 cup in the other. Add a dash of the pistachio green mica powder to the bowl with 1/4 cup of magnesium bath flakes in it and add a dash of the copper mica powder to the bowl with 1/8 cup of magnesium bath flakes in it. Mix well and add additional mica powder as necessary until desired color is reached.

2. Add the eucalyptus Epsom salt, magnesium bath flakes, baking soda, citric acid, and dried lemongrass leaves to a bowl and mix until ingredients are evenly dispersed.

3. Add jojoba oil and stir immediately and rapidly. This prevents the baking soda and citric acid from reacting. Add eucalyptus, rosemary, and grapefruit essential oils, stirring immediately and rapidly after each addition.

4. Transfer mixture into the mesh organza bag and add the sprig of fresh rosemary. Seal the top by tying a knot.

5. Add your bath tea bomb to a filled tub and watch it get to work. Close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths. Soak for at least 10 minutes. You’ll be invigorated in no time!

2. Sleep

We’ve all learned by now the importance of a good night’s rest. Sleep can affect how we perform during the day and is therefore imperative to a healthy lifestyle. I created Sleep for those nights when you just know it’s going to be hard to doze off after you lay your head down. I’m guilty of getting anxious about all the stuff I have to do the next day, and taking a bath is a great way for me to reset my brain before I head to bed. I also experience a somewhat strange phenomenon every day (maybe it’s a female thing?): I’m basically freezing if the temperature in our apartment is anywhere below 72°, but at night I need it to be an icebox. And if I’m hot, I’m not sleeping! A bath helps a lot with this issue because it drastically increases your body temperature, then when you get out, your body temperature plummets. This makes getting under the covers even more satisfying and helps to keep you cool throughout the night!

Ingredients

· 1 mesh organza bag

· 1/2 cup pink Himalayan bath salt

· 3/8 cup magnesium bath flakes

· 2 tbsp baking soda

· 1 tbsp citric acid

· 1 tsp jojoba oil

· 1 tbsp dried lavender flowers

· 4-5 dried Gomphrena flowers

· 4 drops lavender essential oil

· 2 drops rose essential oil

· 2 drops chamomile essential oil

· Coral pink mica powder (optional)

· Baby blue mica powder (optional)

The Benefits

· Pink Himalayan bath salt: Pink Himalayan bath salt contains minerals that extract toxins, moisturize, soften, and reduced inflammation in the skin while also providing relief for sore muscles. On top of all that, the minerals also encourage relaxation and deep sleep!

· Magnesium bath flakes: Along with reducing stress and anxiety, magnesium bath flakes also sooth sore muscles and promote better sleep by increasing melatonin levels in the body.

· Lavender, rose, and chamomile essential oils: This combination helps treat anxiety and insomnia while reducing signs of aging.

Steps

1. If you choose to dye the magnesium bath flakes, separate the flakes into two small bowls with 1/4 cup in one bowl and 1/8 cup in the other. Add a dash of the coral pink mica powder to the bowl with 1/4 cup of magnesium bath flakes in it and add a dash of the baby blue mica powder to the bowl with 1/8 cup of magnesium bath flakes in it. Mix well and add additional mica powder as necessary until desired color is reached.

2. Add the pink Himalayan bath salt, magnesium bath flakes, baking soda, citric acid, dried lavender flowers, and dried Gomphrena flowers to a bowl and mix until ingredients are evenly dispersed.

3. Add jojoba oil and stir immediately and rapidly. This prevents the baking soda and citric acid from reacting. Add lavender, rose, and chamomile essential oils, stirring immediately and rapidly after each addition.

4. Transfer mixture into the mesh organza bag and seal the top by tying a knot.

5. Add your bath tea bomb to a filled tub and watch it get to work. Close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths. Soak for at least 10 minutes. You’ll be ready for bed in no time!

3. Calm

I love to meditate, it’s something I try to do every day. But sometimes life gets in the way, and I end up rushing through my daily tasks without taking a second to breathe. On these occasions, I find it helpful to sit in a bath as a way of sneaking in a quick meditation at the end of a long day. I came up with Calm as a way to accentuate my meditative experience while bathing by creating a serene environment. This also promotes deep breathing because I used all my favorite scents! Use Calm when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, tense or on edge. Lord knows we could use a little more Calm in our lives as of late!

Ingredients

· 1 mesh organza bag

· 1/2 cup Hawaiian black lava salt

· 3/8 cup magnesium bath flakes

· 2 tbsp baking soda

· 1 tbsp citric acid

· 1 tsp jojoba oil

· 1 tbsp dried jasmine flowers

· 2-3 dried orange slices

· 4 drops coconut essential oil

· 2 drops jasmine essential oil

· 2 drops sweet orange essential oil

· Bronze mica powder (optional)

· Gold mica powder (optional)

The Benefits

· Hawaiian black lava salt: Black lava salt contains activated charcoal which detoxifies while promoting blood flow. Salt baths also have the same calming affects you might find when strolling along a saltwater beach.

· Coconut, jasmine, and sweet orange essential oils: This combination works as an antidepressant and sedative while decreasing nervous tension by creating an uplifting and calming aroma. It can also help support the immune system to help you from getting sick (bring it on 2021)!

Steps

1. If you choose to dye the magnesium bath flakes, separate the flakes into two small bowls with 1/4 cup in one bowl and 1/8 cup in the other. Add a dash of the gold mica powder to the bowl with 1/4 cup of magnesium bath flakes in it and add a dash of the bronze mica powder to the bowl with 1/8 cup of magnesium bath flakes in it. Mix well and add additional mica powder as necessary until desired color is reached.

2. Add the Hawaiian black lava salt, magnesium bath flakes, baking soda, citric acid, and dried jasmine flowers to a bowl and mix until ingredients are evenly dispersed.

3. Add jojoba oil and stir immediately and rapidly. This prevents the baking soda and citric acid from reacting. Add coconut, jasmine, and sweet orange essential oils, stirring immediately and rapidly after each addition.

4. Transfer mixture into the mesh organza bag and add the dried orange slices. Seal the top by tying a knot.

5. Add your bath tea bomb to a filled tub and watch it get to work. Close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths. Soak for at least 10 minutes. You’ll be calm in no time!

4. Try your own

While I made three concoctions that worked for my specific needs, experiment on your own to find the perfect combination of ingredients for you! As long as you have some sort of base component such as Himalayan bath salt or Hawaiian black lava salt, you can mix and match scents and extra ingredients that you love. Other additional mix-ins that could enhance your bath include oatmeal powder, olive oil, or orange peels. Have fun with it and keep in mind that it’s nearly impossible to do incorrectly!

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-A