It is wintertime and my skin can get so dry! I am not much of a bath person, I much prefer showers, but when I take a bath, I want it to be a treat. Winter is the only time of the year where I take baths more regularly, as I long to relax in a warm and fragrant water. I try to always keep a jar of this Oats and Herbs Bath Soak by my tub.  When I want a nice bath, I fill a muslin bag with this blend and add it to my bath water to make my skin glow.

This bath soak is made up of an array of great mineral and botanical ingredients that will detoxify, moisturize and nourish the skin. Here are the main ingredients I picked for this recipe and some of their key properties:

• Epsom salt is known to improve circulatory health and help flush toxins. It is therefore great if you are trying to detox! It also helps reduce inflammation and is great for sore muscles. After a long and stressful day, Epsom salt also helps to relieve stress.
• Rolled oats will sooth and soften the skin. They contain antihistamines which reduces skin inflammation and will also create a very milky water. On top of all that, I find that they release a delicious fragrance that just makes you want to soak in the tub for hours!
• Soy milk powder makes for a really silky bath – sometimes I also use goats milk powder, but I have to admit that I love the vegan version.
• Baking soda will exfoliate and polish your skin. It also helps balancing your skin’s pH.
• Tapioca starch is great for sensitive skins and it will add extra smoothness to the water and to your skin. If you don’t have tapioca starch, you can replace it with cornstarch.

I put a few different flowers, but don’t hesitate to personalize your bath soak by adding your favourite flowers and leaves. Here are the ones I included:

• Calendula is a beautiful yellow/orange flower which is great for healing as it stimulates the production of collagen.
• Cornflowers are so pretty with their bright purple hue. They are know to be astringent and help reduce skin irritation. They also help to relax and unwind.
• Chamomile is one of my favourite – I love its apple like scent and it does some magic to soothe and heal the skin.
• Verbena has an amazing lemony scent and helps relieve stress.
• Juniper berries help detoxify your body, relieve your joints and relax. They are also known to help with arthritis.

With such an amazing blend of plants and minerals, you will have one of the most relaxing and rejuvenating baths!

Oats and Herbs Bath Soak Recipe

Yield: 5.5 cups (approximately 15 baths)

Ingredients

• 2 cups Epsom salt
• 2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup powder soy milk
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
• 2 tablespoon calendula petals, dried
• 2 tablespoon cornflowers, dried
• 2 tablespoon chamomile, dried
• 2 tablespoon verbena leaves, dried
• 2 tablespoon juniper berries, dried

Preparation

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together.
2. Store in an airtight container and keep it close to your bathtub!

Tips for Use

Put approximately 1/3 cup of the bath soak in a muslin bag or in a large tea bag. I like to place the muslin bag in my bath while the water is filling the bath. This allows for all the ingredients to blend with the water and will release the botanicals and minerals. I leave the bag in as I soak and I even use it to scrub my body. It really moisturizes and softens the skin and allows me to get even more of the beneficial properties of the amazing plants and minerals in that soak.

After use, I empty the contents of the muslin bag by turning it inside out. I then rinse the bag, let it dry and it is ready for another bath!