Taking Time for You: Detox Bath Recipe

The following is a guest post from Kristen who is the founder of MIX | Wellness Solutions For A Balanced Life. If you haven’t checked out her wonderful blog and her amazing real food detox program, you should! I am not sure how Kristen juggles everything with a new baby but she does it with grace!

You’ve no doubt heard the advice of well-meaning friends (or your therapist) to “take time for yourself”. But what does that really mean?

• Eating a meal sitting down at a normal hour, pace, and without constant interruption.
• Personal hygiene. A shower gets bonus points.
• Going to the bathroom with the door closed. Alone.

As a full-time working mother of two young girls (one who recently made her debut into this world), this is the reality for the masses, and yes, while it is “just a stage” and “this too shall pass”, it can be frustrating and detrimental to our well-being if we really don’t take that time to escape from our mad, mad worlds.

Think about it. When you board an airplane and the flight attendants are going through their safety dog and pony show, what do they tell you to do should the oxygen masks drop due to a change in cabin pressure?

I’m waiting…

That’s RIGHT! Put on your mask first, before assisting Grandma or Junior in the seat next to you! Why? Because if you’re ill-equipped to take care of yourself, how in the world can you help the others around you? This is the classic conundrum faced by mamas around the world (present company included).

Am I right?

So if you’re going to put on your oxygen mask first before helping your son with his, you need to do the same in real life. I know, easier said than done said by the full-time, working mother of a 3 year old and 2 month old,  buuut…

This is one of the mantras I preach in my coaching practice and healthy living programs and it’s totally true.

Besides the amazing food we eat (it’s a no starve zone – really, we don’t “diet”), the self-care practices that are part of the programs, no matter how small, soon become something my clients just “do”, and the benefits for the entire family are truly amazing, from weight loss to kicking cravings to a happier household. I could go on and on. But I won’t. Read more here.

Here’s one such routine that I encourage in my detox program, The Superwoman Slim Down: A Real Food Detox & Cleanse for Real Women. It’s simply called “The Detox Bath,” and even if it can’t be done every single night (let’s be real, people), just a couple of times a week works wonders.

Made of either Dead Sea salt or more inexpensively, Epsom salt (or a combination of the two), this mineral-rich DIY bath salt recipe will become your excuse to escape after a long day of shlepping the kids to and fro, and at the same time, allow your body to gently detox. It’s a total two-fer.

Why Dead Sea Salt?

Authentic products that have elements of the Dead Sea are rich in minerals – over 80, to be precise – that can work both internally and externally to help detoxify your body. Check it:

• Potassium: Helps to maintain moisture and water balance in the body
• Magnesium: Helps to prevent and cure skin allergies as well as tighten the skin (cellulite, be gone!)
• Sodium, chloride, and calcium: Provide mineral and water balance to your cells
• Bromine: Has a soothing effect and helps you to relax

These minerals also facilitate the elimination of toxins from your pores. It’s best done at the end of a long day right before bed – you know, during your new found “you” time.

Glass of wine: optional.

Easy & Inexpensive DIY Detoxifying Bath Salts

Makes enough for 6 bath soaks

Ingredients

• 3 cups Dead Sea salt (where to buy) or Epsom salt (where to buy) (or combination)
• 25 drops of your favorite essential oil or combination of your favorites (my personal fave is lavender due to its super calming properties)(where to buy)
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil (for moisturizing) (where to buy)

Directions

Combine all ingredients, place in an airtight container, and store in a cool dry place. It will keep indefinitely.

To use

Scoop out ½ cup and place in warm bath. Dim the lights, put on some relaxing music, and soak as long as you can.

And now for the legal mumbo jumbo:

Avoid Epsom salt baths if you’re sensitive to sulfur and in some individuals, skin sensitivity, rashes, allergic reactions, and respiratory distress can occur.

Tell me, how do you keep your sanity as a busy mom? Do you have any self-care routines that you can’t live without?

Meet Kristen

Kristen Boucher is a registered nurse, healthy living junkie, health & wellness coach, real foodie, full-time working wife to an amazing husband, mama of two beautiful girls, creator of The Superwoman Slim Down: A Real Food Detox & Cleanse for Real Women, and Founder of MIX | Wellness Solutions For A Balanced Life, where she inspires busy women to eliminate the overwhelm to lose weight, kick cravings, stress less, and cook delicious, healthy, and family-friendly meals so they can gain confidence, double their energy, and save money without crazy diets, countless hours at the gym, or quitting their day job. 

Further Reading from Around the Web

• Attend one of my Essential Oils 101 classes here!
• Everyday Essential Oils: Lavender
• Why and How to take a Detox Bath
• How To Buy Therapeutic Essential Oils
• 50 Uses For Essential Oils

More Essential Oil recipes here!

• DIY Peppermint Muscle Balm
• Cooling Peppermint Toner
• DIY Roll-On Perfume with Essential Oils
• DIY Detox Clay Mask