Green Tea Detox Bath

Detox Bath Breakdown

I’m not really sure if I believe in “detox,” but with Epsom salt at a whopping 88¢ at Walmart, I decided to give it a try. Detox baths are supposed to provide your body with essential nutrients while ridding it of toxins. How, you ask? By sweating it out!

Before You Bathe:

• Drink plenty of water! Your body is supposed to sweat out all the toxins, so you will need to keep your body as hydrated as possible.
• Make sure someone else is home. Some people feel dizzy/light headed afterwards. Just in case you don’t feel well, it’s good to have someone there to help.
• Allow your body to digest your food before taking a bath (i.e. don’t eat immediately beforehand).

The Bath:

• Make sure the water temperature is hot, but comfortable.
• Start mixing in the ingredients when the tub is about halfway full. Every now and then, swirl the water around to make sure everything is mixing/dissolving.
• Stay in the tub for 20-40 minutes.
• You can take these baths anywhere from once a day to once in a while, depending on how your body reacts to them.

After You Bathe:

• Get out of the bath slowly and carefully. If you feel dizzy/lightheaded, this feeling should go away after a few minutes. 
• Drink plenty of water! Your body sweated a lot, so you need to re-hydrate.
• It is suggested to moisturize your skin with olive oil or coconut oil.
• If you take a shower to rinse off, make sure the water is cool.

Types of Detox Baths

I’ve seen a variety of different detox baths, all with different ingredients and different proportions of each ingredient. Really, you can be your own “chemist,”  do some trial and error, and find what works best for you. A range of suggested ingredient amounts are provided in parentheses (again, pick what is best for YOU). For Epsom salt, start small and work your body’s tolerance up.

Main Detox Bath Ingredients:

• Epsom salt (1-2 cups)
  • 100% magnesium sulfate – replenishes body’s magnesium levels
  • Increases body’s ability to detoxify, strenghtens immune system, helps soothe aching muscles, reduces swelling, helps heal bruises
  • You can read more about Epsom salts here
• Baking soda (1-2 cups)
  • Neutralizes any chemicals in tap water (chlorine and flouride especially), smoothes skin

Optional Ingredients:

• Green tea bags (2-5 bags)
  • Antioxidant, relaxes body, soothes sore muscles and rashes
• Apple Cider Vinegar (1/2-2 cups)
  • Anti-inflammatory, softens skin
• Essential Oils (5-20 drops)
  • Great aromas and unique therapeutic benefits of each
• Ground Ginger (1 tbsp – a handful)
  • Increases circulation, promotes sweating, helps open pores, helps in pain relief
• Lemon halves/lemon juice (1 tbsp – 1/3 cup)
  • Antioxidant, brightens skin
• Olive Oil (1 tbsp – 1/3 cup)
  • Moisturizes skin

My Detox Bath Experiment: 

Classes ended the other day and celebration commenced. After a few days of such celebration, I couldn’t think of a better time to detox.

I chose to use what I had at my apartment…because I’m lazy – epsom salt (1 cup), baking soda (1 cup) , and green tea bags (2).

With my music up, I “detox-ed” for a good 20 minutes. It was very relaxing – so much so that I almost fell asleep. Afterwards I did have a little headache, but I think that was from not being as hydrated as I should have been.

All in all, it was very enjoyable. Not sure if toxins were removed, but at the very least, it gives me an excuse to take a long bath. Definitely trying a different combo next time!

Do your own research before taking one. People with certain health conditions shouldn’t take these.