It's fine time to light some candles, let go of your worries, and soak all of your anxieties away.
Detox baths help strengthen immune systems, boost wellness, and regulate the body's processes. It can replace your monthly spa visit in these social distancing times. As busy babes, we don't always have time for a bath, but we ain't got nothing but time now. More than ever, it is crucial to set aside time for yourself whether you're still going to an active workplace, working from home, or homeschooling your kids. Detox baths can be a trouble-free gateway to relaxation.
For all of these detox baths, remember to drink lots of fluids before enjoying your soak. These baths are flushing out all of the toxins in your body, so they can leave you dehydrated if you aren't up on your fluid intake.
Get ready to create your version of the Calgon commercial as these detox baths take you away:
Epsom Salt Detox Bath
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Epsom salt is the original gangster of detox baths, and you'll find that many include this key ingredient. The power of epsom salt is unmatched because it draws out all of the toxins in your body. It also supports weight management, relieves sore muscles, and creates relaxation. Dr. Teal's Epsom Salt is a crowd favorite if you're looking for a reliable product.
To make an Epsom salt detox bath:
- Pour 2 cups of Epsom salt in your bathtub with warm water.
- It's best to pour the salt under the water spout so that it dissolves faster.
- Jump in and soak in the tub for at least 12 minutes. If you're looking for softer skin, soak for 20 minutes.
Bentonite Clay Detox Bath
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Medicinal clay has proven to have healing powers for centuries. The clay is a derivative of volcanic ash and it reduces inflammation while also improving hydration. Aztec Secret Healing Clay works wonders, and I highly recommend it.
To make a bentonite clay detox bath:
You have two options.
1. Take 3/4 cup of bentonite clay and rub all over your body creating a head-to-toe mask. Let it dry for five minutes, then, soak in the tub for 20 minutes.
OR
2. Use the biggest cooking spoon you have to swirl 1 cup of bentonite clay in your tub and soak for 20 minutes.
Green Tea Bath Detox
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Green tea is the ultimate detoxifier and antioxidant. This detox bath is also great for relaxation and rejuvenation. You probably also already have these ingredients in your pantry. For a successful green tea bath, you will need 6 green tea bags and 1 cup of Epsom salt. Moisturizing and exfoliating after this bath is essential as it keeps your skin smooth and moisturized.
To make a green tea detox bath:
- Add the Epsom salt in the bath first. Make sure it has dissolved.
- Add the tea bags and allow them to steep for at least 15 minutes. You will also need to run your water hotter than normal so that it's warm when you hop in.
Lavender Detox Bath
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Our homegirl lavender has been relieving stress and anxiety for as long as we can remember. The essential oil is all-inclusive as it can aid in soothing many ailments like psoriasis and eczema. It can even help you get a good night's rest. To unwind, the ingredients for this bath include 10 to 20 drops of lavender oil, 3/4 cup of Epsom salt, and 1/4 cup of dried lavender.
To make a lavender detox bath:
- Add Epsom salt to warm water.
- Add dried lavender.
- Add 10-20 drops of lavender oil.
- Mix ingredients in the tub, and then soak for 20 minutes.
Mustard Detox Bath
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Did you know mustard detox baths are a thing and they are intensely detoxifying? Dr. Singha's Mustard Bath is one of the a popular product that includes other ingredients like eucalyptus and thyme. "Mustard baths have been traditionally used for detoxification and purification," Dr. Singha told Ayurvedic Medicine. "In many parts of the world mustard is well-known for its therapeutic value when used in a bath, helping to increase circulation, oxygenation, and the elimination of toxins. The outward application contributes to general well-being by activating the largest organ of elimination in the body: THE SKIN and helping to reduce the toxic load stored in tissues throughout the body."
Heads up: This detox will make you sweat A LOT! You may literally sweat all of your sins away.
To make a mustard detox bath
- Dissolve 2 oz. of Dr. Singha's Mustard Bath in your tub.
- Try to soak for 20 minutes.
- Take a cold shower after the detox bath.
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Sooner than later, you may feel drained, depleted, and resentful due to unmet needs and boundary violations.
When your needs aren’t met, you will serve someone else's standards while neglecting your own. This is why it is so vital that we take inventory of our relationships and assess if they are relationships that honor our needs, our boundaries, and our truth.
1. You allow yourself to build more intimacy in your relationships.
Im Free Stephen Colbert GIF by The Late Show With Stephen ColbertGiphyIntimacy is the heart of a healthy relationship. When we understand our partners, we build intimacy with them. Vulnerability is a conduit for emotional intimacy in safe relationships. Our relationships thrive when we feel emotionally connected and supported by our loved ones.
Nevertheless, a healthy relationship does not mean a perfect relationship, and sometimes we need to assess and address what's working in our relationships and what may need some fine-tuning. When we are open to learning, growing, and developing deeper bonds with our loved ones, we invite them to preserve our relationship through open dialogue centered around honesty, love, respect, and safety.
2. You are choosing yourself and are being honest with yourself.
When you consider spring cleaning your relationships, you offer yourself a token of love. You are communicating that YOU matter, and your feelings, energy, and the overall health of your relationships matter. Spring cleaning your relationships allows you to be there for yourself.
When we choose ourselves, we advocate for ourselves.
So many of us are starting to realize that we have every right to advocate for ourselves, even if the environment we grew up in did not support our emotional or physical well-being.
Now that we can advocate for ourselves as adults, we get to choose our relationships, not from a place of obligation or fear but from a place of reciprocity, love, and respect.
3. It can help you to get clear on things you may have suppressed.
Michelle GIF by The BacheloretteGiphySuppression happens when we actively push uncomfortable thoughts and feelings out of our minds. When something painful happens, and we are left with no resolve, we can suppress how we truly feel as an act of self-preservation for the relationship.
Nevertheless, with honesty also comes vulnerability with yourself. Maybe you have been unhappy in certain relationships for a while, but it was too painful to address, or maybe you have been suppressing how you feel because that is what is expected of you in your relationships.
Although concealing your feelings may protect you from experiencing them, keep in mind that the body stores all of our emotions. There can be serious long-term side effects of emotional suppression, such as physical ailments linked to autoimmune disease.
Our mind, body, and heart are all interconnected, so assessing your relationships through spring cleaning not only improves your overall wellness but can also prevent anxiety, depression, and other chronic illnesses.
4. You can reflect on how you’re showing up in your relationships.
This one is my favorite! Spring cleaning your relationships gives you an opportunity to see yourself more clearly. If you are going through an imaginary checklist of what everyone in your life is doing wrong, you may be a part of the problem. Spring cleaning your relationships is not about what everyone else is doing wrong; it’s about accountability.
Take this time to reflect on how you show up in your relationships.
Are you kind and respectful to your loved ones? Do you honor their boundaries? What can you do to improve? How can you become a better listener? A better communicator?
Use this time to put a flashlight on your heart and take inventory of the places you love people from. Relationships are co-created, meaning both people play a role in the dynamic. Assess your role in your relationships and be the change you want to see.
5. Setting boundaries will reveal the health of your relationships.
Family Vacation Fox GIF by GrandfatheredGiphyNedra Tawwab, the author of Setting Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself, defines boundaries as a "verbal or an action that you communicate to someone to feel safe, secure, and supported in a relationship." As we are spring-cleaning our relationships, it’s imperative that we check in with our boundaries.
As humans, we are forever evolving, growing, and changing. As we grow, the boundaries that worked for us ten years ago may no longer serve us today. This is why it is important that we communicate our boundaries as they change. People cannot read our minds, and it is unfair to expect them to, no matter how much you think they should just “know” you.
All relationships need boundaries because people need to know how we want to be treated. In healthy relationships, boundaries are honored, and differences are respected. In unhealthy relationships, boundaries are constantly violated and not taken seriously.
When you learn to set healthy boundaries and you start communicating them through your season of spring cleaning, allow your boundaries to reveal the health of your relationships. This may come with a sigh of relief, or this may come with immense grief, but I once heard someone say, “Struggling with the truth is much better than being comforted by a lie.”
Let your relationships reveal themselves to you so you can form healthier bonds, repair broken bonds, or release connections that no longer serve you.
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Originally published on March 24, 2023