Moms never pamper themselves enough. One thing to helps Moms feel pampered is using homemade bath, skin and hair treatments. They are easy to make and very soothing. Plus if you set aside an evening once a month to pamper yourself through a home spa– it becomes a comforting ritual that you will look forward to each time!
Using Bath Teas
Herbal bath teas are VERY easy to make and use. Basically you are making a “tea” or an infusion that you then add to your bath. You can use small muslin bags that are premade or you can sew your own with a piece of muslin and tie it tightly at the top with string. A piece of finely woven cheesecloth will work also by placing the ingredients in the middle of a square, gathering and tying tightly. The most basic way is to steep your bath tea in a bowl or large mug, then it and add it to your bath. The key is to steep your herbs in boiling water, then add to your bath. Steep for at least 10-15 minutes, but longer is fine.
Dried herbs are ok for bath teas, but you can also use fresh herb leaves from your garden. One favorite combination is mint and lavender. Add about 1/2 cup of each to a muslin bag and steep for about 10-15 minutes. Grab a magazine, light a candle, brew a cup of regular tea for drinking, run the bath and add the bath tea. If you are using a cloth bag or bundle you can also add that to the tub. The nice thing about bath teas is the simplicity and the aroma. You’ll need to experiment and find out what which herbs work best in your bath. These suggestions will get you started:
Use 1/2-1 cup of a combination of the following-
-dried mint
-dried chamomile
-dried lavender
-dried rosemary
-dried rose petals
-ground oatmeal (in your blender)
-dried milk
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Perhaps try a 1/2 cup of mint, chamomile and lavender, but only a small amount of rosemary. Or choose 2 of the herbs and use 1 cup each, plus a cup of dried milk for a soothing milk bath. If you buy the dried herbs in bulk or dry or own they are not very expensive, and you can store them in a fairly cool cupboard in jars. Try adding baby oil to the bath while it’s running and the bath tea for a messy, yet very moisturizing soak!
Originally posted on June 3, 2006 @ 10:12 pm