Journal
Making bath soaks
Bath soaks are a gentle way of bringing herbal healing into your life. You can simply hang fresh herbs from your bath tap – letting their natural oils release into the water. Lavender, rosemary and mint are particularly effective. For soaks where you want to use petals, dried leaves or oats I use a square of organic cotton muslin to tie everything up in – then you don’t need to negate all that relaxation by having to clean gunge out of the bath.
Calming bath soak for inflamed skin
This reduces skin irritation from stings, insect bites or chickenpox. It also makes you drowsy so is good before bed.
You need:
Square of muslin
Porridge oats – 1 tablespoon
Calendula (fresh or dried) 2-4 teaspoons
Chamomile (fresh or dried) 2-4 teaspoons
Hop flowers – 2 teaspoons
Method:
Mix everything together and wrap it in a piece of muslin with a tie at the top.
Put the muslin parcel into a bath and let it steep for 10 minutes, swishing it around. The bath should be warm rather than hot to avoid irritating the skin.
Muscle ache bath soak
This uses magnesium rich Epson salts along with herbs to relax muscles and improve circulation. It is perfect for an after-gardening soak. Do not use Epson salts if you have an open wound.
You need
2 handfuls of epsom salts
Square of muslin
A selection of these herbs:
Rosemary (fresh or dried), 2-4 tsp - stimulates circulation
Daisies (fresh or dried), 2-4 tsp - prevent bruising
Lavender (fresh or dried), 2-4 tsp - relaxes muscles
Eucalyptus (fresh or dried), 2-4 tsp - anti microbial
Pine leaves (fresh or dried) - stimulates circulation
Ginger - stimulates circulation
Method
Chop the herbs finely and put into the muslin, tying at the top and float in the bath or tie to the tap with the water flowing through it.
Put the Epson salts into the bath and swirl to dissolve.
Soak in bath for at least half an hour.
Herbal scalp rinse
This herbal tea works as a final rinse on hair to soothe itchy scalps – you can also use it as a cooling toner on inflamed skin.
You need
Fresh rosemary chopped finely – about
2 tablespoons
A teapot/cafetiere
Sterilised bottle or jar
Method
Put the rosemary into the teapot/cafetiere and cover with boiling water.
Leave it to steep for an hour until the liquid changes from green to more of a rusty colour.
Pour into your jar and put to cool into the fridge.
Use as a final rinse on hair or gently dab onto inflamed skin.
It only lasts a few days in the fridge so don’t make more than you need.
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