He looks so harmless when he’s sleeping, doesn’t he?
I tripped over the dog in the middle of the night the other night (that’ll teach me to not drink water right before bed). I had my feet tangled up in 90lbs of Chester the Chesapeake and in an attempt not to hurt him, I lunged forward and managed to smack my tuque off of the chest at the end of our bed and mangled my knee pretty good. Fortunately, we’ve been watching our way through season two of Deadwood, so I had a whole arsenal of bad words appropriate for just such an occasion. I used most of them. I don’t even think the dog raised his head, but he might have blinked when I called his parentage into question. The crash and resulting tirade did send the dad leaping out of bed and to my aide (to his credit, that amount of noise at 4 am in the pitch black did not cause a heart attack).
I made it through the day yesterday, but I was definitely ready for some kind of nice hot bath for a soak by the end of it. This is what I came up with – it’s essentially my sore muscle soak with one addition:
Anti-inflammatory and Minor Pain Relief Bath Salts
- 1 cup Epsom salts (reduces inflammation, relieve aches and pains)
- ¼ cup sea salts (remove lactic acid build up that occurs in sore muscles)
- ¼ cup baking soda (softens water and helps absorb the epsom salt)
- 3 drops eucalyptus essential oil (has analgesic {pain relief} and anti-inflammatory properties)
- 3 drops rosemary essential oil (has analgesic properties)
- 2 drops peppermint essential oil (has analgesic properties)
Mix together in a small bowl, fill bathtub with hot water and put the salt mixture in under the faucet as it is filling. Soak for at least 20 minutes to allow absorption of mineral salts and essential oils. Enjoy.
This one smells really nice.
I should also add that the amount of essential oils used in a bath should be limited to 6-8 drops in total. The oils are concentrated and can cause a contact dermatitis (angry itchy burny skin reaction) if used in excess. Also, a carrier of some sort (oil, bath salts, honey or cream) should be used to keep the oils from lying on top of the bath water and coming into direct contact with skin. This is why I mix them with oils or salts when I use them.
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Will definetly be making some of this thank you
Your remedy sounds soothing–but your story about tripping over the dog was hilarious–sorry you had to get hurt – but don’t we all suffer for our craft.
Absolutely. Somebody has to do it.
I think the combination of rosemary, eucalyptus and peppermint sound wonderful and would also be great in a salve. Might just have to try a batch.
I thought that too. I have to go around the corner to the local apiary and get some beeswax to try some salves soon.
Very easy to make feel really good on the skin, particularly mangled knee caps!
I might give it a try this weekend – I was getting beeswax anyway for some candles I want to make. My knee is still nicely swollen, so it certainly won’t hurt.
Will keep this one on hand for sure. I am what my husband calls “vertically challenged”. 🙂 Thanks for the post!
I love bath salts, but have a difficult time using them because of my eczema. I’m pretty much relegated to just baking soda baths when the weather is hot/humid or cold/dry. This does not leave much of the year when I can use anything else. 😦
That kinds sucks. I probably wouldn’t try these baths if you already had a skin problem. They’d just irritate it.
I hope you are feeling better! These posts always remind me I don’t take enough baths OR enjoy the benefits of essential oils. This must stop! This combo sounds amazing!
If nothing else, they smell really nice. And any quiet time spent in a bathtub has got to be good for you!
I will have to remember this for the next time I suffer through a 10k walk/run!
I’ve got to try this! (not the tripping over the dog thing – the essential oil recipe).
Hope you get better soon.
I love the idea of a salve but I am new to all this and have no idea how to begin doing a salve. Do you have a recipe? And how do you know how many drops of essential oils to put in?
no, I haven’t tried to make one yet, but will soon. I just bought a brick of beeswax. Try this link, it might give you an idea: http://www.crunchybetty.com/vintage-remedies-–-make-daisy-salve-for-bumps-bruises
Or google homemade salve and try your luck with that.
Thank you I will. 🙂
Thanks for this recipe, might need to try it after I do the Moon Walk next weekend, after 26.2 miles I am sure I will need to have a soak in the bath!! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome. Good luck with your walk next weekend!
Thanks, I think I will need it, just hoping it stops raining, its been raining for weeks here in the UK!
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Love this recipe! I used it as my featured post on Your Green Resource this week and I pinned it to our pinterest board. I always have my girls soak in epsom salts when they are sore – but I bet they’d love it to be a scented bath as well!
Thanks! I’ll be around to have a look. I hope your girls enjoy it.
I’m just wondering how much to use per bath. What do you suggest?
Use the whole thing – this makes enough for one use.
You put the whole thing in? You do not store it?
You could make more and store it, but this is the amount for one therapeutic bath.
I may make this for my fiancee for when his lower back is really bothering him when the weather turns cold or rainy. I may have him smell the oils (he is picky). Then I will maybe add some honey. Any idea on how much honey I should maybe use?
I’d try a tbsp. and see how that works. It might get a little sticky if it floats instead of dissolving.