Benefits of bath salts

I've been making bath salts for 15 years now, for my own various skin problems & for relaxation. When it's cold, I've been known to shut the shower curtain to keep the bath water hot as long as possible. Sometimes I read a great novel, sometimes I just lie back & shut my eyes. I have an extra long bath mat - I think I got it at Bed, Bath, & Beyond, & I always carefully hang it afterwards so it doesn't mold. My mat covers the entire bottom of the tub so I don't slide down when I lounge. I also always have a premium bath pillow to put at the end of the tub so I don't touch the cold porcelain & so that I can lean way back & soak up to my shoulders, lean my head back. I bought one of those things you put over the overflow drain so I can fill the tub. By the time I lean back, the water is about an inch or so from the top. I have bathing down to an art. It's a true luxury experience when I do it, including my own homemade bath salts. I always use lavender & rosemary in mine, then add some other sweet smelling oils until I'm satisfied. I love the combination of the 2, love them both separately, in cooking as well as in aromatic blends. But in the essential oil form, rosemary tends to smell kind of medicinal. I always grow several forms of rosemary, & pots of lavender. I've grown just about every type there is (of both).

Did you know that rosemary makes almost everything taste better? Did you know you can cook with lavender? My next favorite is chamomile, which I also grow. Mostly I use that for chamomile tea. Ok, more on this tomorrow - today was supposed to be about bath salts.

I don't use rosemary when I blend commercially & it breaks my heart. I hate leaving out one of my true loves, denying one of my true passions! But rosemary carries warnings - may be best avoided if you have high blood pressure (I do, under control with medication, but I eat & bathe in it regularly without problems), avoid if you have epilepsy, it's a real stimulant so best avoided while pregnant, & it might antidote homeopathic remedies. I always try to use the safest oils rather than issue a bunch of warnings! When it comes to your safety, what I use & my personal preferences just don't count!

What I do use in every formula is Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), dead sea salt, & baking soda. Epsom salt draws out toxins, reduces swelling, relaxes muscles, & relieves inflammation & pain. The magnesium portion is an electrolyte that helps your energy, muscles, cells, nerves, & enzymes. Dead sea salt is about 10% sodium & about 90% minerals such as magnesium, potassium, bromine, calcium, iodine, & sulfur. It's an energizer that helps prevent water retention, draws out toxins, reduces inflammation & relaxes muscles. It's great for those "Charlie Horses" because of how it relaxes muscles & because of the potassium content (lack of is the most frequent cause). Then there's good old baking soda, just like you have in your kitchen. Did you know that it neutralizes acids on the skin? It's great for soothing skin rashes, softening skin, & it helps drain the lymphatic system of toxins & disease!

You can find all kinds of good information on the Internet about each of these ingredients. I've only listed some of the greatest properties, skipped quite a few of the lesser known properties. Even with things that are "better than sliced bread," I'm not going to make long, extravagant claims. But as I've said before, I've carefully researched each of my ingredients. Every ingredient I use has been carefully chosen to work together for your highest good.