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Saturday, July 31, 2010

Today in the Herbal Kitchen: Making Herbal Bath Salts



Today, my cousin is having a birthday party so I decided to bring herbal bath salt as a gift for her and her sister. The bath salt I purchased at the health food store this morning is Genuine Zechstein magnesium chloride flakes. The package states that for millions of years this salt has been protected at 1600-2000 meters deep in the interior of the earth, as part of the ancient Zechstein seabed in Europe. It is said to be easily assimilated by our skin, so I selected this to be the foundation of my herbal bath salt soak product. Not the most economical way to make an herbal bath salt, but I thought - ahhh, what the heck, go for it!

I added my herbal favorites: chamomile flowers, lavender flowers from my garden, and a combination of essential oils that make you smile and exhale with relief when you take a whiff. I used recycled glass jars to package them in. I try and buy food products in glass jars as much as possible. Then, instead of discarding, I sterilize them and store herbs and other herbal products in them.

Many rely on bath salts since it is associated with effecting our muscle and nervous system. Magnesium sulfate in the salt can be readily absorbed by our skin, reducing inflammation. You may note you prune less when bathing in bath salts. Bath salts can also help improve smoothing rough areas on our skin as well as decrease inflammation of irritated skin.

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