Detox Bath: Home Remedy for Cold & Flu Season
As I sit here writing this post, my boyfriend is sick and I’m starting to feel like I’m catching whatever he has. Oh no! Temperatures are dropping outside, it’s wet, and the air is frigid… It’s cold and flu season. Perhaps even more so for us because we’re transitioning to a new, colder climate! Well, as I try not to think about that fact, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share what I have come to find as the miracle home remedy for when I’m feeling ill… The detox bath.
I first stumbled upon the detox bath on Pinterest (surprise surprise), where I found my go to recipe on the blog Beauty Bets.
Here’s what you need:
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Baking Soda
- Ground Ginger
Here’s what you do:
- Draw a hot bath, as hot as you can possibly stand it. You want to SWEAT, I mean, seriously sweat. This will help you release toxins.
- The original recipe suggests you add three pints of hydrogen peroxide (3%), but I usually only add about half of a large bottle. Hydrogen peroxide supposedly helps to oxygenate the body and help expel toxins. It is also antiviral and antibacterial.
- Add about 1 cup of baking soda. The original recipe does not include baking soda, however, after reading about detox baths on Healthy Living How To I now add it to any bath I take. Baking soda helps neutralize chemicals (such as chlorine) and increases mineral absorption.
- Add 3 tablespoons of ground ginger. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and helps increase blood circulation. I’ve taken baths both with and without it, and I found that the ginger definitely helps you sweat more!
- Soak in the tub for about 30 minutes, or as long as you can stand it. PLEASE listen to your own body! Depending on how I feel, I will soak anywhere from 15 minutes to the full 30 minutes. Don’t overdo it!
- Drink LOTS of water before, during, and after. You want to replenish your body after sweating out all those toxins.
Tips: I personally only take detox baths when my boyfriend is home, as you do sweat profusely and can feel a little lightheaded. Better safe than sorry! Also, please stand up slowly when getting out of the tub.
When you’re rinsing off, please use only natural soap that is free of harmful chemicals. You’ve opened your pores from the hot bath and released a bunch of toxins; you don’t want to add them back into your body!
I only take this bath right before bed because it does wear you out, and makes your body will feel a bit like jello. I usually chug a few glasses of water and go straight to sleep. And boy, do I sleep! This bath makes me sleep like a baby, and by the time I wake up I feel SO much better.
I’ve taken this bath during varying degrees of sickness, and I ALWAYS feel some percentage of better the next day. I’d say somewhere between 75-100% better every single time. It may just be the placebo effect, or the fact that the bath forces me to drink more water and get a good night’s sleep. But considering any time I take this bath, a cold that would usually last a few weeks only lasts a couple of days… with those results, I think I’ll continue this home remedy regardless!
Here are a few other variations I often use:
Here’s what you need:
- Baking soda
- Epsom salt
Almost all of the directions from above apply to all detox baths. You want the hottest bath you can stand, you want to drink lots of water, and you want to use chemical free soap when rinsing off.
- For this bath, I add about 2 cups of Epsom salt, which helps draw out toxins. Epsom salt also helps decrease bloating.
- I also add about 1 cup of baking soda. Again, baking soda helps neutralize chemicals.
- Soak for about 30 minutes. I usually take this bath when I’m not feeling well because of my own doing. Perhaps I’ve been eating too much sugar and junk, or have been drinking a bit too much alcohol. This bath is great for a general detox to rejuvenate your body.
Another variation I do is basically the same as the recipe above, but I had 5-10 drops of lavender oil to the bath. I especially like this bath when I feel bloated or stressed out (or both!). Lavender has a calming effect and, again, Epsom salt is great for decreasing bloat.
In case you need some extra help, here are a few other things I do when I’m sick: I up my intake of Vitamin C, and I take Goldenseal Echinacea drops three times a day. You can find Goldenseal at most health food stores, I bought mine at Whole Foods.
Well, I think I’ll definitely be taking my general detox bath tonight. Hopefully that will prevent me from fully catching my boyfriend’s illness! I hope these detox baths help you survive cold and flu season!
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and these recipes are only suggestions of remedies that work for me. They are not intended as a diagnosis or prescription, and should not be in place of medical treatment and/or advice from a professional. Please always consult your doctor first before trying any home remedies.
