Taking a bath is one of the best ways to deal with any kind of stress. There is just something about lazily soaking in warm water that makes us feel all comfortable and fuzzy. And how can you make any bath better? That’s right – by making sure you are using the best bath additives or bath soaks for the occasion.
Let’s have a look at the best thing to put in our bath water for sore muscles, dry skin, pain or simply for relaxing!
Our topics
- Things to put in bath for sore muscles
- Relaxing bath products
- What can I put in my bath for dry skin?
- Other pain-relieving bath soaks
Disclosure: Some of the links below are so-called provision links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I can earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
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Things to put in bath for sore muscles
We all have gotten the advice to take a hot bath for sore muscles after some strenuous activity left us wishing we would never have to move again. But like I said above, any bath can be made better by adding the perfect bath soak to it. So let’s see what the best bath soak for sore muscles is!
Homemade bath soak for sore muscles
Epsom salts are probably the most recommended bath additives when it comes to pain-relieving bath soaks. So let’s start off with an Epsom salt homemade bath soak for sore muscles! It’s super easy to make.
You will need:
- 1/2 cup Sea salt (not the fine kind, the coarse one)
- 1/4 cup Epsom salt (get it here*!)
- 1 Tablespoon of baking soda
- a few drops Lavender oil (like this one*) or any other essential oil you like
Mix all of the ingredients together and then dissolve them in the warm bath water. The epsom salt will help to relax your muscles and the baking soda prevents irritation of the skin.
Sore muscle bath soak essential oils
Lavender is the perfect essential oil for sore muscles, but there are also quite a few others that will benefit your aching body. I recommend using one of these oils to help your muscles relax and release.
Sore muscle soak without epsom salt
Sometimes you might not have any epsom salt around, or maybe you simply don’t like it. Don’t worry, there are substitutes for epsom salt for sore muscles!
To make a homemade bath soak for sore muscles without epsom salt, use one of the following bath additives:
- Dead sea salt (like this one*)
- 1-2 cups of apple cider vinegar
- essential oils for sore muscles (see above)
Muscle soak himalayan salt
Relaxing bath products
Sometimes, you might not have any physical problem you want to solve with a bath. Instead, all you are looking for is some relaxation. Let’s look at the best relaxing bath products and recipes!
DIY bath salts
The first relaxing bath product I want to mention are DIY bath salts. They are super easy to make, and we already learned above how salt baths can relax your muscles. So you can play with the recipe for the homemade bath soak above or check out this post of 9 amazing DIY bath salt recipes!
Related: 13 super effective stress relief activities (no gadgets)
DIY bubble bath
The easiest way to make a bubble bath is to simply pour your normal body wash into the running water while you fill up the bathtub. The bubbles won’t be super consistent, but everything will get nice and foamy.
If that is not quite what you want, you can still go all in and try some of these homemade bubble bath recipes over at helloglow.com.
Green tea bath
Green tea is awesome as a morning drink and does great things for your health. But did you know that it is also perfect for a relaxing bath?
A green tea baths benefits your skin and has antioxidant effects. Perfect attributes for a bath additive, no?
Cinnamon bath
Adding cinnamon to bath water is another way to make your bath time more relaxing. First of all, is it just me, or does cinnamon simply smell like Christmas? You’d be literally basking in anticipation. Ha!
Second of all, cinnamon has a warming effect and antibacterial and antiviral properties. So while you relax, you are also fighting off any mean colds that might be coming your way!
Bathing in lemon water
Have you ever put lemon juice in bath water? It is actually an amazing idea to do so!
Lemon is great for your skin and your mood. It’s acidity will help you get rid of dead skin cells, while the smell lifts your mood. (Scientific proof of that here.)
What can I put in my bath for dry skin
A side effect of hot baths can be, unfortunately, dry skin. Or you might just generally have dry skin and look for the best bath additives to remedy that. I have a few ideas for that here. For all of them, keep in mind that you want to keep the bath temperature moderate, as heat will dry out your skin additionally.
Homemade bath soak for dry skin
Probably the most famous bath additive for homemade bath recipes is milk. The fat and proteins in it will do wonders for dry skin. So for a very easy homemade bath soak for dry skin simply mix 2 cups of milk with 1/4 cup of honey, mix it well, and add it to your bath water.
Moisturizing bath recipe
You know what has been the best bath moisturizer for dry skin for me? Oatmeal! Whenever my skin gets dry and itchy in the winter months, I add a couple of handfuls of oatmeal and a little baking soda to my bathwater and soak in it for about 20 minutes.
When coming out, my skin feels super soft and as if I had just applied some moisturizing lotion to it!
So if I had to choose, oatmeal would definitely get the price for being the best bath additive for dry skin!
Homemade bath oil for dry skin
Your favorite oil is another great thing you can add to your bath for moisture. When I feel like my skin has been incredibly dry recently, I divert my favorite hair oil from it’s intended use and end up with coconut oil in my bath water!
I love the Tiki Tahiti Monoi oil* for this, as it also smells heavenly. But really any oil your skin likes would work for this. If you have several essential oils around, you can even mix your very own homemade bath oil for dry skin. Go wild!
Coconut milk bath recipe
Similar to a bath soak with regular milk, coconut milk is amazing for dry skin and a nice vegan alternative. The easiest coconut milk bath recipe is exactly the same as the milk one: 2 cups of coconut milk with 1/4 cup of honey, mixed well and poured into your bath water.
Your opinion: What are the best bath additives?
I’d love to hear your tips and tricks in the comments! And remember to share this with someone!
*These links are so-called provision links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I can earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
