There is nothing more deliciously relaxing than coming home after a long day and taking a soothing hot bath with lavender bath salts or better yet, lavender bath tea. Pair that with nourishing lavender body butter and life is good! These recipes are favorites of my family and friends to help them relax the nervous system and bring the body to a place of rest.
Lavender has the additional benefit of being a divine treat for the skin. Its anti-inflammatory and soothing nature helps reduce redness and irritation of the skin. Because of its antimicrobial properties, lavender essential oil is a good external ally for those with acne (but for a long-term effective treatment for chronic acne, diet should be looked at). Many say it has anti-aging properties and helps maintain young, healthy, youthful skin. However lavender is incorporated into your beauty routine, prepare to feel loved, relaxed, and held.
Lavender bath salts, lavender bath tea, and lavender body butter are some of my favorite recipes to share with others. They can be modified to fit anyone’s needs. In the ingredients where you see “herb of choice” or “oil of choice,” know that this is where you can add additional goodies to your blend. If you choose not to use herbs or essential oils other than lavender, just fill that other portion of the recipe with more lavender or lavender essential oil.
You might be wondering what herbs or essential oils to add to the recipes. Here are a few suggestions: I like blending lavender with lemon or peppermint for a mentally invigorating but physically relaxing blend. Lavender and rose make a wonderful pair with a feminine kick. If you want to feel some self love, or love from others, add rose petals. Lavender and chocolate extract combined make a decadent bath-and-body set no one is likely to forget. These two combine in a way that may make people say they want to eat it (or lick you when you wear it)! Wearer beware.
Lavender Bath Salts
Lavender Bath Salts
Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Active Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
This recipe makes for a nice, relaxing bath. The herbs in the bath salts are optional, since the recipe also includes essential oils, but watching the herbs float in the bath is Zenlike. When you drain the bath, they stick to the sides of the tub, so they don’t clog up the drain and are pretty easy to clean up. They also look nice in the jar, which is especially nice if you’re giving this as a gift. If you want to avoid the mess, you can always place your herb blend separately in teabags and make a nice strong tea on the stovetop to add to your bath, along with the beautiful bath salt and essential oil blend.
You can combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, mix them well, and then pour them into your jar. If you do it this way, and you’re making a big batch (which is great if you’re making gifts), use 10 drops of essential oils per cup of bath-salt mix.
The other option is to layer your ingredients to make the jar look pretty. If you choose this method, use 2–3 drops of essential oil per layer.
Lavender Bath Tea
No fancy recipe here! Herbs in the bath can sometimes be a messy business. If you are like me and enjoy taking a bath as a way to relax, the last thing you want to do is clean the tub afterwards. That is where bath socks come in. A bath sock is exactly what it sounds like: a tube sock you place your herb blend into and put in the bath!
I like to mix dried lavender, chamomile, and rose petals. Tie the top of the tube sock and toss it in the bath. The salt will diffuse into the water and the herbs will add a nice aroma, along with all their lovely health benefits, to the bath, without a mess.
You can also just toss some herbs (no salts needed) in the sock, tie it up, and fill the tub with hot water. The herbs will infuse in the water and you will be bathing in a big tub of calming tea.
To clean up, just empty the herbs from the sock into the compost and wash it for reuse!
Lavender Body Butter
Lavender Body Butter
Yield: 20 ounces
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
This lavender body butter is easy to make, and it’s a wonderful gift for family and friends. I think it’s an especially great gift to give for Mother’s Day or Valentine's Day.
1. Melt the shea or cocoa butter and coconut oil together using the double-boiler method in a large heat-proof glass bowl or glass canning jar.
2. Once they are completely melted, remove it from the heat.
3. Add the olive or jojoba oil and essential oils, and let it sit until cool. If you are using a stand mixer that uses a separate bowl, pour the oil mixture into your mixing bowl before letting it cool. In the winter, letting it sit outside is the fastest way for it to cool down. You can also just put the bowl in the fridge.
4. When the oil combination starts to create a thicker layer on the outside of the bowl, scrape the sides well and place it in the mixer. If you are using hand beaters, scrape the sides and beat as you normally would.
5. Beat the oil mixture until it turns white and forms peaks, being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl regularly.
6. Put the butter into a container of your choice and enjoy the luxurious moisturizing power of this great body butter!
Notes
Caution: Shea is a tree nut, so it’s not for a person with nut allergies.
This recipe makes enough to fill one 20-ounce container, two and a half 8-ounce containers, or five 4-ounce containers.
What essential oils do I use and love? Several brands actually.
1. My hands down favorite brand is Rocky Mountain Oils (also known as Native American Nutritionals). These are seriously the BEST brand I have ever used. They are strong. And I mean strong. I have seen some amazing things happen when using this brand. 2. GEO carries a great line of essentials oils and I have always had success with their oils. They are adding new blends frequently and are definitely worth a look! 3. I am really enjoying Plant Therapy essential oils as well. They are easy on the budget as well as being a high quality oil.
Jennifer, author of Hybrid Rasta Mama, is a former government recruiter turned work-at-home mama to a daughter brought earthside in early 2009. She is passionate about and writes about holistic health and wellness, natural/green living, toxic mold awareness, and the benefits of coconut oil. She frequently shares allergy friendly recipes on her site as well as DIY herbal remedies, DIY natural body care, and natural cleaning recipes.
Jennifer graduated with honors with a Bachelor's Degree in Ethnic Studies. In January 2019 she became a certified mold and moisture intrusion inspector. She has completed coursework in the naturopathic series offered by the Avicenna Institute and accredited through the Board of Natural Medicine Certification Council.
Jennifer is a member of the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors as well as the International Society for Environmentally Acquired Illness.
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Alexa G. says
Thanks so much for impacting us with your knowledge and time you spend to do research we appreciate.