Title: Using Whole Herbs for Baths
Categories: Magazine Herb Remedies
Yield: 1 Textfile

1

Textfile only

These recipes for baths call for dried herbs, which are typically easier to find than fresh. If you're using fresh herbs, you'll need to use more than dried (in general, one-third to one-half cup of a dried herb equals one cup of fresh). To make a bath, you should use one-half to one cup of dried herbs (or one to two cups of fresh). If you can't find a whole herb, you can substitute its essential oil (and vice versa). Herbs and essential oils vary widely in terms of strength, but you can safely substitute one to two drops of essental oil for the amount of dried herb called for in the recipes given here. If you are combining an essential oil with an infusion of herbs, add the infusion as the tub is filling and the essential oil after the tub is full. Use only a few drops of an essential oil in a bath, and mix the water well with your hand before getting into the tub to ensure that the oil dispenses entirely.

Never add whole herbs directly to the tub -- unless you want to spend half an hour after your bath picking tiny wilted leaves, flowers and stems from your skin (and the rest of the evening cleaning the tub). One exception: Some people like to add a few pieces of whole herb -- a sprig of eucalyptus, a few dried star anise flowers, or some rosebuds -- to a bath. This effect looks beautiful and creates a sensual, indulgent mood. If you'd like to add roses to your bath, you'll have the best luck with fresh petals or large, dried flowers that are fairly intact.

For the simplest infusion, mix the herbs and tie them into a square of light cloth (a scrap of an old T-shirt works well), an old sock, or a stocking (use an old knee-high, or cut off one leg from a pair of panty hose). Or use an unbleached cotton bag, available in natural foods stores. If you crush the herbs first, you'll release more of their essential oils. Hang the bag or sack under the faucet as the tub fills and use it to scrub your skin while you're bathing to get even more of the herbs' essences.

For a more potent option, you can prepare a simple stovetop infusion: Combine the herbs in a stainless steel, glass, or ceramic bowl (don't use aluminum). You can also combine the herbs in a cotton bag or tea strainer and then put that into the bowl. Bring two pints of water to a boil and pour it over the whole herbs. Let the mixture steep, covered, for AT LEAST fifteen minutes (for the best infusion, steep the herbs between one and three hours). When you're through steeping, strain the herbs using a fine-mesh strainer or a coffee filter. If you've used a cotton bag, simply remove the bag. Pour the liquid into the bath right under the running water. If you're making an infusion to use later, label and store it in a nonaluminum container in the refrigerator. It will keep for about a week. ** Natural Health -- Dec 96 **

Scanned and formatted for you by The WEE Scot -- paul macGregor

previous

next