This post has been sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TimeWithAveeno #CollectiveBias
Whenever I’m feeling stressed, one of my favorite ways to unwind is with a hot soak in the tub, complete with a glass of wine and a good book (or sometimes music – whatever my mood calls for.) While a nice and toasty bath is a welcome luxury just on its own, I tend to like to turn the event into a mini spa-treatment for my skin and senses at the same time, throwing in either a bath bomb, tea bag, or salt soak.
All three can get pretty pricey if you frequently take baths, which is why I like to make mine homemade whenever possible. I’ve shared my favorite bath bomb and tea bag recipes on this blog already, so today I thought I’d share my go-to bath salt soak recipe. Paired with my favorite AVEENO® products following the soak – like their Skin Relief Body Wash and Shave Gel – it makes for the perfect relaxation routine for after work, Sunday evenings, or whenever!
The bath soak I’m cooking up today is scented with a blend of rose petals and lavender, mixed with healing salts that dissolve in the water and help relax and soothe tired muscles while softening skin. Here’s a quick rundown on what you need and how to make these bath soaks – just in time to stock up for fall!
DIY Rose Lavender Bath Salt Soak Recipe
Makes 4 cups, or enough for 4-8 baths.
What You Need
Ingredients:
- 4 cups Sea Salt, Dead Sea Salt, Himalayan Pink Salt, Epsom salt, or a combination these salts (I’m using half Himalayan Pink Salt, half Epsom Salt)
- 1/4 cup (ground) lavender
- 1/2 cup dried rose petals
Equipment:
- Mixing bowl & spoon or whisk
- Glass container with a tight-fitting lid (4 cup capacity or larger)
- Optional (for less tub mess): cotton muslin bags (~4×6 inches) OR cheesecloth and ribbon
Instructions
Begin by combining all of your salts into a large bowl and mix.
Add your dried herbs and gently stir.
Transfer the mixture into a glass jar for storage.
When you’re ready for a relaxing soak, add up to 1 cup of the mixture to a warm bath and enjoy!
Benefits:
- Sea salts contain a range of minerals that help balance skin moisture. They also contain bromides which help soothe muscles, and sodium which can improve lymphatic circulation.
- Lavender powder is an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antibacterial, and may help to treat acne, eczema, psoriasis, and oily skin.
- Rose petals are commonly used to help detox your skin. They’re also known as mood enhancers – supposedly they can help calm the nerves and reduce anxiety.
Tip for less tub mess: When you’re ready for a soak, add 1/2 to 1 cup mixture into a muslin bag. Close the bag (or use cheesecloth and tie with a ribbon). Place it in your bath water and let it steep.
My Post-Soak Routine
I typically like to shower after a soaking bath, just to rinse off any salts and toxins left on the skin. To avoid irritating my skin (especially after a hot, detoxifying bath, when skin is vulnerable and sensitive), I’ll grab a gentle, soap-free and fragrance-free body wash, like AVEENO® Skin Relief Body Wash.
The body wash is super creamy and indulgent, and keeps the whole at-home spa experience going on a little while longer. One of the main ingredients is colloidal oatmeal, which provides amazing benefits for the skin – it soothes, moisturizes, and protects thanks to its high vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant content. (In fact, you’ll often find it in natural bath soak recipes too!) The oatmeal combined with gentle cleansers help to keep even my skin soft, smooth, and healthy-looking.
And because it just doesn’t feel right to jump out of the shower and into soft smooth sheets with prickly legs, I’ll always do a quick shave at the end of my shower rinse. Lately, I’ve been pairing the body wash with AVEENO®’s POSITIVELY SMOOTH® Shave Gel, which contains nourishing, natural ingredients like soy extract, oat, aloe, and vitamins E to maintain those soft, smooth legs post-soak. The formula also helps to naturally minimize the reappearance of unwanted hair with continued use so you can shave less often – bonus! 😉 (To get the best results, make sure to follow the directions on the packaging exactly.)
Prep for your next relaxing spa experience at home with a relaxing, aromatic floral bath soak, and check out AVEENO®’s gentle bath and shower goodies for an indulgent post-soak routine!
What are some of your favorite at-home spa essentials that you like to treat yourself and your skin to?
