So I have a confession to make.  I have a tea addiction.  But it’s not necessarily an addition to drinking tea.  I mean I like it, but usually only do a cup or two a day. No.  My addiction is to buying tea.  I have a ridiculous amount of tea in my kitchen.  And laundry room.  There’s just something about those pretty, organic looking leaves and flowers that call to me.

So it occurred to me one day, I’m never going to drink all of this.  So why not create something out of it?  Like a bath tea?  I mean why not?  Teas have herbs and we take herbal baths, so why not put to use some of those teas I “just had to have,” as my husband would say.

Steps to Making a Bath Tea

1.  Select a Tea

Just keep it simple and keep it herbal (i.e. nothing with caffeine unless you want caffeine for some reason).  If you have a relaxation tea, chances are it will have chamomile, lavender, St. John’s Wort and more.  Nothing wrong with bathing in those.  If it’s a energizing tea, it will likely include citrus.  Just know that what you put on your skin, you absorb into your body.  So if it’s bedtime and you want to take a bath, stay away from energizing herbs or teas with caffeine.

If you’re not sure about some ingredients and what they do, just Google it.  For example, I have no idea what skullcap leaf is that’s listed here on my Nighttime Tea.  Give me a minute and I look it up….ok, I’m back.  According to WebMD:  Skullcap is used for trouble sleeping (insomnia), anxiety, stroke, and paralysis caused by stroke. It is also used for fever, high cholesterol, “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis), rabies, epilepsy, nervous tension, allergies, skin infections, inflammation, and spasms.  Sounds good to me.  

2.  Put Tea in Bowl

If you are using loose leaf tea, this part is easy.  If it’s in a little brewing bag, just cut the tea bag with a pair of scissors and then pour into a bowl.

3.  Decide If You Want to Add Anything Else

I like to use Epsom Salts a lot.  They replace magnesium and help with muscle soreness. You may also want to consider adding baking soda as it helps to remove chlorine from the water and softens skin.

If you choose to add anything else to the herbs, pour it into the bowl, but keep the proportions predominately the tea herbs.

4.  Mix up your ingredients

You know.  Just mix them up with your hand.  Easy peasy.

5.  Put mixture into an organza draw string bag.

You can find these at craft stores just about everywhere. Because we are using in a bath, a bigger size is needed.  Something like 4 x 6 is good.

If you think you’ll be doing herbal baths a lot, you may want to invest in a large mesh tea ball from Mountain Rose Herbs.  It’s 3 3/4 inches in diameter and you can use it over and over.  Click on the banner to your right and it will take to you their website.  You might even find some other things you can for better health.  They have great herbs and essential oils.

6.  Take your bath

Fill up the tub with slightly hotter water than you would normally use.  Place the tea bag in the water and let it steep for 20 minutes or so.  You can hang the bag from the water spout as the tub fills and then place in the tub.  When you get in the tub, squeeze the bag to make sure you get out every drop of goodness.

Sit back and relax and enjoy your naturally derived tea bath!

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