After a long day you might enjoy a hot bath, right? Sooth tired muscles and let your cares melt away. Have you ever thought of adding essential oils to bring your bath up to a luxurious experience? Or do you just add a few drops of essential oils to your bath water and call it good? I’m here to tell you there is a right way and a wrong way to use essential oils in your bath water.
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Oil and Water Don’t Mix
We’ve all heard that oil and water don’t mix and that’s the same for essential oils – they don’t mix with water. Simply adding essential oils to your bath water is the wrong way to use essential oils. Why is this? They don’t disperse evenly throughout the water. They clump together. Also, being that they are warmed up they cannot evaporate the way they are suppose too.
The Wrong Way
So why is it the wrong way to just add a few drops of essential oils to the bath water? The essential oils will sit on top of the surface of the water in clumps until they are attracted to another oily surface. That other surface is you skin. Your skin contains natural fats call lipids. These lipids are what will attract the essential oils to your skin. Having a highly concentrated amount of essential oil in one place on your skin can cause skin irritations such as burns and rashes. The best way to avoid this is to combine your oils with an emulsifying agent.
The Right way
There are four ways you can combine your essential oils with an emulsifying agent.
Carrier Oil
Using a carrier oil. Any vegetable carrier oil will work. However, I recommend jojoba and fractionated coconut oil as they are the least greasy. Jojoba oil is a wax that is most like the oils or sebum that is found naturally in your skin. Fractionated coconut oil is odorless and absorbs well making it a great carrier oil for mixing essential oils with for a bath. To use this simply add 3-5 drops of essential oil to one tablespoon carrier oil. Add to running bath water.
I would like to point out that this will make your bathtub very slippery. So, use caution when getting in and out of the tub and after wards as well, so the next person using the tub isn’t caught off guard by a slippery tub.
Below is the Fractionated Coconut Oil that I use. It’s my absolute favorite.
Bath Gel or Body Wash
Using unscented bath gel or body wash is an excellent non-greasy way to use essential oils in the bath water. Castile soap is also a good substitute. To use this method, mix 3-5 drops of essential oil into a good amount of bath gel, body wash or castile soap, about 2-3 tablespoons or more depending on how bubbly you would like your bath. Then swish around in your running bath water.
Epsom Salts
Another alternative is an Epsom salt, carrier oil mixture. To do this add one tablespoon carrier oil to one half cup of Epsom salts and 3-5 drops of essential oil. Mix well and disperse into running bath water.
Dr. Teals epsom salts are what I use. The Coconut Oil Epsom Salts has a slight coconut aroma, and mixes well with whatever essential oil you wish to use.
Solubol
Solubol or polysorbate 20 is a great alternative to greasy oils or soap.It mixes with essential oils to evenly distribute them into bath water. Solubol emulsifies the oils into tiny droplets to evenly disperse essential oils through-out the water. It helps prevent adverse reactions such as burns and rashes from the highly concentrated essential oils.
Essential oils to use
So, what essential oils can you use in your bath? You could use any oil in your bath water as long you take into consideration their safety. Hot oils can cause skin irritations such as burns or rashes. Hot oils are essential oils that cause a warming sensation to the skin. These oils are not good for sensitive parts of the body. Some oils that are considered to be “hot” are cinnamon, oregano, lemongrass, basil, clove, and thyme. There are more so be sure to do a quick google search for hot oils to check to see if they oil you are using it “hot”. Even peppermint can cause a warming sensation.
Here are a few popular oils that you can use in you bath. Start with 3 drops of oil in your method from above. Adjust up to five as needed. Be sure to mix the essential oils properly into which ever options from above that you choose.
Lavender
Lavender is probably the most chosen essential oil for a bath. Its tranquil scent brings about a sense of calm and relaxation. Lavender can also help with a good night sleep. A good choice to help melt away your worries and eliminate exhaustion.
Keep Reading: Lavender Essential Oil: Practical Uses and Awesome Benefits
Frankincense
Frankincense is a soothing oil that promotes relaxation. It’s a great essential oil for the skin as it promotes rejuvenation. It’s also a good essential oil for overall wellness.
Keep Reading: Fantastic Frankincense: What are the benefits and uses of this awesome essential oil?
Roman Chamomile
Roman chamomile is also a soothing oil. It may help relieve anxiety and promote a restful night’s sleep. Roman chamomile may also help ease tired muscles after exercise.
Cypress
Cypress essential oil may not be suitable for a relaxing bath as it is an energizing oil with a fresh clean aroma. This oil would be great to use if you have a seasonal illness as it’s great for supporting a healthy respiratory system.
Keep Reading: Cypress Essential Oil: Uses and Benefits
Orange
Orange essential oil is also an energizing oil that is uplifting and bright. Use this oil in the morning to give you a fresh start to your day.
Palmarosa
Palmarosa essential oil is a supportive and balancing oil that can help with stress, anxiety, grief, and trauma. Its scent is rich and sweet. So, start with 2-3 drops as to not overpower the senses during your bath.
Wrapping It Up
So, we have found the right and wrong way to mix essential oils into the bath water. We know that just adding a few drops of essential oil to the bath water is not the efficient nor safe way to use essential oils. We found four fabulous ways to mix essential oils into the bathwater and a list of great essential oils to use in the bath for a relaxing (or energizing) experience.
Looking to try some new essential oils? I use and recommend Plant Therapy. They offer 100% pure quality essential oils and carrier oils and provide the GC/MS report to prove it. Click the Plant Therapy logo below.
What oil will you try in the bath? Let me know in the comments below!
Want to learn safety and dilution rates of four lavender essential oils? FOR FREE? Click to download my FREE Lavender Essential Oil Reference Guide. You will also be signed up for my newsletter which you can unsubscribe at anytime.
This information is intended to educate and inform. Please do not replace this information with the advice and guidance from a doctor. This information is not intended to treat, prevent, diagnose or cure any disease. Please consult your health care professional if you have any questions.