Essential oils are widely used in medicine, wellness, and beauty industry today. Aromatherapy is a trend that has become quite popular recently. However, the use of oils extracted from different parts of plants is an ancient tradition that goes back several thousand years. There is a documented evidence that essential oils have been used in the kingdom of Egypt five thousand years ago. Later, similar practices have been developed in China, India, Greece, Rome, Persia, and, eventually, all throughout Europe. You can learn more about the history and basics of aromatherapy on the Alliance of International Aromatherapists website.
Today, essential oils are used for different purposes, including massage, compresses, diffusions, and several types of inhalations. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy can offer more information on the aromatherapy methods, if you are interested.
Apart from that, oils are used as a component of detox baths. This kind of therapy is available to anyone. Adding a few drops of essential oils into the bath will enhance its benefits to a high degree. Find out what essential oils are the best for bathing with the help of our tips. Our reviews will help you to choose the best bath oils that can offer multiple health benefits.
Benefits of the Best Essential Oils for Bath
They have multiple health benefits. Different essential oils come with unique health benefits. Eucalyptus cleanses the body and the mind. Geranium stimulates the lymphatic system. Ginger reduces inflammation and relieves muscle pain. Jasmine helps to fight depressions. Juniper eases the symptoms of rheumatism. Peppermint offers relief for nausea, heartburn, and other digestive problems. Such therapeutic effects of essential oils make them very popular when it comes to alternative medicine methods.
They are good for the skin. Essential oils rejuvenate the skin, make it nourished and moisturized. They can prove very helpful for hydrating the dry skin and reducing the shine of the oily skin, softening the rough and flaky skin and soothing the irritation of the sensitive skin. Essential oils can offer even more benefits in combination with hot water. Heat and moisture of the bath open the pores, allowing the nutrients of the oils to get absorbed into the deepest layers of the skin.
They smell great. All essential oils have wonderful scents. They are made of the very essence, or “the soul” of the plants. Even a few drops are enough to fill the room with a rich fragrance. Different smells can affect the body and the mind in unique ways. They can help you relax and rest, or they can refresh you and make you active. They can heighten or suppress the appetite, make you productive or passive. Some essential oils can heighten your self-esteem and even boost your memories.
Top Five Best Bath Oils
1. Fractionated Coconut Oil from Radha Beauty
This pure coconut oil will work wonders with your skin. This natural moisturizer will gently hydrate the dry skin and make it glow with health and beauty. Just add some of it to a hot bath, submerge your body, and discover all the benefits of a coconut oil bath. You can also use it for hair care, as it can make your hair grow quicker and give it a natural shine.
Apart from its beauty benefits for the skin, coconut oil has multiple effects on the overall health. It improves digestion and promotes weight loss. Coconut oil strengthens the immune system and helps to protect the body from bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It also contains fatty acids that prove very helpful for fighting candida and yeast infections.
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2. Roman Chamomile Essential Oil from First Botany Cosmeceuticals
This versatile oil has many health benefits. Roman Chamomile is known as “the plant’s physician” thanks to its multiple therapeutic effects. During the times of the Roman Empire, it has been used to clear the minds of the soldiers and give them courage in battle. This plant proves very helpful for fighting such negative emotions as disappointment and hopelessness.
Roman Chamomile oil prevents premature aging, rejuvenates the skin, and makes it look healthier in general. A few drops of this oil added to a bath will help you relax and find ease within the body and the mind. A hot bath with this pure Roman Chamomile oil will calm the nervous system and prepare your mind for the nighttime rest.
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3. Lavender Essential Oil from Pure Body Naturals
This premium-quality oil is made of pure organic lavender from Bulgaria. Lavender is one of the most used essential oils in the world, thanks to the effects it creates on the physical and emotional levels. You can add some of it to your bath if you want to ease sore muscles and relieve stress.
This oil will be a great choice for those who like sweet floral fragrances. Apart from its overall health benefits and a pleasant scent, lavender essential oil can be used to moisturize the skin and cure such skin problems as psoriasis, eczema, rashes, itching, skin ulcers, and sunburns. It can decrease wrinkles, scars, and stretch marks. Lavender oil is also known for its ability to fight headaches and alleviate migraines.
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4. Tea Tree Essential Oil from Art Naturals
Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic that is very efficient in killing bacteria, viruses, and fungi. A hot bath with a few drops of this essential oil can come in quite handy during the period of winter colds. Inhaling tea tree oil vapors can make breathing easier and even help to treat sinus infections. It can also ease the symptoms of common colds.
This pure essential oil is just the thing for those who suffer from skin infections and other skin conditions. A hot bath with this oil will eliminate any skin irritations and make your skin healthy and beautiful. It can offer some benefits for the hair, too. It rejuvenates the skin of the scalp and promotes hair growth. Tea tree oil can also help to treat dandruff and eliminate lice.
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5. Castor Oil from Now Foods
This pure castor oil is almost odorless and tasteless, so it will be a great choice if you are looking for an essential oil that does not possess an overwhelming fragrance. This essential oil is vastly used in spa and wellness industry as it can offer many health and beauty benefits. It can relax the muscles and joints and reduce aches in the body, fortify the immune system.
Castor oil helps to open the pores and detoxify the skin. It is highly moisturizing and can considerably improve the condition of even the driest and roughest skin. It can also act as a mild exfoliator, as it cleanses off dead skin cells. It can ease skin inflammations and improve the texture of the skin. It can also be used to boost hair growth, make it thick and glowing.
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Ayurvedic Oil Bath
The so-called “oil bath”, or Abhyanga, is an essential part of Indian healing practices known as Ayurveda. Traditional Vedic medicine is based on the use of different essential oils to heal the mind, body, and spirit by balancing doshas, the three bodily elements.
Traditional Ayurvedic oil baths do not include actual bathing. Abhyanga is a massage technique. However, the amounts of oil used in the process are so great that it might seem that you are bathing in it. In India, oil baths are usually taken with castor oil, although you can use any other oil of your choice.
Regular oil baths can offer multiple health benefits. They relieve stress, boost digestion and metabolism, promote deep and healthy sleep, and improve the condition of the skin. Oil baths relieve aches, pains, and stiffness in muscles and joints. They can also soothe your soul, help to find balance, and make the transition into a meditative state of mind much easier.
It is recommended to take oil baths once a week on Saturday, preferably in the morning. After that, you should relax for the rest of the day and avoid hard work and extreme temperatures, either hot or cold. To enhance the effect of the oil bath, you might consider meditating or trying different pranayama techniques. If you do not practice such things, just curl up in a blanket with a good book and a cup of tea.
Abhyanga is one of the most popular manipulations in Ayurvedic salons all throughout India. However, you do not need a trained Ayurvedic practitioner to discover the benefits of oil baths. You can have regular self-massage sessions at the comfort of your own home. It is best to take an oil bath on a rest day when you do not have any plans. Do it in the morning and on an empty stomach.
A Step-by-step Guide to Taking an Oil Bath
Take an essential oil of your choice. Ayurvedic practitioners use large amounts of oil. Although, a cup of it should be enough for a home self-massage session.- Heat the oil up slightly, so that it is comfortably warm—neither cold nor hot.
- Get into the bathtub. You might consider covering the bottom of the tub with a towel to prevent yourself from slipping.
- Pour some oil onto the crown of your head and gently massage it into the skin with circular moves of the fingertips.
- Then, rub the same amount of oil into your feet. Make sure to give the soles a thorough massage, paying special attention to the pressure points that correspond to different organs and systems of the body. You can find more information on the pressure points and find maps of reflexology in this NCBI article.
- Massage the rest of the oil into the remaining parts of the body. Different massaging movements should be used on different body parts. It is best to massage the limbs with upward-moving strokes. Belly, chest, lower back, and joints should be massaged with circular movements of the palms.
- When your whole body is covered in oil and you have massaged it for at least twenty minutes, it is time to lie down and relax. For that, it is better to leave the bathtub and find a nice quiet spot. Be careful as you get out of the bathtub and step on the floor, as your feet will be slippery from the oil. You may choose to lie on the floor covered with a soft towel. Lie flat on you back and try to relax every muscle in your body and perhaps deepen your breath. In yoga, this position is called “the corpse pose”. Rest here for ten to fifteen minutes.
- Take a warm shower with a body wash of your choice to rinse off the excessive oil that has not been absorbed by your skin.
- Dry yourself off with a soft towel, or leave the water drops on your skin to dry naturally. Dress into comfortable clothes made of a natural fabric.
- Lie down for a little while, or even take a nap. After you have rested, you can have a meal. Nothing heavy, though. Something vegetarian will be the best choice.
