Aromatherapy Bath Recipes For Relaxing and Healing

Using aromatherapy bath recipes can help you relax and heal. The variety of bath aromatherapy is almost endless.

Feel free to experiment with your favorite essential oils, keeping in mind that some oils are "hot" and can burn or irritate your skin or mucous membranes if used in high concentrations.

Basic Aromatherapy Bath Recipe

Here's a basic way to make your own aromatherapy bath: Mix 2 cups Epsom salt and 5 to 10 drops essential oil of your choice into the bath water.

Epsom salt contains magnesium, which is a natural depression reliever and muscle relaxer. Lavender essential oil is a great choice for general relaxation.

Enjoy the following bath blends. Also, learn to make aromatherapy bath salts and bath bombs.

Aromatherapy bath recipes on this page:

• Healing Bath Blends
• Bath Oil
• Bath Blend for Sleep
• Detox Bath
• Milk and Honey Bath
• Skin Care Baths
• Shower Gels
• Additional Essential Oil Blends For Bath Products
  

Healing Essential Oils For Bath Blends

Blend the ingredients and add them to your bath.

To ease depressed feelings:

• 1 drop melissa
• 2 drops rose
• 2 drops jasmine
• 1 teaspoon carrier oil or milk

See more aromatherapy for depression suggestions.

To reduce anxiety:

• 3 drops Roman or German chamomile
• 3 drops lavender
• 1 drop mandarin
• 1 teaspoon carrier oil or milk

To help you sleep:

• 4 drops marjoram
• 2 drops Roman or German chamomile
• 1 teaspoon carrier oil or milk

See more suggestions for insomnia.

To reduce fluid retention or edema:

• 4 drops juniper
• 2 drops rosemary
• 2 drops lavender
• 2 cups sea salt

To reduce heat and inflammation:

• 4 drops lavender
• 2 drops eucalyptus
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar

To relieve muscle soreness and stiffness:

• 3 drops lavender
• 5 drops juniper
• 6 drops rosemary
• 2 cups Epsom salt

Sources: Healing With Aromatherapy and Pure Scents for Well Being.

Aromatherapy Bath Oil

To make an aromatherapy bath oil, add 25 drops of essential oil(s) to 2 tablespoons carrier oil. Use 1 teaspoon in your bath.

You can get imaginative with your essential oil choices (be cautious with hot oils) or try one of the following blends suggested in Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art:

• Relaxing: lavender, marjoram, neroli, and Roman chamomile
• Stimulating: grapefruit, peppermint, and rosemary
• Balancing: geranium, lavender, and orange
• Aphrodisiac: jasmine, sandalwood, and ylang ylang

Sleep-Promoting Aromatherapy Bath Recipe

If you need help sleeping, try this bath blend before bedtime:

• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup almond oil
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 drops rose essential oil
• 2 drops jasmine essential oil
  
• 1 drop neroli essential oil
  
• 1 drop patchouli essential oil
• 1 drop ylang ylang essential oil

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Pour into a small, dark glass bottle.
3. Shake before each use, and add up to 2 tablespoons to a bath.
4. Store away from heat and damp.
   

Source: Massage & Aromatherapy: Simple Techniques to Use at Home

Detox Bath

Adapted from a recipe by aromatherapist KG Stiles: 

1. Add 5 to 8 drops of cypress essential oil (or other detoxifying essential oil or blend) to 1 to 4 cups of sea salt in a bowl. Stir together briefly.
2. Fill your tub with warm/hot water and stir in salt/essential oil blend.
3. Relax in the bath for 15 to 20 minutes or until the water cools. As you soak, imagine any toxins or negative emotions being drawn out and cleansed completely from your body and mind.

Milk and Honey Aromatherapy Bath

A bath of milk and honey:

• 1 teaspoon castile soap
  
• 1/2 cup sweet almond oil or sunflower oil
• 5-1/2 teaspoons vodka
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 egg
• 10 to 25 drops mandarin or geranium essential oil

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend.
2. Pour mixture into a glass container.
3. Store in refrigerator. Makes enough for 8 baths.

Adapted from Aromatherapy Massage by Clare Maxwell-Hudson.

Skin Care Aromatherapy Bath Recipes

If you have sensitive skin, soothe it with this bath blend:

• 4 drops Roman or German chamomile essential oil
• 2 drops lavender essential oil
• 1 egg yolk

1. Blend essential oils into egg yolk.
2. Add the mixture to your bath water.

For oily skin or a fungal infection, use this blend:

• 25 drops essential oil of your choice
• 4 ounces vinegar

1. Mix essential oils and vinegar in a bottle. 
2. Let the mixture sit for a week, shaking the bottle daily.
3. Use 2 tablespoons for each bath.

Source: Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art

Aromatherapy Shower Gels

Here's a simple shower gel:

• 1/2 cup unscented liquid soap
• 1 teaspoon almond oil
• 4 to 5 drops essential oil of your choice

1. Stir all the ingredients together until well mixed.
2. Pour the shower gel into a clean plastic bottle with a push/pull cap.

Use in the shower. Or for a bubble bath, pour a little of the mixture under running water while drawing the bath.

Source: EcoBeauty: Scrubs, Rubs, Masks, and Bath Bombs

Here are two blends from Aromahead:

For a centering shower gel:

• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) aloe vera gel
• 5 drops vetiver essential oil
• 6 drops patchouli essential oil
• 10 drops mandarin essential oil

For a refreshing morning shower gel:

• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) aloe vera gel
• 14 drops copaiba essential oil
• 7 drops frankincense essential oil
• 9 drops rosemary essential oil (For a relaxing evening shower, replace the rosemary with lavender essential oil.)

Make either shower gel in a two-ounce (60-ml) PET plastic bottle that has a flip cap.

Additional Essential Oil Blends For Bath Products

Here are some additional essential oil blends you can use in bath products:

For waking up/feeling energized/invigorating:

• peppermint + orange + lemon + lime
• lemon + peppermint
• grapefruit
• orange + lemongrass
  

For calming/relaxing/unwinding:

• lavender + orange + frankincense
• lavender + bergamot + ylang ylang
• eucalyptus + spearmint
• ylang ylang + orange + cedarwood
• patchouli + sandalwood
  

For uplifting/finding your happy place:

• lemon + orange + grapefruit
• lime + spearmint
• lavender + clary sage + bergamot
• geranium + lemon + orange

To support clear breathing:

• peppermint + eucalyptus + lavender
• rosemary + eucalyptus + lavender
• thyme + lime + eucalyptus
• cedarwood + rosemary + orange + frankincense
• lemon + eucalyptus

Photo Credit: Poznyakov/123RF Stock Photo