M.I.Y. - Herbal Bath Tea

Herbal bath teas are so easy to make, and with the number of herbs and spices that are readily available the possibilities are endless.  A few herbal bath tea sachets together make a lovely gift, or wrap them individually to include as part of a set or as a stocking filler.  Use large empty tea bag sachets for baths, or use smaller ones for foot and hand soaks.


Here's what you'll need:


Herbs and Spices
Mixing bowl
Mixing spoon
Empty tea bag sachets / muslin (or lightweight cotton) squares
Stapler / String

Here's what you do:

1. Place your herbs and spices into a bowl and mix thoroughly so that the herbs are well distributed.

2. Spoon the herbal bath tea mixture into the empty tea bag sachets until two-thirds full, or place some of the mixture in the centre of a muslin/cotton square, leaving enough room to bring the corners up to secure the square.

3.  Fold the top of the tea bag sachet over and secure with a staple, or tie up the square with string.

4. Repeat until you have used up all of your mixture.

Recipes

Here are a few ideas for recipes for the herbal bath tea sachets.  All recipes make enough to fill 5 sachets / squares:

1. Cleansing Herbal Bath Tea- A herbal blend that will cleanse and soften the skin

• 50g oats
• 30g powdered milk
• 10g dried Elderflower
• 10g dried Lime flower

If you are Vegan, leave out the milk and replace with additonal oats or crushed hemp seeds.


2. Relaxing Herbal Bath Tea - Full of herbs with renowned calming and relaxing properties

• 13g dried lavender buds
• 13g dried chamomile
• 7g Lime flower
• 7g Mullein
• 5g Hops
• 5g Meadowsweet

3. Winter Warmer Herbal Bath Tea - a warming blend to keep the chills away

• Zest of one orange
• 10 clove buds
• 10g dried peppermint
• 10g dried lemon balm
• 20g dried lemon verbena

Keep the clove buds aside and add separately, placing two in each bath tea sachet.  Dry the orange zest before use by placing in an oven at the lowest setting for an hour.


4. ♥ Romance ♥ Herbal Bath Tea - a sweet-smelling blend to turn your thoughts to romance

• 12g dried rose petals
• 12g dried jasmine flowers
• 6g dried passionflower

5. Refreshing Foot Soak (use small tea bag sachets or muslin/cotton squares)

• 15g sea salt
• 5g dried peppermint
• 5g dried rosemary

6. Detoxifying Herbal Bath Tea - great after the excesses of the party season

• 375g sea salt (or Dead Sea Salt if you can get it)
• Zest of one grapefruit
• 2 tablespoons Rhassoul or Fullers Earth Clay
• 2 tablespoons crushed fennel seeds
• 2½ teaspoons crushed black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 

Dry the grapefruit zest before use by placing in an oven at the lowest setting for an hour.

                    

Try your local health food shop for dried herbs. You can also use the contents of a herbal teabag, for example chamomile or peppermint tea. If you don't have any luck Woodland Herbs have an extensive dried herb selection. They also sell empty herbal tea bags, but in packs of 100.  If you don't want 100, I'm offering them for sale for 50p for a pack of 5 

Package the herbal bath tea bags in a pretty lidded gift box, or wrap in tissue paper tied with ribbon and a tag.  If you are making a selection of bath tea bags to give as a single gift then wrap them individually to keep the aromas from affecting one another.

How to use: place the herbal bath tea bag in the bath at the tap end, while it is filling up.  Leave to infuse for several minutes, then you can either remove the bath tea bag or leave it in the water for a stronger infusion.

A word of caution: some herbs, like rosemary, peppermint and elderflower, should be avoided by pregnant women.  I wouldn't advise making any of the above bath teas for use by someone who is pregnant.