Healthy living: Detox bath recipe

Now that winter is here, a long hot bath sounds particularly tempting.

The science behind a Detox Bath is fairly simple. Sweating is the most common and effective way to dextoxify a human body efficiently. Skin pores of a human body react to differences in the temperatures of the surroundings. So when you soak your body in hot water, the pores on your skin open up and all the toxins from your body drain out. The process begins when the bath medium is hot, peaks after the body is immersed for 20 minutes and ends as the temperature falls below the effective degree.

Here is the recipe for a detox bath that works wonders in making you stress-free, helping you to sleep better and give you a refreshing start for the next day.

Detox bath recipe

Ingredients:

• Sea salt 1/3 cup

• Epsom salt 1/3 cup

• Baking soda 1/3 cup

• Apple cider vinegar 1 cup

• Ground ginger 2 1/2 tbsp

Procedure:

• Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

• Prepare a hot water bath, setting the temperature according to your preference. Add the dry ingredients and vinegar while the water fills up the tub, so that these mix in well. Don’t be alarmed if the water turns orange or yellow, as it is due to the ginger and vinegar.

• Soak yourself in the bath for about 40 minutes and enjoy the ‘me time’. You can also rub your skin to activate the lymphatic system that helps you clear out harmful toxins from your body.

• You can make the dry mix and store it in a bottle for future use. All you will need when you want to have a detox bath is one cup of dry mix and one cup of vinegar. It also makes for a great gift!

Health benefits:

1. Sea salt: It helps to sooth open sores or blemishes.

2. Epsom salts: It helps to relieve muscle aches, makes you sweat more and reduces inflammation.

3. Baking soda: It is alkaline in nature and helps to balance off a highly acidic system. As a result, it softens the skin and eliminates chlorine present in the water.

4. Apple cider vinegar: It softens your skin and helps restores the acid-alkaline balance of your body. It is also good for acne treatment.

5. Ginger: It opens up pores and makes you sweat more. Ginger also helps in increasing blood circulation.

Important considerations before the bath:

• This bath can dehydrate you. So it is important to take plenty of water before, during and after taking this bath.

• You can feel a little light-headed after taking this bath, so don’t stand up so quickly.

• The preparation and duration of the bath could make you tired, so it’s better to take this bath right before bedtime.

• Do not take hot or salt baths if you are hypertensive, pregnant, diabetic, or if you have a history of heart disease. If you are unsure, ask your doctor first.

• If you come down with flu-like symptoms after a detox bath, then know it’s fairly common. Your body is flushing out toxins, and you have to make sure you are well hydrated at all times.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, December 16^th, 2012.

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