Pouring a lavender bath is just the best way to relax!
Lavender is known to have soothing, calming properties, and a long history of medical and therapeutic use.
Research suggests that lavender has an effect on the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the system in the human body that controls breathing rhythm, heart rate and some hormones – all things that affect a person’s level of anxiety. It’s the system that helps to conserve energy by regulating bodily functions, having a calming effect.
In short, lavender can help you feel calm, relax and get a restful sleep.
There are many ways to enjoy a lavender bath, including:
You can make all of the above quite easily at home. If you prefer to buy a finished product, we have recommended lavender bath products we like in this article.
Add your lavender bath ingredients, enjoy for 10-20 minutes and feel the stress soak away!
Lavender bath salts
These are really easy to make, dissolve easily and are great to have on hand for a no-stress, low-prep lavender bath.
This can vary, but we list the ingredients in lavender bath salts under to categories – what you need, and optional extras.
You need:
- Epsom salts, about 500g or 20 oz
- Lavender essential oil, about 40 drops
- Jars to store your bath salts (any glass jar will do)
You can also add:
- Sea salt, about 100g or 3 oz
- Dried lavender, 1 – 2 Tablespoons
- Other flower petals. We recommend calendula, cornflower, dried rose petals. Use a few tablespoons.
Just mix everything together and put in storage jars. If you need to know how many bath salts to add for one bath, we recommend a large handful or two, depending on the size of your bath. Sprinkle in under running hot water and the salt will soon dissolve. If you have added dried lavender or other flower petals, they will float about in your bath.
You should store your lavender bath salts in a cool, dry place. If the jars are airtight, the bathroom is fine.
Lavender Bath Oil
It’s best not to add lavender essential oil directly into your bath. It is unlikely to disperse fully, and you could end up with the essential oil directly on your skin.
You need to add the essential oil to another oil first. This has the added benefit of moisurising your skin while you are soaking in the tub.
Making lavender bath oil is simple. You need:
- Lavender essential oil, about 30 drops
- A carrier oil such as almond, grapeseed or jojoba. You can also use olive oil but it’s not neutral like the others. You’ll need 100ml to 150ml
- Bottles or small jars for storage
If you like your bottles to look pretty, you can also add dried flower petals (lavender, calendula, rose, cornflower). They’ll float around your bath water and turn your bath into a luxurious spa experience.
When you are ready for your bath, add a quarter of a cup of the oil under the running tap right before you get in.
Lie back, relax, and enjoy.
If you want to experiment, there are so many essential oils you can add to your bath oil. Lavender oil is very versatile and can be mixed with others. Just remember that the total quantity of oil should stay approximately the same as the amount in the above recipe.
Oil combinations you can try are:
- Lavender, sweet orange and bergamot
- Lavender and chamomile
- Lavender and lemongrass
- Lavender, frankincense and marjoram
Obviously you need to use precautions when using essential oils and make sure you are safe to use them first before adding them to your bath oil. Some oils aren’t recommended for pregnant people, for example. Look for labels like ‘skins safe’. If you click on the links above they’ll take you to some skin safe options (always double check the label).
Gya Labs sell a range of oils, including premixed options such as this one.
Again, if you would prefer to buy a ready-to-use lavender bath product, here are some options
Fresh or dried lavender
This is a lavender bath in its most simple form. You can use either dried or fresh lavender, straight from the garden.
You can just put lavender flowers straight into the bathtub and let them float around you while you soak. However, when it comes to draining the tub, this approach can mean a blocked drain, so we recommend making a lavender bath bag.
You need:
- Fresh or dried lavender, a handful
- A muslin bag (easy to make or buy)
- String or ribbon, if you are making a bag.
Just put your lavender in the bag (or wrap a pile of lavender in a cloth), tie to the tap and let the hot water run directly over it into the tub, letting the water get deep enough so that the lavender bag ends up submerged.
Really easy!
If you don’t have access to fresh or dried lavender, you can buy the bags online here.
All of the above recipes make fantastic gifts for people too. Small, inexpensive, personal and fragrant.