Whether it’s from working out too much, helping a good friend with moving or just the everyday hustle and grind, we’ve all woken up feeling sore and stiff. Bath bombs are one of the best ways to relax sore muscles and leave you feeling better. When you make bath bombs at home, you can personalize the recipe to provide exactly the holistic benefit you are looking for.
A bath bomb is a fizzing ball of wet and dry ingredients that are used in the bath. The active ingredients are citric acid and baking soda, which create a reaction in the water that disperses carbon dioxide and emits bubbles like those in sparkling water or soda.
So how is it that bath bombs can relieve sore muscles? There are three key ingredients that you can use when you make bath bombs that will give you exactly what your muscle are looking for.
"Baking Soda
Baking soda is one of the key ingredients that make bath bombs fizzy. Muscle soreness is caused by a build-up of lactic acid, so the key to relieving sore muscles is getting the lactic acid out. Baking soda in the bath is known to detoxify the system, and it is very effective in helping to leach lactic acid from your body.
As an added bonus, baking soda is great for the skin and leaves it feeling silky and smooth.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt is essential to relieving sore muscles. Epsom salt is a source of magnesium and sulfate, both of which are more readily absorbed through the skin than orally, making epsom salt baths very beneficial. The sulfate draws toxins from the muscles along with lactic acid. The magnesium reduces swelling and relieves pain. Adding epsom salt when you make bath bombs doubles the muscle relaxing benefits of them.
Aromatherapy
Essential oils should always be used when you make bath bombs. If you don’t use them, you’re missing out on the opportunity to make use of them to relax, de-stress, calm anxiety or, in this case, help to relieve sore muscles. There are several essential oils that are effective in relieving sore muscles.
These include:
- Lavender
- Cedarwood
- Chamomile
- Ylang-ylang
- Black pepper
- Juniper berry
- Ginger
This is my favorite recipe for making bath bombs to relieve sore muscles. It contains the baking soda, epsom salt and essential oils that you would expect, and packs the added bonus of powdered ginger. The powdered ginger isn’t some exotic ingredient – it’s just the stuff you find in the spice section of your supermarket. In fact, you probably have some in your cupboard.
Muscle Relaxing Bath Bomb Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 c. baking soda
- ½ c. citric acid
- ½ c. tapioca starch
- 1/3 c. epsom salts
- 2 tbsp. powdered or ground ginger
- 2 tbsp. shea butter, melted
- 12 drops lavender essential oil
- 8 drops ginger essential oil
- 8 drops ylang-ylang essential oil
- 5 drops black pepper essential oil
- Spray bottle of witch hazel
Directions
Sift dry ingredients together in a large glass bowl. Combine shea butter and essential oils, drizzle over dry mixture and mix with hands. Spritz with witch hazel as needed to hold mixture together. Pack into molds, pressing firmly." (source: http://budgetmeals.info/how-to-make-bath-bombs-to-treat-sore-muscles/)
Head over to Bubbly Belle to order some of our one-of-a-kind bath bombs.