Bathtub Teas

If you're like me and have been doing a lot of digging in the garden lately, it's time to soothe your sore, aching muscles with a bathtub tea. It's so simple. All you need is a piece of cotton with a loose weave--cotton muslin is ideal. You can also use bits of worn-out vintage cloth in cotton or linen. I use about a ten inch square.

Take a hand full of epsom salts and put it in the middle of the cloth, then add your herbs on top. You can use fresh herbs if you're using the tea the same day or within two days. Otherwise, use well-dried herbs. You can see here I've put in dried lavender, malvia petals and rose petals for a soothing, relaxing bath. These are better than bath bombs imo, because they don't leave bits of detritus floating in your bathtub or clogging the drain.

Gather up the corners and tie a piece pf string around the top of the herbs and voila! You've got a tea bag for your bathtub. You can put this in right as you're running the bath and leave it in while you soak. Just don't wash your hair in the water as salt's not great for your locks. You can re-use the cloth and don't forget to compost the herbs. In fact, you can just dump them right onto your garden soil. The lavender will repel cabbage moths and their ilk.

Here's a list of herbs you can choose from put in your bathtub tea:
 

lemon balm: relaxing

rosemary: soothes aching muscles, boosts immune systerm

lavender: relieve tension, relaxes, good for acne (women's herb)

roses: compassion and love

peppermint: increases circulation

spearmint: lifts the spirits

sage: good for colds and flues

lavender and rose: good for sleep

pansies: good for skin (women's herb)

lavender/rose for relaxation

calendula: good for your skin

I highly recommend this excellent resource: Homegrown Herbs: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using and Enjoying More than 100 Herbs by Tammi Hartung