Since skin is a big detox organ, and I'm already taking as many pills as I can bear , I want to take as much advantage of skin detox options as possible.
I had taken the occasional epsom salt bath, but it did nothing for me. I also tried it with baking soda, but I noticed nothing.
I found a recipe online for a detox bath: 1-2 cups epsom salts and 1/8 cup ginger. Make the bath as hot as you can stand it, mix the ginger and salts together then dump it in. Soak for 30 minutes.
*It called for ginger powder, but I used fresh organic ginger that I minced in a cuisinart mini-prep.
I dry-brushed my skin beforehand and took a cool shower afterward. It felt VERY refreshing - really felt good.
Does anyone have other detox bath recipes that work for them? Anything that relieves stress is good, too - I think stress is a major toxin for me, frankly.
Posted by chiquita incognita (Member # 30381) on :
I love to put lavender essential oil drops in the bath, along with STRONG epsom salts, a couple of handfuls.
I find that the longer I soak in the epsom salts, the more effect they have. I too found them ineffective at first, but then I wasn't using enough or soaking for long enough periods of time. I soak in the tub anywhere from 1/2 hour to 45 minutes when doing epsom salt baths, and emerge a very relaxed person.
But we are all different with different constitutions and body types...sounds like you do well with more invigorating stuff.
When I was a kid, we used to make strong sage tea and strain it, put it in the bath to induce a sweat. Then drink the tea and wear warm pj's, get under the thick stacks of blankets and sweat out....bugs, toxins, whatever....and shower again afterward. It worked, at least for us.
Yarrow and elder flowers will do the same. Induce a sweat. Yarrow is very bitter, it could be watered down with chamomile tea for a sweat inducing but calming bath too.
Rosemary: We used that to stimulate circulation, again in the bath and as tea afterward. Invigorating. BRings circulation to the surface.
Strong chamomile tea, strained in the bath could be calming. Catnip: Ditto. We used to use all of these when I was a kid.
Dry brushing opens up the pores and aids the elimination of toxins through the skin. Use loofa sponge or body brush.
Hot spices (like ginger) dilate the capillaries and thereby bring blood flow to the surface, opening up the channels of circulation. Careful not to overdo spicy baths since the spices can irritate or even burn the skin (less likely in a bath than with a compress, but you get the point).
You can also read about baths in several books (These are not devoted to the subject of herbal baths per se, but do mention them and a few herbs to use):
In the latter book you can also read about herbal wraps which might be helpful. Lots more info, drug-herb interactions mentioned in brief, more things a great book!
The first book has bullet point pages for ailments that you can look up alphabetically, as reference, plus herbal and nutritional info, detox info, more.
Both books are interesting in very different ways. I recommend them both.
If you are tired of pill popping you might also really like Paul Pitchford's book Healing with Whole Foods this is truly fantastic. Requires a lot of reading, it's not a book to skim. In depth and also how to suit foods, herbs to your constitutional type according to yin-yang theory in Traditional Chinese Medicine, but with lots of Western chemistry-oriented info. It's all about using foods, soups, etc for health and yes detox too. http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Whole-Foods-Traditions-Nutrition/dp/1556434308
[ 05-18-2011, 11:20 PM: Message edited by: chiquita incognita ]
Posted by gwb (Member # 7273) on :
Garden,
My wife and I take this detox bath three or more times a week. It's been great for us for detoxing and very relaxing too. It's similar to the one you take except it has hydrogen peroxide in it.
Below is an explanation of the actions of each ingredient and why it's used.
* Note, the ginger is optional, but it should be fresh. It helps open the spores of the skin and increases blood flow on surface of the skin. You do not have to do this if you don't want to. When I'm not too lazy to grate up fresh ginger I do it, otherwise I don't.
You can purchase all of the ingredients in Walmart. For the Epsom salt and Hydrogen Peroxide, Sam's or Costco is good if you buy in bulk--much cheaper.
Ingredients:
* 4-6 cups Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate).
* 32-64 fluid oz Hydrogen Peroxide (3%, as found in grocery store).
* 2-4 Tablespoons of Ginger (fresh grated preferably) wrapped in a thin piece of cloth or in a tea ball. An old piece of nylon hose also works well.) Cut up a pair of old nylons, after grating the ginger/measuring it out appropriately, stuff the nylon and tie knots at the ends.
Instructions:
* Dry Skin Brush entire body for five minutes before bath, removes the layer of dead skin for better absorption.
*Important* Use only a natural bristle brush for this. You can get them at Whole Foods or any health food store.
You start with the feet working upwards, hands move towards shoulders, torso upwards toward the heart, back upwards and over shoulders towards heart.
Light pressure in areas where skin is thin, and harder pressure on places like soles of feet.
* Fill the bath tub with WARM water. Then add Epsom Salt, Hydrogen Peroxide and Ginger "ball". Swirl water around, then get in the tub for 20 minutes MAX.
Shower off after wards so skin doesn't get dried out.
I notice immediate results each time. Pain reduced or totally gone, nauseousness gone, plus more energy. It's very calming and relaxing too.
Actions of Hydrogen Peroxide/Epsom Salt/Ginger Bath
* Hydrogen Peroxide - a simple, nontoxic molecule of H2O2 that is beneficial in oxidizing (breaking down) toxins as well as killing anaerobic microbes.
It will also detoxify pesticides and petroleum-based toxins and oxidize metals. Hydrogen peroxide is also naturally produced by macrophages in the body to kill harmful bacteria.
Most harmful bacteria are anaerobic and cannot survive in the presence of oxygen or hydrogen peroxide. Cancer cells are often very sensitive to increases in oxygen and cannot survive in oxygen-rich environments.
When hydrogen peroxide is applied topically to a cut, the resulting bubbling is from the rapid release of free oxygen and, more importantly, from the idling of the bacteria in the cut. Friendly bacteria are aerobic and need and thrive on oxygen.
* Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate) - Recent research has shown that when one soaks in a bath of magnesium sulfate, both magnesium and the sulfate independently increase measurably in the blood and urine.
Magnesium sulfate helps stabilize Hydrogen Peroxide so that its ultimate breakdown into H2O and free oxygen is more gradual and functional to the process of benefiting the body.
This research documents the very real beneficial aspects of this bath therapy. The Epsom Salt Council reports the following about the benefits of Magnesium in Epsom Salt baths.
Magnesium, a major component of Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate), is the second-most abundant element in human cells and the fourth-most important positively charged ion in the body.
Magnesium also helps to regulate the activity of more than 325 enzymes and performs a vital roll in orchestrating many bodily functions, from muscle control and electrical impulses to energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.
The National Academy of Sciences, however, reports that most Americans are magnesium deficient, which may account for our society's high rate of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis and joint pain, digestive maladies and stress-related illnesses, chronic fatigue and a host of other ailments.
The Academy estimates the average American male gets just 80% of the magnesium required for good health, while females get only 70% of their recommended levels.
Nutritionists say Americans' magnesium levels have dropped more than 50% in the past century.
Raising magnesium levels may:
+ Improve heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood cots, and lowering blood pressure.
+ Improve the body's ability to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes.
+ Flush toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances.
+ Improve nerve function by regulating electrolytes. Also, calcium is the main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood.
+ Relieve stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body.
Magnesium is necessary fore the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation.
Sulfate: The "sulfate" part of the Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate). This form of sulfate must not be confused with "Sulfa" drugs, to which some people are allergic.
People who are allergic to sulfa drugs will not react to sulfate in Epsom Salt. The benefits of sulfate in the body are summarized by Dr. Rosemary Waring of the School of Biosciences, in Birmingham, England:
+ Oral supplementation of Sulfate cannot be easily absorbed across the gut walls; therefore, by soaking in this bath, sulfate can be more efficiently supplemented. Sulfate is essential for many biological processes.
+ Sulfate is needed for formation of proteins in joints; decreased sulfate levels are common in the plasma and joint synovial fluids in cases of arthritis. Sulfate is also low in people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
+ Sulfate is necessary for sulfation, a major pathway in detoxifying drugs and endogenous (toxins from within the body) or exogenous (environmental ) toxins.
+ Sulfate is necessary for the repair and formation of brain tissue. Reduced levels of sulfate can lead to faulty neurological connections and subsequent dysfunction.
+ Sulfate is needed for proper digestion and for proper utilization of digestive enzymes.
+ Sulfate is essential for the production of mucin, a protein which lines the intestines. Mucin stops food and drugs form sticking to the lining of the intestines. It also blocks the transport of toxins from the gut into the bloodstream.
* Ginger - functions to open up the pores of the skin and increase the blood flow at the surface of the skin so that the oxygen from the hydrogen peroxide can do its work in detoxifying poisons and kill bacteria and fungi.
The pores open wider so that the magnesium sulfate can be more readily absorbed. Ginger is invigorating and can stimulate preparation for the elimination of toxins.
**From "Beating Lyme Disease: Living the Good Life In Spite of Lyme" by Dr. David Jernigan
Gary
Posted by searching4truth (Member # 28481) on :
I use peat baths. Its called moor mud, and comes in a tube. Its really thick, and fill the tub w/ as hot of water as I can handle, sit for 20 minutes. They are about$ 7 each, but work great. I get them from my LLMD, but you can get them online as well.
Posted by chiquita incognita (Member # 30381) on :
In the book linked above "healthy healing" seaweed baths are recommended for melting cellulite.
Since many pesticides and environmental chemicals cling to fatty tissue, this actually is a cleansing strategy as well as a cellulite-fighting one.
Wrapping the areas with the wet seaweed and lying down with them can be helpful too.
FYI fatty tissue means not only cellulite and fat, but breast, brain and nerve tissues too. Internal detoxing will be important alongside the baths.
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
My new massage/body work person just told me about Kosher salt wash. Take 1 cup kosher salt and add one cup of hot water.
Sit in your tub or shower and scoop out this kosher salt and rub it all over your body. Allow it to stay on skin for 15 minutes or longer.
Wash all away. She told me it pulls toxins from the body. I haven't tried it myself. Kosher salt is at the top of my grocery list for tomorrow.
She also told me to use coconut oil for moistuizing after. She is one special lady. She's a nun and her healing hands are wonderful.
I see her every 2-3 weeks the last four months. She just tells me all types of bits and pieces. Her order of nuns have long history of being healers.
I wish I could take notes while she's working on me. Usually I like mostly quite when I'm being worked on, but with her I'm trying to pull info out of her.
She's another angel in my life. Her office is only 4 minutes from home and in a new hospital. I went to have fasting blood drawn there and seen a sign that said Holistic Therapy.
She does many different therapies but with me she's doing light massage. She's never been trained in lymph work but everything she does is amazing.
Best of all, we do alot of laughing together. Another angel in my life.
Pam
Posted by Garden (Member # 31671) on :
Thank you everyone for the great ideas!!
Pam, so glad to hear you have a helper in your life. She sounds wonderful.
Posted by Garden (Member # 31671) on :
Last night, for reasons, I can't fully explain, I decided to add some Bragg's apple cider vinegar to my epsom salt bath.
I dry-brushed first.
Felt sooo good/cleansing.
This morning, I've read many recipes for topical applications of vinegar. It appears to have some mild anti-fungal properties as well as disinfecting/pain-reducing ones. It is used for problems as diverse as sunburn, poison ivy, muscle pain, and yeast infections.
I'll try again in a couple of days (I like to rotate), but I'll add more next time.
Just a thought!
Posted by philly78 (Member # 31069) on :
quote:Originally posted by Garden: Last night, for reasons, I can't fully explain, I decided to add some Bragg's apple cider vinegar to my epsom salt bath.
I dry-brushed first.
Felt sooo good/cleansing.
This morning, I've read many recipes for topical applications of vinegar. It appears to have some mild anti-fungal properties as well as disinfecting/pain-reducing ones. It is used for problems as diverse as sunburn, poison ivy, muscle pain, and yeast infections.
I'll try again in a couple of days (I like to rotate), but I'll add more next time.
Just a thought!
I've heard of people taking sitz baths using the vinegar for yeast infections. Never tried it but have heard others say it is beneficial.
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
, I want to take as much advantage of skin detox options as possible.![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[bow]](graemlins/bow.gif)