Bathing for Health: JK Soul Salt, Erbaviva, Voya, Mighty Leaf and Kalahari
May 04 2009
When tension is high and you’re feeling terse, one of the best ways to ease off on the attitude is in the bath. With a myriad of preventative and curative mental and physical health benefits ranging from the elimination of toxins, regulation of metabolism and promotion of well being to the reduction of blood pressure and fortification of the immune system, a bath can benefit your mind, body and soul.
With a few shakes or squirts, you can transform a big tub of hot water into a skin nourishing, protecting, detoxifying, energizing, relaxing and/or moisturizing haven as each additive imbues the bath with its own specific benefits.
Here what we’re soaking in this season:
Orange blossom petals are the source of the prized neroli oil, extracted through a steam distillation process in order to preserve their curative qualities and potent perfume. The sweet scent has been used for centuries as a natural antiseptic, aphrodisiac and antidepressant, and we can’t get enough of JK Soul Salt’s Neroli Bath Crystal, made with pure Dead Sea salt and the highest-quality neroli essential oils.
Cleopatra’s infamous beauty has long been attributed to her legendary milk baths. More than an indulgent experience, bathing in milk has historically been utilized for its healing properties. Today, milk is known to do your body—and your beauty—good. The naturally occurring alpha hydroxy acids gently yet deeply exfoliate, dissolving dead skin cells and revealing supple, younger looking skin beneath. While the old cells are being turned over, milk does double duty as the proteins act as humectants, effectively drawing moisture to the skin’s surface. Milk your bath with Erbaviva Mommy-to-Be Milk Bath made with organic milk powder, sandalwood, lavender and lemon essential oils. And no, it’s not just for mommies: Even our single and child-less editors are obsessed!
You slather it on a (veggie) hot dog for added oomph and dab it on Chinese food for its guaranteed kick. Now pour some in your bath for a serious detox! Mustard’s little-known health secret shows it to have a myriad of healing benefits—everything from relieving joint pain to boosting the immune system, increasing circulation to helping cellulite. It even works to ease a hangover! At the root of this tonic’s power is its ability to increase blood circulation through the organs, helping to clear cells of metabolic waste. Considering that as much as a third of toxic body waste is cleared through the skin, it suddenly makes sense to pass the mustard, right? Yet even we health-obsessed EcoStilettoistas stop short from sinking into a tub of goopy yellow condiment and prefer the truly awesome Kalahari Detox Mustard Bath with added mineral salts, eucalyptus and camphor to further amp up its detox-ability.
There’s nothing better than a steaming cup of green tea to sip as you soak in a steaming cup of green tea. Huh? That’s right, Mighty Leaf takes the tea to your tub with their signature hand-crafted silken tea pouches—100% biodegradable, without a staple in sight—filled with Dead Sea salts, green tea leaves, 22 essential oils and verbena leaves for a relaxing bath that’s so natural you could drink it. (Seriously, though, save the drinking for the cup, okay?)
We discovered the absolutely amazing line of seaweed-based Voya certified organic beauty range and spa treatments at the Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica, CA, which just had an environmentally friendly facelift by eco-designer Rachel Winokur of Etta Designs. Voya’s signature Lazy Days bath is created with hand harvested seaweed from the pristine Northwest coast of Ireland combined with organic sea salt for a bath that naturally invigorates and softens the skin.
Seaweed, take us away!
