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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Detoxification / Detox Baths: Which Ones are Best and for What Ailments

Detox Baths: Which Ones are Best and for What Ailments

by Sarah Pope / Affiliate Links ✔

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • What is a Detox Bath?
  • How to Take a Detoxification Bath
  • How Often Should You Take a Detox Bath?
  • Baking Soda Baths
  • Epsom Salt Bath for Detoxing
  • Sea Salt and Baking Soda Detox Baths
  • Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Detox Bath
  • Hydrogen Peroxide Bath
  • Fever Bath Benefits
  • Contraindications and Why NOT to Mix Ingredients 
  • Don't Have a Bathtub? Do This Instead
  • How-to Video
  • References+−
    • More Information

The best detox baths to use by specific health condition to ensure optimal effectiveness, enjoyment, and safety. Plus, how often to take, when to mix ingredients and when to avoid rinsing afterward.ingredients for detox baths with fresh towels on a wooden counter

One casualty of the hurry, hurry modern lifestyle is the regular practice of highly beneficial and therapeutic detox baths.

A quick shower in the morning or after working out has gained favor over a more leisurely soak with bathing ingredients carefully chosen to support internal cleansing, overall health and even to remedy specific ailments or injuries.

I first became familiar with the benefits of cleansing baths during my travels in Asia just before I launched into my corporate career after college.

What is a Detox Bath?

The Japanese in particular greatly value cleansing, detox baths, so much so that public baths remain popular even today.  The Japanese favor using water as hot as a person can possibly stand with a special type of cloth used to exfoliate and thereby encourage detoxification via the body’s largest organ – the skin.

According to nutritional pioneer Dr. Hazel Parcells, 65% of body cleansing is achieved via the skin!

In America, bathing is viewed more for relaxation than detoxification as a general rule. The focus on bathing enjoyment can be observed at bed and bath stores where a plethora of artificially scented, hormone-disrupting bubble bath concoctions are creatively displayed and are best sellers year-round.

I would venture to suggest that health cannot easily be maintained over the long term without the regular incorporation of detox baths. If traditional cultures valued therapeutic cleansing baths back when our world was pristine with clean water, air, and unprocessed, additive-free food, one can only imagine how important a gentle and regular detoxification bathing protocol is today given our toxic soup world with chemicals and other biologically disrupting agents nearly everywhere!

If the body is clogged up with toxins from the physiological stress of modern living and the chemical assault from every direction, it cannot properly utilize the nutrient-dense food that is consumed.

How to Take a Detoxification Bath

The reason water as hot as can be tolerated is typically used is because this initially draws toxins to the surface of the skin, as described by Dr. Hazel Parcells in her book The Pioneer Nutritionist  Dr. Hazel Parcells in Her Own Words. Then, as the water gradually cools down, the toxins are pulled into the water via the principle of osmosis – the weak energy from the cooling water draws from the strong energy from the body heated up initially by the very hot water.

How Often Should You Take a Detox Bath?

If the wisdom of cleansing baths appeals to you, below is a primer on seven different types of therapeutic bathing.

Generally speaking, a cleansing bath 2-3 times per week with only one per day maximum works well for most people. This works to keep elimination channels open and gently encourage the detoxification process on a regular basis.

Note that sometimes during or after bathing, you will notice the skin exfoliating. If you find this happening to you, try dry skin brushing before your next therapeutic bath. While not suitable for everyone, it can be a helpful step to encourage additional detoxification when done immediately before a cleansing soak.

Baking Soda Baths

A baking soda bath is one of the first types of cleansing soaks people try because they usually have a box right in their pantry!

Dissolve 4 cups of aluminum-free baking soda (source) in a regular size tubful of water as hot as you can tolerate. Use more as needed if your tub is oversized. Stay in the bath until the water has cooled which will take approximately 45 minutes. Do not rinse after the bath. Simply towel dry.

This bath is beneficial for exposure to irradiated food, swollen glands, sore throat (including strep throat) or soreness of the gums and mouth. It is also beneficial for those with digestive impairment such as the inability to hold food in the stomach comfortably.

Epsom Salt Bath for Detoxing

Epsom salts are readily available at most drug stores and supermarkets. It is very affordable to try this detox bath next.

Dissolve 2 cups of Epsom salts (source) in a regular sized bath. Use more as needed if your tub is oversized. The temperature should be comfortably warm but not overly hot. Soak for at least 12 minutes and up to 20-30 minutes. Rinse and towel dry.

The scientific name for Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate. Magnesium and sulfur are both critical nutrients but surprisingly can be poorly absorbed from our food. Soaking in Epsom salts overcomes this problem as these minerals both absorb readily via the skin.

According to the Epsom Salt Industry Council, a simple soak is beneficial to the heart and circulatory health, can lower blood pressure, helps ease muscle pain and eliminates harmful substances from the body. It also improves nerve function by encouraging proper regulation of electrolytes.

Soak in Epsom salts 2-3 times weekly for general health maintenance or to alleviate the discomfort of bruising and sprains. An Epsom salts soak also encourages detoxification of drugs remaining in the body after surgery.

More information is contained this article on the benefits of Epsom salt baths. A fun way to use Epsom salts therapeutically and for children is to make homemade bath bombs.

Be sure of the quality of the source where you buy Epsom salts. They should be certified USP, not agricultural grade.

Sea Salt and Baking Soda Detox Baths

Dissolve one pound of sea salt or rock salt (source) and one pound of baking soda (source) to a regular-sized tub of water (more if the tub is large) as hot as you can stand it. Stay in the bath until the water has cooled which will be about 45 minutes. If the bath is too hot, you can add some cold water if this is the only way you can manage to stay in for at least 30 minutes. Don’t ever add more hot water after entering the bath, however.

Do not rinse or shower but simply towel dry after the bath is complete. This bath will likely make you tired so do it in the evening before bed if possible.

This bath is therapeutic for any exposure to environmental radiation, x-rays, plane flights or airport screenings by TSA.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Detox Bath

Add 2 cups of store-bought or homemade apple cider vinegar (source) to a regular-sized tub of water as hot as tolerated. Use more as needed if your tub is oversized. Stay in the vinegar bath until the water has cooled which will be about 45 minutes. Towel dry and don’t shower for at least 8 hours.

This bath is a great overall detoxifier and for muscle aches and pains brought on by physical exertion. It is also helpful and the best detox bath choice for those with candida issues that affect the skin as it returns the skin to an optimal, slightly acidic ph which is a difficult environment for candida to thrive.

An ACV bath draws excess uric acid out of the body. Uric acid is created when the body breaks down substances called purines in certain foods and drinks. Most uric acid is eliminated via the kidneys in the urine, but some folks such as those with gout can have issues with excess levels. An ACV cleansing bath can provide welcome relief for those with joint problems, arthritis, gout, bursitis, or tendonitis. It also is very helpful for those with excessive body odor problems.

Note that you can use any type of vinegar if you don’t have any ACV on hand. But, watch out as most white distilled vinegar is made from GMO corn and likely contains glyphosate residue.

Hydrogen Peroxide Bath

While not officially a detox bath per se, a soak in water with a bit of H2O2 added is beneficial for healing skin ulcers and other infections of the dermis. This article on the benefits of hydrogen peroxide baths elaborates.

Fever Bath Benefits

Another therapeutic bath that hastens detoxification by raising body temperature by a couple of degrees is the fever bath. It works similarly to the benefits of infrared sauna by stimulating the immune system and encouraging sweating. This article on the benefits of fever baths explains more.

If a fever bath is too much to handle, a ginger bath is another option that encourages sweating with more lukewarm water temperature as opposed to the very hot water required for a fever bath.

Contraindications and Why NOT to Mix Ingredients 

Be sure to only do one bathing formula per day. Do not mix ingredients from different recipes for detox baths. This is because one ingredient may compete with another. For example, pushing nutrients into the body with an Epsom salt bath versus pulling toxins out in a vinegar bath – acid versus alkaline.

One exception to this is the sea salt/baking soda detox bath as both ingredients are alkaline and do not compete with each other.

If you want to do a pregnancy detox, consult with your healthcare practitioner before commencing any cleansing bath routine.

white bathtub with cleansing bath ingredients on a metal rack

Don’t Have a Bathtub? Do This Instead

If your residence doesn’t have ready access to a bathtub to take your cleansing baths, try one or more of these soothing recipes for a foot detox instead. All you need is a large bowl or basin about a foot deep.

Hint: skip those useless and expensive detox foot pads though!

How-to Video

References

The Pioneer Nutritionist  Dr. Hazel Parcells in Her Own Words

More Information

7 Ways to Avoid Detox Symptoms
Top 4 Cleansing Myths
Coffee Enema: Unmatched Detoxification for Health and Recovery
Natural Deworming Methods that are Safe and Effective
Seaweed Wrap: Minerals In, Heavy Metals Out
Castor Oil Pack
How to Do a Hair Detox
Rebounding: A Great Way to Gently Detox
Juicing 101: Why Do It, Which Juicers are Best, Recipes to Try

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Category: Detoxification, Natural Remedies
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: the bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

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Reader Interactions

Comments (177)

  1. Barbara

    Feb 25, 2020 at 3:15 pm

    What about putting on homemade skin cream after one of these baths? After bathing is when I do this whole-body creaming. Would it interfere with the action of the bath?

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Feb 25, 2020 at 7:13 pm

      Yes it would. I would not put any products on the skin afterward for at least a little while.

  2. Julie

    Sep 17, 2019 at 10:30 pm

    The page is very hard to read, it keeps jumping around as I try to read.

    I just took a detox bath with baking soda, epsom salts and sea salt and peppermint oil – is it ok to combine those things?

    I had a lot of bubbling from parts of my body, I am trying to figure out what the bubbling might indicate. Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Frankie

    Sep 9, 2019 at 10:04 am

    Have been following your wisdom for quite a while. Wish I had someone like you when my family was young. But now it’s my turn: which detox would you recommend for heavy mycotoxin burden?

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Sep 9, 2019 at 12:02 pm

      If it was me, I would do the ACV baths.

  4. Dina Hal

    Mar 31, 2019 at 8:14 pm

    I have trapped gas from the CO2 pumped in me during surgery. I am in excruciating pain because of this. Will a detox bath help? Which one?

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Apr 1, 2019 at 8:23 am

      Exercise will actually probably help more in this particular situation … massage would be good also.
      That said, the best detox bath to facilitate elimination would be the epsom salts bath.

  5. Marzella Hemming

    Mar 30, 2019 at 3:18 pm

    Hi Sarah!
    Thanks for this post.
    I did the salt/baking soda detox bath for radiation and thought it really helped with my symptoms. I am now pregnant and wondering if I can do it again. The water would be warm but not too hot. I know there is alot of talk about not detoxing while pregnant but would this affect baby? Aren’t the toxins being pulled out of the body through the skin?
    Thanks for your thoughts!

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Apr 1, 2019 at 8:28 am

      Epsom salts would be fine if the water is warm but never hot. Here are some other very mild, safe ways to detox https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/detox-your-body-in-preparation-for-pregnancy/

  6. Deborah Erickson

    Feb 23, 2019 at 10:24 am

    Do you have more information on what is the best type of tub to use. I understand that apple cider vinegar will Leach toxins into the water if you use plastic. I want to know if ceramic with plaster covered by porcelain would be okay?

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Feb 23, 2019 at 11:44 am

      Porcelain and ceramic are both fine.

  7. ChristianMom

    Feb 12, 2019 at 3:55 pm

    Molly, (April 22, 2014)

    Glad you told of giving epsom salt baths for your two boys (1 and 2).
    And it was good for relaxing and for lowering their fevers!
    My two are little older (3 and 5). I have never given a epsom salt bath to them. But may give it a try.
    I do give, as Sarah has told on. her other page, given a cool water enema to bring the fever down.
    Works great! The enema is easy to give.
    I got a bulb syringe for the enemas.

    Not a doctor or any sort of medical person here. Not giving medical advice. Just telling what I have done or tried in the past.

    I was told not to give enema to one under two years of age. Of course, check with your doctor, naturopathic doctor, pedi, etc before giving a enema.

    I may post more about the enema. Very good natural home remedy to give.

    Blessings

    Reply
  8. Karen

    Aug 2, 2018 at 8:14 am

    It gets in the same way that everything else does, think of Ibuprofen Gel, Nicotine Patches, Morphine patches etc Yes, skin is pretty watertight, we’d walk around leaking otherwise but it can absorb stuff too

    Reply
  9. Ruth M Haberkorn

    Jun 20, 2018 at 10:11 am

    Probably a dumb question. My bath water is not purified, can I still use Epsom salts or do the ACV soak in unpurified water? We are tight on funds at the moment so can’t afford to get a filter. We also live in an apartment. My husband is having issues with his foot and ankle and we are finding nothing is working. He keeps taking painkillers to help but I know this is terrible for his health. I am trying to find stuff that will help him naturally. And it sounds like detoxing may be the way. Just didn’t know if it would will work if bath water is not purified.

    Reply
    • Sarah

      Jun 20, 2018 at 10:16 am

      Yes you absolutely can use detox baths with tap water. Best to use filtered though so keep working toward that as a longer term goal.

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