I Brewed a Bath Tea to Soak Away Stress and Tension Because I’m a Whimsical Bad Bitch
Photo by Johnathan Kaufman on Unsplash
Life be life’n. So much so that for a couple of weeks, I was yearning for a soak in my tub. I wanted to fill my bathtub to the brim with hot water and bubbles and just marinate there, but I let the stress of the day-to-day keep me from taking care of myself.
I was on autopilot, hopping in and out of the shower to cleanse my body, but I wasn’t cleansing my soul. I wasn’t taking the time to stop and revitalize my energy or nourish my body.
It wasn’t until I was listening to this humorous romantasy novel, I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker by Jessica Cage, that I had a come-to-Jesus moment with myself about my lack of self-care. In this book, the main character, Jericha Brown, is a boss with a capital B. She runs a successful business in a male-dominated, competitive industry, and she not only finds time to soak in her tub regularly but also rolls around in her garden daily. I mean, she’s just a whimsical bad bitch all around.
So, I said to myself:
You know what, I’m a whimsical bad bitch, too. So why the hell am I not soaking in my tub and rolling in my garden every day? Get it together, girl!
I got my shit together and prepared to take a bubble bath. I gathered herbs in cheesecloth to brew a bath tea. I’ve been struggling with inflammation, eczema, and aching joints, and on top of that, I’ve been moody and not feeling very confident. I figured a bath tea would benefit me more than a basic bubble bath since soaking in certain herbs can help alleviate discomfort from the ailments I was dealing with.
The morning after my bath tea, I woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. I felt lighter and more assured of myself than I had felt in a while. It was a reminder of how something as simple as a bubble bath tea can benefit your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
How a Bath Tea Can Benefit You
Aside from helping you decompress as you detach from the stressors of the outside world, a bath tea can improve blood circulation, nourish and rejuvenate your skin, and offer mental and physical relaxation, which is beneficial for anxiety and exhaustion.
Soaking in Antioxidants Improves Skin Health and Reduces Inflammation
There are many herbal teas rich in antioxidants, such as green tea, lavender, and chamomile. These herbs taste good, smell good, feel good, and provide antioxidants that neutralize free radicals that lead to premature aging and skin damage. Free radicals are unstable molecules created by environmental pollution and UV light.
While you’re swishing your legs in the water, lying back listening to your favorite RnB artist, the antioxidants are supporting and protecting your collagen, a protein that serves as a structural element in skin, cartilage, bones, ligaments, and tendons.
So, to put it short, herbs used to make bath teas do a slew of good for the body. Some notable benefits include helping combat acne, reducing inflammation, soothing superficial injuries, and moisturizing dry, irritated skin.
As a bonus, it can be a great way to detox. Soaking in warm, herbal water opens pores and helps release impurities. And since antioxidants prevent oxidative stress, your immune cells are protected from damage while actively getting a boost in production of the cells that fight infection.
Bath teas are not just an aesthetically pleasing move; you are literally partaking in a healthy regimen. If you brew a cup of tea to sip on as you soak, you’d be giving those free radicals double trouble.
A Hot Bath Tea Promotes Physical and Mental Relaxation
Aside from encouraging me to proclaim the title “Whimsical Bad Bitch,” that book and the main character, Jericha, reminded me that self-care is not optional. It is necessary if you wish to obtain success without burning out. And personally, I burn out more than I would if I took more time to relax. Regular bath teas are a way to give your body a brief break from daily stressors.
If you add Epsom salt to your herb blend, you can get relief from pain caused by overworked muscles and joints. The Epsom salt works in tandem with the herbs’ benefits, encouraging physical relaxation. The warm water and open pores also stimulate blood flow throughout the body, which also helps with muscle soreness.
The combination of herbs and Epsom salt creates a soothing aroma that jump-starts mental relaxation and relief from stress. This is especially true if you use fragrant herbs, such as chamomile, ginger, or lavender, which are usually used for aromatherapy.
Benefits of Common Herbs Used in a Bath Tea
Ginger tea happened to be the main character, Jericah’s go-to. She’d drink it whenever faced with making a challenging decision, in a high-stress situation, or just as a way to relax.
This makes sense since ginger can lower stress hormones by decreasing cortisol levels, stimulate brain health by minimizing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, and help you feel more optimistic by stimulating serotonin production.
Here are some other herbs that are great to use in bath teas:
Lavender: Minimizes anxiety and stress and helps you relax to the point where issues with insomnia are momentarily improved.
Chamomile: Gives off a calming, almost meditative aroma. It also helps with irritated, dry, and itchy skin.
Calendula: All around great for skin health. It moisturizes and calms irritated skin while minimizing inflammation.
Green Tea: Being so high in antioxidant content makes it great for reducing inflammation.
Rosemary: Promotes blood circulation, which helps with sore muscles and joint pain.
Peppermint: Great for aromatherapy because of its refreshing scent. It also aids with muscle aches and brain fog.
Rose Petals or Rosehip: Another great skin remedy as it both softens and hydrates dry and irritated skin because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
Eucalyptus: Its ability to open stuffy sinuses makes it great for aromatherapy. It improves brain fog and reduces stress by slowing the sympathetic nervous system.
How to Make a Herbal Bath Tea
Brewing your own bath tea is as simple as making a cup of tea or making a simple bubble bath. The method you use and the tools you need depend on personal preference and whether you use tea bags or loose-leaf dried herbs.
The first method you can try is to boil around 700 milliliters of water. After it reaches a low simmer, take it off the heat and allow the water to settle before adding around 30 grams of loose-leaf herbs or a couple of pre-packaged tea bags. Let it steep for 15 to 30 minutes, and then strain it into your bubble bath.
The other method involves placing loose-leaf herbs into a securely tied cheesecloth before running your bath. While running hot water into the tub, hang or place the herbal-filled cheesecloth directly under the faucet until the tub is filled.
You can add Epsom salts for muscle relaxation, rolled oats for skin moisture, or both to the cheesecloth before tying it securely. If you’re not using a cheesecloth, you can add both directly to the water in the bathtub.
Who The Hell is Jericha Brown?
I have mentioned Jericha Brown, the main character in Jessica Cage’s novel, I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker, throughout this entire piece, so let’s talk about her.
Jericha is in the 3rd book in the Accidents Happen series. The main female character is, obviously, Jericha Brown, and the main male character is Raymond.
These two characters have a magical connection, both literal and metaphorical, from the moment they meet. Before realizing they’d be working together, their self-assured attitudes clashed momentously, and you get a glimpse of the power dynamic that’d be revealed throughout the remainder of the novel as they partner together and evolve from enemies to lovers.
This humorous romance takes place in a world where magic exists unbeknownst to many humans on Earth. As Jericha runs her private security business amongst common humans, she’s forced to partner with Raymond to save her company after a betrayal. Throughout the partnership, they both learn to rely on each other’s physical and intellectual strength, creating an unshakeable bond despite resistance to the obvious emotional development. When they learn of the others’ connection to magic, all walls eventually fall down, and their trust in one another becomes life or death.
This novel is filled with spicy scenes, witty banter, and, as you can see throughout this piece, representation of self-love and self-care. It’s a cute story to read as you sip on a brewed cup of tea.
I Challenge You to Brew Some Tea, and Rest
If this piece did anything, I hope it was to serve as a reminder to take care of yourself. Brew your own bath tea and soak regularly like the whimsical boss you are.
You deserve to do something that benefits your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Taking care of yourself is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.
Until next time, may your everyday hold a little enchantment.
