14 Luxurious DIY Bath Tea Recipes To Relax, Heal & Invigorate
Taking a bath is a wonderful act of self-care, and it’s up there on my list of things to do when I’m tired, stressed, or in the mood to moon bathe. Over the past few years, I’ve been doing a lot of research into skincare, and I’ve always been a hearth witch at heart, which means I love a DIY home project. The two things have naturally married together, and I’ve been experimenting with my own natural skincare remedies at home: facial oils, cleansers, washes, makeup removers, sugar scrubs, and more. Because I love bathing, making my own bath tea using simple recipes and kitchen ingredients transformed bath time for me. I never buy store-bought bubble baths anymore because bath teas are kinder to the skin, look prettier, and smell and feel a million times better than a bunch of chemicals ever could.
Let’s talk about bath teas: what exactly are they, what are the benefits, and how do you make them at home? Plus, I’m sharing 14 of my favorite bath tea recipes with you so you can get started straight away. Pick your favorite, gather your tools, and schedule a blissful bath ritual this week.
What is bath tea?
You know how you brew a cup of your favorite tea first thing in the morning as part of your wake-up ritual? Well, bath teas are called bath teas because they’re made similarly, either on the stove or in your bath. Hot water is left to infuse with a bunch of dried flowers, herbs, oils, and other yummy stuff, and then you get to soak in all this natural goodness in the tub. This is why it’s also known as “tub tea.”
The best part is it’s super simple to make, really gratifying, and feels and smells divine!
Benefits of bath tea
Bath tea recipes aren’t just fun to make; they have a ton of physical and mental health benefits, including:
- Detoxifying your skin
- Healing bruises, sores, scars, and wounds
- Soothing irritation and inflammation
- Relieving eczema, psoriasis, acne, and other skin conditions
- Balancing skin tone
- Repairing sun damage
- Rejuvenating skin cells
- Soothes and calms tight muscles
- Reducing anxiety and stress
- Promoting relaxation
How to make bath tea
Option one: in a muslin bag
The first option is to mix all your bath tea recipe ingredients in a bowl, then divide your mixture into small muslin bags (the same size ones you use to store oracle cards) or large unbleached tea bags. Store all your finished muslin bags in a larger glass jar or airtight container, so everything stays fresh.
When you’re ready to have a bath, run your water and pop one of the muslin bags in. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes so everything can infuse nicely into your water.
Alternatively, you can put your mixture into one large glass jar to store it. When you’re ready to run a bath, you can scoop a few spoonfuls into a muslin bag and follow the same steps above. This means you’ll only need to source one bag rather than several.
Note: all your muslin bags can be gently washed and reused again and again.
Option two: in a pot or press
The second option is to brew or steep your bath tea in a pot of hot water on the stove or by using a French press.
Add everything to a pot of water and bring it to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for around 10 minutes. If you’re using a press, let it sit in your press for the same time. When you run your bath, strain your liquid using a tea strainer (you won’t need to do this if using a press) and pour it straight into your bath.
Remember, you can always add extra fresh ingredients to your bath, like fresh flower petals and sliced fruits. I love doing this because it makes it look beautiful and like you’re having a real spa experience.
Common bath tea Ingredients
Here are some of the tools and ingredients you’ll need to start making your bath teas at home. But feel free to experiment with what you have at home in your garden and kitchen.
My only rule is to use organic, natural ingredients because this is the number one advantage of making your own bath tea and skin products—you get to bypass all those nasty chemicals and toxins that supermarkets add in.
Muslin bags or natural tea bags
Store your dry bath teas in sachets, ready to pop into the bath.
Mason jars or some other airtight container
Store your dry bath tea mix or bags and prevent them from going soggy.
Salts
Epsom Salt, Himalayan salt, and Dead Sea salt.
These natural salts help to relieve and relax your muscles and moisturize and exfoliate your skin.
Oat flour
This is just a fancy way of saying blitzed-up porridge oats, which is super simple to do in any standard food processor.
Oats help to moisturize and hydrate our skin and calm and soothe irritation.
Cacao butter
A natural, hydrating butter that is rich in vitamin E, hydrates your skin and smells good enough to eat. Grate or shave this when making the bath tea recipes below.
Coconut milk powder
Antibacterial, moisturizing (especially if you suffer from dry skin or eczema), and can also remove makeup. This will turn your bath a lovely milky-white color and makes for a richer, more nourishing experience.
Honey
Moisturizes, exfoliates and lightens scars. It’s also anti-aging and will leave your skin with a lovely natural glow. I regularly apply organic honey to my face as a face wash in the morning, and it leaves my skin feeling incredible!
Lavender
This amazing flower is antibacterial, antiseptic, soothes inflammation, and calms and relaxes. The perfect addition to any evening bath ritual.
Rose petals
These pretty petals are antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral, plus they will make your bath look just like those beautiful outdoor spa baths that you only get when you’re an Insta-influencer vacaying in Bali.
Chamomile
It’s healing, reduces inflammation, and can also help ease muscle pain. It’s another flower that is great for calming and relaxation, hence why chamomile tea is so popular.
Lemon balm
This is another calming herb that can reduce anxiety and stress.
14 simple bath tea recipes to make at home
Follow these tea bath recipes or use them as inspiration to create your own. Have fun. Experiment. Use ingredients you love that make you feel amazing. Trust your intuition.
Soothing bath tea recipe
1½ cups ground oats
1/4 cup dried lavender buds
1/4 cup grated cacao butter
5-10 drops of lavender and/or chamomile essential oils
Revitalizing bath tea recipe
1½ cups ground oats
1/4 cup grated cacao butter
1/4 cup dried lavender buds
1/4 cup dried mint leaves
Calming bath tea recipe
1 cup Epsom salt
1 cup ground oats
1/4 cup grated cacao butter
1/4 cup dried lavender buds
5-10 drops of lavender and/or patchouli essential oil
Almond flower bath tea recipe
1½ cups ground almonds
1/4 cup grated cacao butter
1/4 cup dried lavender buds
1/4 cup dried rose petals
Relaxing bath tea recipe
1 cups Epsom salt
1/4 cup ground oats
1/4 cup dried chamomile flowers
1 tbsp dried calendula flowers
1/4 cup dried lemon balm leaves
Self-love bath tea recipe
1½ cups pink Himalayan salt
1/4 cup dried lavender buds
1/4 cup dried rose petals
1 tbsp dried lemongrass
1 tbsp dried chamomile flowers
1 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers
5-10 drops of rose essential oil
Zesty fresh bath tea recipe
1 cup Dead Sea salt
1/2 cup coconut milk powder
2 tbsp of loose earl gray tea (or 2 tea bags)
5-10 drops of lemon essential oil
Flower power bath tea recipe
1 cup ground oats
1/4 cup grated cacao butter
1/4 cup pink Himalayan salt
1 cup of mixed dried flower petals (rose, lavender, chamomile, cornflower, etc.)
5-10 drops of lavender, rose, or ylang ylang essential oil
Uplifting bath tea recipe
1 cup pink Himalayan salt
1/4 cup dried lavender buds
1/4 cup dried rose petals
5-10 drops orange, tangerine, and/or grapefruit essential oil
Slice one lemon and one orange into circles and add these into your bath water for extra fruitiness.
Sensual bath tea recipe
1 cup pink Himalayan salt
1/2 cup coconut milk powder
1/4 cup dried rose petals
The rind of 2 lemons grated
5-10 drops of lemon essential oil
Rejuvenating bath tea recipe
1 cup Epsom salt
1/4 cup dried lemon balm leaves
2 tbsp of loose peppermint tea (or 2 tea bags)
5-10 drops of peppermint and/or eucalyptus essential oil
Nourishing bath tea recipe
1 cup of pink Himalayan salt
1/2 cup dried jasmine flowers
1/4 cup cacao husks
5-10 drops of jasmine, orange, and/or sandalwood essential oil
Cleanse & detoxify bath tea recipe
1 cup of Epsom salt
1/4 cup dried chamomile flowers
1/4 cup dried white flower petals (your choice)
1 tbsp dried rosemary
5-10 drops of peppermint and/or neem oil
Dreamtime bath tea recipe
1/2 cup Epsom salt
1/2 cup Dead Sea salt
1/4 cup dried lavender buds
1/4 cup dried calendula flowers
1/4 cup dried chamomile flowers
Method for making your chosen herbal bath tea recipe
- Mix all your tub tea ingredients together in a bowl
- If there are oils in the recipe, ensure these are thoroughly combined with your dry ingredients.
- Scoop everything into one large mason jar, or put a few tablespoons into individual muslin bags. If you are using muslin bags, make sure you store them in an airtight container.
- When you’re ready for your bath, either pop your bath tea straight in with the running water or steep your tea on the stove or in a press.
- Leave to infuse for at least 10 minutes. Light some candles while you wait and turn on some peaceful music.
- Add in any fresh ingredients (sliced flowers, fruits, honey)
- Sit back, relax, and enjoy a blissful bath.
Nights in just got even better
I don’t know about you, but just writing about baths has got me in the mood for one. These bath tea recipes are all fairly simple to make once you’ve got all your raw ingredients on hand. And baths are a wonderful act of self-care that are deeply nourishing and restorative.
Whether you want to wash away a long day, celebrate the end of your bleeding phase, or enjoy an evening of luxury, baths are so versatile.
Which one of these bath tea recipes will you try first? Or do you have another tried and tested recipe you love? Share it with me in the comments below.