It is the end of August and I have a terrible cold. WTF? I thought colds were for WINTER. Ugh. This is what happens when teachers go back to school. It started as a sore throat and has progressed into a sinus/runny nose nightmare.

I tried everything- Theraflu, Nyquil, Advil Cold and Sinus (I had to sign my life away because it had Sudafed in it), steam,saline spray– nothing helped. I remembered that I had used a detox bath to get back on my feet after my awful flu last January and figured I would give it a try.

I have been out of the bath for ten minutes and can actually BREATHE out of my nose! Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a miracle cure, but I do feel that it brings a lot of relief. I couldn’t move when I had the flu and after the detox bath I could at least get food and go to the bathroom.

Detox baths make you sweat and the theory is that you sweat out toxins and other bad stuff to help you feel better. Some belief systems actually refer to the skin as the “third kidney” because it helps to filter out toxins. I’ve written before about how much I love Epsom salts so it probably comes as no surprise that I love them for detoxing, too!

For this bath you need 40 minutes. The idea is that 20 minutes lets you sweat out the yucky stuff and the other 20 is to absorb some of the minerals.

Instructions:

1. Fill bath tub with very hot water- I actually add a pot of boiling water to mine
2. Add 2 cups Epsom Salts
3. Add 1-2 cups of Baking Soda
4. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of ground powdered ginger
5. Swish well- you can add essential oils to make it smell nice but I usually don’t since I feel terrible
6. Sit for 40 minutes
7. Make sure to drink plenty of water during and after bath

The ginger will make the water feel even hotter than it is and will make you sweat profusely. This is a good thing because it is what makes you feel better but it is important to keep drinking water so you don’t get dehydrated. I like to use my Yeti tumbler so the water stays nice and cold.

Note- This bath is for adults. I do not recommend it for children due to the risk of dehydration.